Whenever you lace up in a pair of retro sneaks you are inevitably donning an emblem of history, some relic that broke ground based either on the embedded technology or a bold new aesthetic. The Nike Air Tailwind is certainly a piece of history in its own right, the first sneaker to ever feature the Nike Air cushioning, an idea brought to the House of Swoosh by ex-NASA specialist Frank Rudy. Introduced to the market in a vaguely ‘quickstrike’ fashion before the idea ever existed, a small number of pairs of the Nike Air Tailwind were available at the Honolulu Marathon in 1978, with a wider retail release taking place the following year.
The reintroduction of this first Nike Air shoe has gone down in a similar fashion, with other colorways initially popping up around the world. The OG look shown here, featuring the VNTG treatment to give it a bit of a historical feel, has now begun its slow trickle into premium Nike accounts across the globe. Follow us after the jump for the full shots from the reintroduction of the Nike Air Tailwind and be on the lookout for them at your local sneaker spot.
Nike Air Tailwind VNTG
Metallic Silver/Blue Spark-Metallic Silver
512542-040