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You think Kanye West was the first pop-star to get his own Nike shoe? Well, technically speaking, he was the first to have a pair of Nikes bearing his name, but that trend traces back to the turn of the decade into the 1980′s. This shimmering, glittery pair of Tailwinds was inspired by the energetic disco scene and given out to Friends and Family of the Beaverton core, making its way on the feet of the King of Pop Michael Jackson and the King of chest-hair David Hasselhoff. With the original Tailwind already making a come-back this year, Nike deemed it fitting to bringing back one of the most story-telling Nikes of all-time to the public, and it appears that some spots overseas have already let these go. Below we have a nice detailed gallery of the Nike Tailwind Night Track Retro below, so take a good look and if you’re interested in copping one of most funkiest Retro sneakers of all time, grab one of the available pairs online like this one from oasion45 on eBay.
Nike Tailwind Night Track NRG
Metallic Silver/Deep Red-Metallic Silver
518481-061
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History can always be retold through books and word-of-mouth, but when it comes to sneakers, nothing refreshes an old spirit better than the re-release of a shoe. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary is the Nike Air Safari, which debuted in 1987 as a slump-buster of sorts, according to designer Tinker Hatfield, who forged ahead with fellow innovative minds like Mark Parker, Sandy Bodecker, and a few others to perform experiments with unique materials and designs. The Air Safari was part of the game-changing ‘Air Pack’ of 1987, which featured the Air Max 1, Air Trainer 1, Air Revolution, and Air Sock; the inspiration behind the famous Safari print came from a high-end furniture store in New York City, which displayed couches and coffee-tables that were priced in the tens of thousands. One particular piece of furniture that caught Tinker’s attention was a couch that was fashioned in an exotic ostrich skin – something Tinker had never seen before. He quickly discovered that this exotic, high-end approach was reserved for the upper, upper class (aka, the insanely rich), and he chose to transfer that level of luxury to a running shoe.
The result was the Air Safari, which featured a stylized version of that influential ostrich skin, but it was Tinker’s intention that the Air Safari serve not only as a performance running shoe, but as a casual shoe as well. Tinker further likened the shoe to an Aston Martin, mentioning that like the luxury car brand, the Safari was indeed capable of serving as a superb high-performance shoe, only people wore them for fashion. Since its debut in ’87, the Air Safari has reached cult status and has become a hit-or-miss type item in the re-sale market, selling anywhere from less than what you’d expect to more than double your budget. It’s been quite some time since the Air Safari re-released in the original colorways (the last Retro falling in the early 00′s), but the iconic print has popped its head out several times on Dunks, Air Force 180s, Air Maxes, and rather prominently in 2010′s CR Mercurial Vapor III football boot. With 2012 marking the Silver Anniversary of the Air Safari, this famed cult classic is poised for a much-anticipated rejuvenation with a plethora of new colorways and hybridizations already confirmed, so check out the gallery of detailed images of the original colorway below and let us know if you’re a fan of this iconic design!
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While the rest of Nike Sportswear’s V-Series retro runners are rapidly fading into our memories of 2011, the Nike Air Vortex seems poised for another lap this spring. Size? announced an exclusive VNTG Air Vortex for February just before another blue pair hit just a couple days ago, and now the above pictured release means that along with the Anthracite and orange joints we showed you just before the turn of the year, there’ll be at least four new pairs this quarter. Fresh Mint and Voltage Cherry come together on this newest look to give a crisp minty watermelon appeal that’ll keep you cool long into the summer. Get ready for the conditions outside to get brighter by reflecting the same springtime renewal with your sneaker wardrobe and grab these at select NSW retailers like Titolo.
Nike Air Vortex VNTG
Fresh Mint/Voltage Cherry-White
429773-300
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Rocking vintage kicks have become a popular method of capturing that true retro styling sought out by sneakerheads and hipsters alike, and so Nike began a controversial collection of ‘VNTG’ sneakers – that is, taking freshly manufactured models and giving them a vintage makeover. You can typically find these Nike VNTG models with softer suede, pre-yellowed midsoles and the 70′s Nike tongue label, but the recently released Nike Air Max Light is hardly from that true ‘vintage’ era. In fact, it’s barely even an 80′s baby, as the Air Max Light (actually the Air Max II) was born just before the turn of the decade, sandwiched between the Air Stability (Stab) of ’88 and the iconic Air Max 90 (III) of ’90. It took eighteen years for the Light to see the light of day, with most of the great releases dropping as Euro exclusives and collaborations – most of the U.S. drops were available at chain retailers in crazy colorways and didn’t induce the excitement a true flagship Air Max would have.
Nike Sportswear finally decided to drop the two original Air Max Light colorways in late 2011, but in the oft-maligned ‘VNTG’ form, but it’s clear Nike got it down pat by pre-yellowing just the rear portion of the two-piece midsole (the rear was built with polyurethane, the forefoot with EVA, which resisted yellowing). Want to see for yourself? Sneaker News has for you a nice side-by-side comparison between the true original and the redone Retro, and you’ll quickly see that the OG has that two-toned yellowing with a truer aged appeal, down to the discolored thermoplastic straps, dingy mesh, and oxidation on the outsole. A picture says a thousand words, and we’ve got a ton of ‘em below, so check out this great Nike Air Max Light OG vs. VNTG comparison below and let us know what other Nike models you’d like to see with the ‘VNTG’ treatment.
