Five Decades of Basketball Represented in New Nike Sportswear
Five Decades of Basketball shoes have permanently made their mark in shoe history. The future of sneakers can not be established without recognizing the great sneakers that preceded them and these five new sneakers to be released have a long history before them.
The original 1972 Blazer is a sleek shoe made with either simple leather or suede uppers over a white vulcanized bottom. The fatbelly Swoosh design is a subtle yet signature part of the shoe. Many professional basketball players wore this shoe but it was defined by the NBA player George Gervin that constantly wore it. The Blazer was out before Air, but Gervin did not need that extra help since he was light on his feet. This new Low Blazer comes in a modern and elegant vachetta tan leather. Dress them up for a night on the town while repping basketball history.
Many call the Air Force 1 the first modern basketball shoe. The 1982 AF1 was the first Nike basketball shoe to include Air. Surprisingly the influence for the 1982 model was hiking boots! They inspired the design of a downward slanting front-to-back cut. The low post pros that wore the shoe had access to the removable strap for ankle support and a mesh panel behind the Swoosh for ventilation. This Air Force 1 SL incorporates Lunarlon cushioning, premium stitching, rich full-grain vachetta tan leather, and rose gold hardware.
1997 was another championship year for the Bulls and the year the Foamposite One originally released! Unlike anything else at the time, the 1997 Foamposite One was made by pouring a liquid into a mold making a one-piece upper that conformed to the wearer’s foot. The spring of the shoe came from a carbon filter plate while Zoom Air added bounce. Penny Hardaway and Tim Duncan, along with others are known for styling this innovative shoe. This new Foamposite is encapsulated with premium leather for the first time ever, a vachetta tan finish and rose gold branding.
In 2003, Nike depended on Lebron’s James first signature to take off. Legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, as well as other renowned designers, were brought in for the making of the Zoom Generation. Oddly enough, the bulky shoe was inspired by the Hummer Lebron drove in high school. The first Air Zoom Generation included leather or nubuck with a carbon fiber plate and it shined just like Lebron. This new version is reinvented with rich vachetta leather, rose gold hardware and leather laces.
The Nike Zoom Flight Air 95 was and still is one of the most futuristic shoes Nike has created. It probably has something to do with the huge orbs similar to the stereotypical alien eyes. After all, one can only imagine basketball players are out of this world with their insane moves. Actually, the shoe which allowed players to go from zero to a hundred in no time was car themed. A rear zipper is added to ease the foot’s entry. This new aesthetic in the Flight Bonafide revamps the Nike Zoom Flight into a present day favorite with the Flyknit upper. The Bonafide is better suited for the street than the play compared to Zoom Flight. The Flight Bonafide will launch later in 2017.
All except the Zoom Bonafide are KITH available to the public starting February 11. Global retailers will have them for sale February 18. The Zoom Bonafide will release later this year. Check out prices and releases online.
