Nike x Readymade Sneaker Blends Blazing Orange Swoosh With Camo Colorway
The athleticwear giant’s first basketball shoe is reimagined by the Japanese streetwear brand for a killer retro collab.
The Blazer, Nike’s first ever basketball shoe, is getting a deconstructed DIY-style makeover by designer Japanese streetwear brand Readymade.
The sneaker silhouette was famously sported by nine-time NBA All-Star George “The Iceman” Gervin upon its debut way back in 1973. And Readymade founder Yuta Hosokawa among its first customers.
“I have been playing basketball since I was in third grade. The first pair of shoes I bought for myself were Nikes,” Hoskawa said. “That’s how I came to like fashion. We deconstructed the Blazer and recreated it without losing sight of its DNA.”
Retro roots shine through immediately in the stretched 1971-spec Swoosh that ever-so-slightly flicks the midsole before wrapping back up over the quarter and around the heel. The logo’s blaze orange color and exposed camo foam shrouding on the heel tab, collar and tongue evoke an outdoorsy hunter vibe.
Hosokawa got especially crafty with the midsole by trialing various clay molds to create a texture that adds volume. Meanwhile, the outsole is constructed from 15 percent mix of rubber and Nike Grind, a combination of recycled manufacturing scrap. Three different lace sets in silver and neon green contribute yet another layer of complexity with a hatched effect.
If the blaze orange Swoosh-on black isn’t your jam, a black Swoosh-on-white colorway will also be available when the Nike x Readymade Blazer Mid hits the SNKRS webstore and select Readymade locations on February 27 for a yet-announced price.
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