Feature: Nike Pony Hair Trainers

Nike's pony hair is almost always synthetic. The pair in these photos is the women's Air Max 95 Premium in multicolour pony hair, which Nike released in October 2016 and which we restocked that November after the first lot sold out. Nike describes the pony hair on its 2016 Air Max 95 and Air Force 1 Premiums as faux, and the all-black Air Force 1 it brought out in 2025 used a synthetic version too.

Is pony hair real?

Even the real thing doesn't come from ponies. In fashion, pony hair is cow or goat hide with the hair left on, shaved short so it looks like a horse's coat. It's also sold as calf hair or haircalf, and the word "pony" is only there to describe how it looks.

Nike's versions skip the animal altogether. The faux pony hair on its recent Air Force 1s is a textile made from recycled polyester and blended fibres, finished to copy the soft nap and matte sheen of real hide. So if you've been searching for Nike horsehair shoes, there's no horse involved either.

The Air Max 95 in multicolour pony hair

It's built on a black leather base, with synthetic pony hair across the side waves in Dark Cayenne, Rio Teal and Gym Red, a light blue toe and a flash of metallic gold on the tongue. It was a women's release, style code 807443-003, and it came out on 21 October 2016.

The Air Max 95 suits pony hair better than most trainers would, because its side panels were designed as separate layers in the first place. Each wave takes its own colour, so the hair runs in stripes of texture from heel to toe.

Where the Air Max 95 came from

Sergio Lozano designed it after moving across from Nike's ACG outdoor team, and it launched in 1995 as the first Air Max with visible Air in the forefoot as well as the heel. He built the look around the human body. The lace loops are ribs, the outsole is a spine, and the layered panels are muscle. The grey gradient on the original came from watching rain wear away the earth outside Nike's Oregon campus, and its black midsole was controversial inside Nike at the time.

The black pony hair Air Force 1

In 2016 Nike also did the women's Air Force 1 '07 Premium in all black with faux pony hair details, alongside an all-black Air Max 95 Premium. We wrote about the black pony hair pack when it landed, and a lot of the searches for Nike pony hair are still for that Air Force 1. Nike came back to the idea in 2025 with the Air Force 1 Low 'Black Pony Hair', again in a synthetic hair.

How to look after pony hair

Brush it in the direction the hair lies, never against it, and keep it out of the rain where you can. If you get a mark on it, let it dry and then brush it off. For anything more stubborn, use a barely damp cloth with the grain and dry it straight away. The hair can wear thin where the shoe rubs or creases most, so expect those spots to go first.

What to wear with pony hair trainers

With the multicolour pair, keep everything else plain: black straight-leg jeans, a grey sweatshirt and a long dark coat. The all-black Air Force 1 is easier. It goes with almost anything, and the pony hair only shows up close, so it works with tailored trousers as well as jeans.

The pairs in this post sold out a long time ago. For the trainers we have in now, have a look at our footwear, and if Air Max is your thing, we've also written about the Nike Air Max Viva.