The idea of going green is very fashionable these days. That, of course, means looking after the environment more and when it involves what you are wearing on your feet, it can involve taking a walk rather than making a short journey by car.
Back in 1977, such issues were pretty low on the agenda to say the very least. Nobody was talking then about climate change. But there were other ways to go green - and these definitely involved people’s feet.
Back To The 70s
As Sneaker News reports, this was possible back then with suede sneakers coloured in a deep, dark green shade, a style that characterised the tennis shoes worn in those days by stars like Bjorn Borg. Now, Nike has produced a vintage version in the form of the Nike Blazer, with its starling green hue and off-white swoosh and soles.
Images of the shoes show some very notable contrasts with more modern Nike footwear. The swoosh is dominant, but the tail of it is invisible, merging into the heel, which is covered on both heels by a label with ‘Nike’ in a vintage lettering style (the modern Nike Futura Bold font did not emerge until 1988). It is unmistakable as Nike, yet equally has a distinctive retro look and feel.
The publication noted that these rare trainers became “inescapable lifestyle sneakers” even as they were designed for tennis players. However, there is a different purpose to them today, it suggested, part of a “two fold“ strategy currently being pursued By Nike.
The first part of this has been the introduction of some new lines, but the second is to fall back on the “massive catalogue” of retro options they have. Thus the 77 Vintage green Nike Blazer will be making its appearance in early autumn. They are expected to be priced at $100 (£79).
Anyone Not For Tennis?
Suffice to say, nobody should expect to see these being sported at Wimbledon or the US Open. These are not the kind of tennis shoes most would wear on the court now, any more than they would sport the mullet and headband combination worn by Bjorn Borg or John McEnroe.
By and large, green is the epitome of rare trainers, a stand-out colour that will either charm or startle, depending on individual taste. Perhaps it will appeal to those whose favourite sports teams play in green, but others might be captivated by the genuinely novel retro style, not just to be found in the colour, but the atavistic use of suede.
While the new retro suede edition may be popular with some, it could also spark some significant interest in the original version among collectors, where these can be found.
There are plenty of Nike suede shoes around, although not of the low-cut silhouette style of the 77 green Blazers. For example, the Cortez Vintage Suede has substantial ankle support, as well as a lighter, more emerald shade of green.
Of course, none of this means you have to go for green. Since suede can offer such a wide range of vivid colours because it soaks up dyes so well, there is naturally a wide range of collectible retro suede Nikes.
A New Craze For Suede?
In effect, what the Blazer may succeed in doing most is sparking new interest among collectors for suede models, whether low-cut or otherwise.
At the same time, it could help steer present fashion in a different direction for those not so keen on the latest innovations, providing a merger between outright retro and a sense of newness and novelty, simply because low-cut green suede sneakers are so rare now.
Indeed, the Cortez may epitomise that blend in its own way, while the 77 Blazer offers a more authentic copy of the style of almost half a century ago.
As such, it may be a sign that some things naturally come back into fashion. Others may say that what really matters is that there is innovation and novelty, which can attract new followers simply because, while it has been done before, it happened so long ago that it is new to them.
Against that, there will be others whose motivation is much simpler; if it says Nike, it is collectible.
You can make your own mind up which of these matters most. Ultimately, the fact that the new suede green sneaker will stand out when it is released lies in the reality that the original will now be rare, making it eminently collectible whatever one thinks about the colour, the concept, 70s footwear fashion, or even the kind of material used.
Either way, going green will certainly mean something different to a vintage Nike collector this year.
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