Nike’s history surely is filled by a large number of sneakers and most of them have become an icon in the whole world. But since its existence, Nike Blazer has always had a preferential place in Nike’s sneaker hierarchy.
Introduced in 1973, Blazers made their first appearance when Blue Ribbon still was a fresh memory in Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman’s mind. The sneaker was launched with the purpose to be the best basketball shoe for athletes. Characterized by high quality leather and durable rubber on the outside, soft mesh lining and tongue inside, Blazers get their name from Portland basketball team (Portland Trail Blazers), Nike’s capital city. Even though, George “The Iceman” Gerwin, who was playing for San Antonio Spurs, didn’t hesitate when the Swoosh endorsed him with a fresh pair of Blazers and cut down his previous deals with Adidas. “Nike was very innovative…Nike was thinking out of the box back in the ‘70s,” Gervin says. “When I first joined the NBA I used to wear Adidas and then Nike came on board and Nike approached me and wanted to give me much more money and they had a better quality shoe, I thought. So, I went with Nike through the rest of my career.”
Nike Blazers fame rised up through the 70s but ended up decreasing in ‘80s when Nike introduced Air and Jordan. New technologies and high-level endorsements cannibilized the big swoosh sneaker but a huge upcoming trend was waiting on the line for a new sneaker to come. Blazers’ midsole grip really was appreciated by skateboarders and the athletic aesthetic together with the high durability of the upper seemed like the best combination on a low-price sneaker. Starting from the late 90s, Nike Blazers were bound to live a brand new life in the near future.
In 2003, graffiti artist Futura2000 came up with an original olive, tan and navy colorway whereas two years later Nike along with Lance Mountain introduced the Blazer SB, provided with a padded tongue and air in the midsole for the first time in Blazer’s history. In 2006 Supreme released a Gucci inspired trio of Blazers with a snakeskin swoosh and a padded upper, forecasting a luxurious use of the silhouette by designers such as Fujiwara Hiroshi, Virgil Abloh and Chitose Abe.
Minimalism and performance have been the keys of Nike Blazers success, but history and people is what really made them iconic. The never-dying Nike Blazer Mid '77 “Vintage" is back again in stock and you can purchase it here.
