New Nike Huarache basketball shoes
What was once old is new again. I love that expression. It perfectly describes what our society considers “popular”. Popular culture in the United States of America seems to be very cyclical. Do you want an example? The soundtrack of every movie I’ve seen in the last 5 years contains songs from the 80’s. Want another one? I have it. Greed still seems to be good. How many Jordan Retro have dropped in the last 10 years? Okay, that doesn’t count. Air Jordans have always been popular.
What does count is the Nike Air Flight Huarache. That’s right, this epic shoe is making a comeback. What was once old is new again. So, apparently, it’s time for the ’90s to make a comeback, too. After all, it was in 1992 that this shoe became famous. Made famous by Chris Webber. Webber was one of five freshmen to burst onto the basketball scene as members of the Michigan Wolverine basketball team. The “Fab Five” changed the game of basketball, perhaps forever. The Air Flight Huarache was part of the reinvention of basketball. It was front and center when these freshmen donned baggy shorts, wore black socks, and made their way into the history books.
It’s back! The shoe that Webber wore in the early ’90s will be released next year in the spring of 2012. So will it be released as an original Retro? Or, will it update when it drops? The answer to both questions is “yes”. The original Huarache silhouette will be used. And it will arrive in its original color combination of white/black/concord and royal blue. The update to the shoe will come in the form of the new Nike Free sole. With the 20th anniversary of the Nike Air Huarache fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to launch this epic sneaker.
This shoe was actually inspired by a Mayan sandal. A sandal with much more cushioning obviously. Legendary Nike sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield was responsible for the idea of taking a shoe and stripping away the excess material normally found in a basketball shoe. By eliminating unnecessary materials, Hatfield was able to create an extremely lightweight yet cushioned pair of Nike basketball shoes.
Like many things in American pop culture, the Nike Air Flight Huarache has come full circle. It’s 1992 all over again. Let’s hope the pants made famous by MC Hammer don’t come back with this shoe. Those things need to stay old and not become new again.