Why the Nike Cortez Is One of the Trendiest Retro Shoes to Shop Now — Over 50 Years After Its Release
Based on how frequently the Nike ... at most a decade ago. But the Cortez is actually one of Nike’s original products: making its debut in 1972. ... Chances are high that your favorite celebrity owns not one but several iterations of the shoe.... Based on how frequently the Nike Cortez sneaker is spotted on today’s top trendsetters — rounding out their casual-cool, effortless outfit combinations with its retro charm — you’d think it was a silhouette that was released by the Swoosh brand at most a decade ago. But the Cortez is actually one of Nike’s original products: making its debut in 1972. ... Chances are high that your favorite celebrity owns not one but several iterations of the shoe.Its Baroque Brown colorway contrasted with her butter-yellow coordinates one time; on another day, she matched the same hue to a black midi skirt and blazer. Her love for the sneaker style seems to extend beyond the professional sphere, as Johnson also rocked the shoe with a patterned maxi dress in Mumbai this past January.Today, TikTok’s #nikecortez hashtag boasts over 20,000 posts and millions of likes on videos in which content creators offer styling inspiration, unbox the latest Cortez releases, rank the Cortez against comparable models, and bedeck its upper with popular shoe charms.The Cortez traces its origins back to more than 50 years ago: impressive for a shoe that experienced a 51-percent rise in search last year, as reported by Lyst, and shows no signs of shrugging off its virality anytime soon. Bill Bowerman, acclaimed track coach and Nike’s co-founder, designed the Cortez himself with athletic performance in mind.