Nike Cortez making a comeback

Sneaker heads everywhere won’t be sleeping Friday night, because they’ll be camped out for the return of age old favorite, the Nike Cortez. The shoe, which was originally designed in 1972, will be returning to stores on Saturday February 28th, 2015, and will also be available on nike.com. Nike fans who have long been waiting to get their hands on the classic will now be able to even get the shoe in its original color scheme of white with the red swoosh logo. The shoes also feature a white leather upper and foam tongue.

The sneakers are also a runner’s comfortable dream featuring a full length-EVA midsole that adds a layer of padding for comfort, and the signature herringbone pattern outsole which provides plenty of traction. For 100 dollars, the sneaker is certainly worth the moderate price tag. With the trend of sneakers moving more toward being a lifestyle item, due to the rise of both the demand for global luxury goods, and the success of luxury sneaker labels such a Giuseppe Zanotti, the shoe was originally designed to be a high-tech running shoe.

Nike Cortez to hit stores February 28th

Bill Bowerman, the founder of Nike originally built the shoe to go a 100 mile distance, initially offering the shoe in leather, but then later remaking them in nylon for increased drying speed and decreased weight according to Footwear News. Those who weren’t around for the shoes in the 70’s got a second chance to get them all thanks to Tom Hanks Academy Award winning performance in “Forrest Gump.” The shoes were dawned by Tom Hanks character in the famous running scene, and they went into such high demand thanks to the film that Nike decided to release them for a limited time in 1994.

The shoe was also one of the first styles to be released again when Nike launched its vintage program in 1997 where they re-created old silhouettes in contemporary materials. 43 years later, the Cortez has finally returned, and if history repeats itself it is sure to generate Nike a good share of revenue this year. The shoe could be very well expected to even sell out very quickly, and with an increasingly competitive sneaker market, Nike is smart to stick with what they know will work.