There are plenty of classic Nike styles that never stray from the mainstream sneaker rotation, and just the overwhelming volume of Nike styles alone means some stylish kicks never get to shine. One of those sneakers has long been the Nike Blazer, but this often overlooked sneaker seems to be poised for a big year. Sure, it has its own dedicated cult of diehard fans but the shoe is nowhere near as visible as some of the Swoosh’s other red-hot styles.
The original Blazer sneaker debuted all the way back in 1972 and transformed into a modern style staple, but has ebbed and flowed in popularity since. Both the low-cut and mid-top styles have been adopted as a skate sneaker (with the addition of a Zoom Air unit) in the past decade. And, at just $100, it is one of the more reasonably priced in the Nike’s upper echelon lines. But in the world of sought-after sneakers, the Blazer is one of those Nike sneakers that you can always find in a couple of run-of-the-mill color styles, and isn’t often dressed up into something that sneakerheads lust after.
However, this could be the year the Blazer finally gets its time in the limelight. In late 2018, Virgil Abloh unleashed an Off White x Nike Blazer that LeBron James liked enough to post to his 46 million Instagram followers. Then Stüssy dropped a series of Blazer silhouettes to close out the year, including limited-edition sneakers painted by skateboarder and artist Lance Mountain. Later this spring, the forward-thinking Japanese label Sacai is set to drop a off-kilter take on the Blazer that features a mash-up silhouette with double the Swooshes, tongues, laces, and more.
And now, this month, Nike’s coming out in a whole trio of bold colors. Blazer’s bold mid-top silhouette arrives in a white leather upper and comes with the Nike Swoosh decked out in Electric Blue, Kelly Green or Habanero Red.
Only time will tell if 2019 ends up being the Year of the Blazer, but picking up a pair of Nike Blazers this weekend is probably a good call either way.
—
Photo Credit: Jeff Bukowski / Shutterstock.com