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Nike Sportswear brought back the mid-’80s-born V-Series running trio early last year, but after a strong start in the spring season, we were left with only a few releases during the second half of the year. We haven’t seen enough of what’s in store for late 2012 to know whether that pattern will fully repeat itself, but here’s a trio of new releases that gives this group a strong push to get things started right. This Size x Nike Air Vengeance, Air Venture and Air Vortex set comes in a collection of colors and materials that have a strong vintage appeal even before you notice the pre-yellowed midsoles. Each design is limited to 500 pairs and will be available exclusively at Size? and from their e-store, so click through to see them all and stick with Sneaker News for the exact release date for this February ’12 drop.
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While the Air Jordan 1 is undoubtedly the signature sneaker from MJ with the biggest number of colorways, there still isn’t much that can touch the OG Bulls look. This pristine pair from 1994, the first time the sneaker saw a retro release, comes in the iconic White/Black/Red combo along with a little something extra across the heel area that pushes their collectible status over the top. That’s right, adding to the range of autographed heat we’ve been showing you from eBay is this first entry into the Air Jordan legacy, with Michael Jordan’s marking scrawled onto the back end of the shoe. Follow us after the jump for the drool worthy jpegs and check out the auction from bigtacman on eBay.
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Yesterday, we gave you a look at the latest Complex compilation, a series of sneaker shots from the illustrious career of Sir Charles Barkley. Chuck’s footwear is pretty serious, but anyone is bound to stand in the shadows when compared to MJ himself. Of course a list including in game shots would be limitless, so Complex has put together this selection of Michael Jordan’s greatest off-court sneaker moments, capturing him in a more casual element. There is of course a murderer’s row of OG Air Jordan models in the mix, but what really stands out are the other Swoosh sneakers the young Michael popped up in throughout the years. Catch him at a press conference rocking OG Nike Air Huarahce’s, or meeting up with some fans in the Nike Air Trainer SC II. The gallery is a must see and a true testament to the 90′s glory of Nike design, so check out some samples we’ve picked from the pack after the jump and hit up Complex for the full feature. Also check out our Michael Jordan Through the Years segment for more candid photos of MJ beyond the hardwood.
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During his time in the NBA, Sir Charles was a man who demanded attention both and off the court. His forceful style and in-your-face personality made him a superstar, a wave he’s still riding today with his various commentating gigs. Of course also essential to his style was the sneakers, as he locked down a few signatures for himself as one of Nike Basketball’s frontrunners in the 90′s, repping the Swoosh to no end as in the Reebok jacket controversy of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Complex has compiled a gallery of Charles Barkley sneaker shots for your view pleasure, a timeline that starts out with him rocking Converse basketball models before he made the transition to Nike’s Force series and his own signature sneaks like the Nike Air Max CB 34 later on. The tail end of the selection even includes some middle-era Jordan Brand heat, with the Mound Round of Rebound rocking the Air Jordan XIV and the ‘Cool Grey’ Jordan XI. Get a sample of the heat after the jump and hit up Complex for the full feature.
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Sneaker News just showed you the Quickstrike release of a black and red Nike Pre Montreal Racer colorup, and the other originals are right around the corner with the rest of the lead pack. This is a five-man relay team all incorporating Nike Sportswear’s VNTG pre-yellowing to great effect, the quintet roughly split between high-contrast colorways and those that rely on a tonal approach to their colorblocking. We’ll start with the OGs, which include the USA edition as well as the Oregon Ducks-inspired Gorge Green and Yellow Orchid combo. Somewhere in the middle is a nice black and grey look, and then we move toward a study of textural contrasts with Violet Pop, Fresh Mint, and your basic Black/White running the anchor leg. NSW nails another vintage look by covering the whole spectrum from old school to current trends; only question is, which pair(s) will you lock up now at Nikestore?
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Sneaker re-issues spark that bit of nostalgia that allow the older generation of sneakerheads to block out the ‘grown-up’ problems and re-live days of youth. That’s a huge reason why the Air Jordan Retro was so significant when it began in 1994, and the same could be said about other re-issues like 2011′s Air Trainer SC II, Asics Gel Saga, and the Air Jordan VII Bordeaux. With a few more goodies already confirmed for 2012, Complex ran down a list of twenty-five sneakers that are due for a Retro, and we’ll point out immediately that there are no Air Jordan Retros on this list. We must say, it’s definitely one of the more thorough groupings we’ve seen in a while (with mentions of cult gems like the Nike Air Citizen, the Spot-Bilt X-Press, and a plethora of Reebok goodies), so take a quick walk down history lane with this list below, or head to Complex for the journey in its entirety.
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