Style Files: Nike Cortez
The Cortez is the shoe that started it all for Nike. In 1972 this iconic silhouette was created through hard work and necessity. To this day the Cortez remains one of Nike's best selling shoes, providing the wearer with comfort, durability and premium good looks.
Creator Bill Bowerman, one half of the duo that birthed Nike, was a veteran track and field coach who had said since day one that 'a shoe must be three things, it must be light, comfortable and it's got to go the distance'. Creating the Cortez was out of necessity and passion, the end result was a shoe that would remain a staple in wardrobes for decades and still does to this day.
In the late 80's and continuing on through the 90's, Eazy-E was an avid ambassador for the Cortez, wearing them day in and day out and was rarely seen not wearing a pair. His legendary status increased the popularity of the already iconic silhouette which integrated the shoe firmly into the urban and streetwear scenes. No longer was the Cortez just a running shoe, but had taken on a new identity as a cultural staple, an everyday, everywhere shoe that suited all styles. The integration continued into mainstream Hollywood. Who could forget Jenny presenting Forrest with a pair of the ’77 Red Swoosh Cortez classics, in the iconic white/red/blue colourway. To this day celebrities still rock the Cortez proudly, Drake, Bradley Cooper, YG, Travis Barker, Waka Flocka Flame, Cee-Lo Green and Chris Brown are among the large number of Celebs who don this history-making shoe time and time again. The Nike Cortez has proved itself timeless over the last 40+ years and will continue to be a favourite for a long time to come.
*Original Cortez ads sourced from news.nike.com*
Creator Bill Bowerman, one half of the duo that birthed Nike, was a veteran track and field coach who had said since day one that 'a shoe must be three things, it must be light, comfortable and it's got to go the distance'. Creating the Cortez was out of necessity and passion, the end result was a shoe that would remain a staple in wardrobes for decades and still does to this day.
In the late 80's and continuing on through the 90's, Eazy-E was an avid ambassador for the Cortez, wearing them day in and day out and was rarely seen not wearing a pair. His legendary status increased the popularity of the already iconic silhouette which integrated the shoe firmly into the urban and streetwear scenes. No longer was the Cortez just a running shoe, but had taken on a new identity as a cultural staple, an everyday, everywhere shoe that suited all styles. The integration continued into mainstream Hollywood. Who could forget Jenny presenting Forrest with a pair of the ’77 Red Swoosh Cortez classics, in the iconic white/red/blue colourway. To this day celebrities still rock the Cortez proudly, Drake, Bradley Cooper, YG, Travis Barker, Waka Flocka Flame, Cee-Lo Green and Chris Brown are among the large number of Celebs who don this history-making shoe time and time again. The Nike Cortez has proved itself timeless over the last 40+ years and will continue to be a favourite for a long time to come.
*Original Cortez ads sourced from news.nike.com*