Deion Sanders flexes new Nike Air DT Max 96 colorway to start Colorado's fall camp

Coach Prime said there was additions to his signature lineup coming and it's outstanding

Deion Sanders shows off new Nike DT Air Max 96's /

Deion Sanders started fall camp with a bang in Boulder. The Colorado Buffaloes coach took a moment to promote the new colorway for the Nike Air DT Max 96. The black with Colorado gold set made a debut on the practice field. 

The phenomenon started last year at the start of the season and was followed up near the end of the season with Sport Illustrated asking Coach Prime about future releases. He confirmed the news that Nike was going to release Prime’s Nike Air DT 96 or Diamond Turf 3 to the public. 

During that exchange, it appeared Sanders had not yet considered the possibility of a Black and Gold colorway option. It was at a point in time where Prime as well as a select number of players had already been wearing the black and white, along with the reverse of white and black. As Prime continued to consider various uniform and equipment possibilities, it became clear in real time that he warmed up to the idea pretty quickly. 

Fast forward to this week and the start of Fall camp. It was a very eventful day up in
Boulder Colorado. Most of day one went as expected. Some guys checked in out of shape, a bit rusty and needed a tune up on defense that Livingston addressed, the injury designation jersey, but also our first look at the Black and Colorado Gold colorway in the wild.

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It is as glorious to see in person as the concept was when the question was asked. Whether it was the uniform kit worn against Colorado State (gold helmets, black jerseys, black pants) or against Stanford (gold helmets, black jersey, gold pants), nothing would go harder as the kids say, than pairing those uniform kits with the Black and Colorado Gold DT 96 colorway.

Coach Prime has cited a few times publicly that he wants the Buffs to have as many uniform changes as Oregon. In order to play on that level, they have to be more than just uniform changes. By incorporating Prime’s signature shoes into the fit, he is in fact, able to rival what Oregon is doing. Jersey changes are nice. Having 47 different combinations is nice, but at some point it's just constant change. Prime is able to tie together these fits top to bottom in a way Oregon has not tapped into yet. 

Colorado might never have as many combinations, but what they do have is four distinct combinations/motifs that can all be moved around while still married to some of the most iconic on field footwear any shoe retailer has ever made. Some might think the “Colorado Gold” or mineral/metallic gold might seem out of place, but it very much isn’t. The Colorado Gold idea very much tracks with the history of the shoe as well as the stories Prime wants to tell with these shoes. The primary constant is, in fact, gold. The OGs that came out first were Black/White/Maize (or yellow gold). Prime has been seen wearing the Colorado Home or the White/Gold. 

The Diamond Turf 1 set to release later in 2025 will be White/Black/Red/GOLD. Gold is a primary focus in the design because as Prime said in a Reach the People Media video during the Super Bowl.

“I would like to tell a story about peer pressure when you’re a kid in Ft. Myers FL, you don’t have any gold around your neck, you were considered not anything. So, peer pressure wasn’t selling dope or using drugs it was to have gold.”

An additional silver lining (pun intended) was the “Metallic Silver/Vivid Blue” DT Max 96 that was released in December of 2013. To the naked eye it actually appeared to be closer to a Detroit Lions colorway than a Cowboys colorway. The color distribution is different. The blue is in the flames/smoke design feature while the majority of the shoe’s upper is very metallic silver. While a Cowboys colorway is still on the table, it’s more likely to be of the Brave Blue/Wolf Grey model. However, the existence of the Metallic Silver and Vivid Blue would suggest adding the metallic or “mineral” versions of gold and/or silver is not a huge design stretch.

For the sneakerheads who might be interested in this particular colorway, it might be time to focus our collective attention on these releases. We now have confirmation of the OG black/white/maize. That one is sold out worldwide and has been since the morning of that release. We also know of the white and black, the white and gold, the black and gold, as well as the Falcons black/charcoal/red scheduled to release in December in time for the Holiday season. All of these will sell out minutes or at least within the first hour or two. That is by design and Nike only releases an allocation volume
that will ensure liquidation in a short period of time. However, it's one of the best structured shoes ever made and the colorway possibilities are almost endless.

The DT Max 96 or Diamond Turf 3 is more than some old players’ former signature shoes. It is the one that literally changed the game. It was the shoe that dictated going forward, football players don’t have to wear heavy, clunky, cross trainer only shoes. Prime’s shoe would eventually pave the way for other elite athletes like Barry Sanders, Michael Vick, and is responsible for why most football players from a true freshman in college to the future hall-of-famer are ready to retire wearing shoes and cleats that more closely resemble basketball shoes with spikes than football shoes.