Nike Turf Out the Swoosh on this Soccer-Inspired Blazer Low
The very first shoe to bear the famous Swoosh branding was, incidentally, known as The Nike. It was a soccer (football) boot that released back in 1971. Now, Nike’s first basketball shoe, the , makes a tenuous connection to the first Swoosh shoe via a number of soccer-inspired motifs.
A key design cue of this in its 1970s spec is the use of a ‘fat-bellied’ Swoosh, which is an early iteration of the iconic logo. This also means more real estate to play with – here it’s turfed out in a very verdant green hairy suede that’s reminiscent of some freshly mown grassy pitches. These accents are matched on the tongue and heel branding, injecting plenty of freshness into an otherwise blank white leather upper and tonal rubber sole. Some suede bumpers around the front add some extra protection against any toe punting.
The football theme is driven home with the very idiosyncratic black and white geometric soccer ball pattern (aka a truncated icosahedron) displayed on the insoles. Despite the headstrong adherence to the theme, these Blazer Lows are probably best suited on the sidelines rather than scoring the clincher in the 89th minute. Check in with local Nike retailers to net these once they’re available.