What Took So Long?

I don’t know why this wasn’t done before, and I hope it’s a continuing trend with Nike kicks. Let’s talk about retro kicks for a moment. You know, these are your favorite blasts from the past. Maybe you slept on them and there were gone just like that. Maybe you were younger and didn’t have disposable cash on hand. Maybe you just didn’t dig the kicks until now.

In any case, retro kicks are big now, and this trend doesn’t look like it’s slowing down soon. New variations and colorways keep the retro scene fresh.

But the problem with retro kicks is the cost for what you’re getting. Often times, retros cost the same or even more than when they originally were released. So for a $150-pair of retroed Air Max 95, you’re still getting 1995 technology at premium costs by today’s standards. I don’t recall many kicks (if any) costing $150 a decade ago, maybe the Pippens. And to make matters worse, retros usually aren’t built with the same quality as the originals. You’re getting old shoe technology for a higher price and the quality is sub-par. Good for business for Nike, but bad for the kicks fiends.

Enter these new hybrid models that combine the styling of retro shoes with modern shoe technology. Here are a pair of Air Max 95 and Air Max outfitted with Nike’s latest Air Max 360 cushioning system.

You can keep the retro look but still get great performance out of these sneaks. What took so long developing this idea?

I regrettingly passed on the neon yellow AM95 when they were recently retroed, but I can’t pass on these hybrids if they’re actually made.

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