Vintage Nike Running is more than an ideal. It’s more than a series of classic shoe re-issues from the past. It’s far more than a tip of the hat to a decade when everything about running was renegade. Vintage Nike Running captures the heart, soul and essence of Nike as a running company. It is a celebration of Nike’s past informed by the here and now, and inspired by the future.
2007 sees Nike rerun a collection of iconic running shoes from the 1970s. A collection of shoes that helped define a formative period in Nike’s history, engineered to the exact specifications of the originals. Original styles meticulously recreated down to the stitch. Handcrafted to look 30 years old, as if delivered directly from the Nike archives. 1970s-grade nylon. Swooshes that we hadn’t quite gotten right. Weathered foam that only 30 years can create. And, of course, the signature color combos.
These shoes do not simply recreate the past; they challenge the future of Nike design to do more with less. Nike co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman was committed to providing more benefit with less, in respect of both the athlete and the environment. Embedded within each shoe is the emotional seed of what the company stood for, and continues to stand for today, ensuring each shoe has an individuality and uniqueness. At Nike, it’s not simply about creating a beautiful product.
A Golden Era of Nike Running
In the sport’s golden era, Nike Running footwear held a special place in the kit bags of some of the world’s greatest runners. The LD-1000, Daybreak, Oregon Waffle, Nylon Cortez, Waffle Racer and Elite — each style went on to redefine expectations for running footwear and helped solidify Nike’s place as the innovation company for runners. Each style went on to become an icon on the track and in the hearts of runners. For some it was the performance edge they gave, with Bill Bowerman’s groundbreaking waffle outsole leading the way. Runners wore them until they literally could not go another step. For others, the shoes broke the mold of what a running shoe should look like. From technology through to design, materials and colors, each shoe was unique. Each shoe came to mean something special to runners. All groundbreaking, though rarely in the same way.
These shoes built Nike from the ground up and set the tone for Nike’s passion for innovation over the next 30 years. While Nike has continued to push the boundaries of design and innovation for the past three decades, it is important to look back at the original masterpieces that remind us where it all began. Not simply looking back to congratulate, but looking back to capture and reinterpret what is intrinsically good about Nike running shoes — they’re simple, iconic and honest.
LD-1000: the first shoe made for your knees
Initial Launch: 1976
With the full force of coaches, doctors, athletes and Nike’s R&D behind it, the LD-1000 unleashed two big ideas on the running public. The first was the use of mesh to help cool the foot and prevent blisters. The second, perhaps more important idea of the two, was a wide flare of the midsole and outsole to help control overpronation, or “inward roll” of the foot on impact. The LD-1000 was so wide that one college team claimed you could plow a field with it, and began referring to the shoe as “The Tractor Trainer.” But that didn’t stop them from wearing it.
While the shoe gained curious glances for its flared styling, it gained admirers for the stability it brought. Other modifications included foam inserts to absorb shock, and longer waffle studs to deliver more cushioning and reduce torque on the foot when it hit the ground. Nike’s first stability trainer may have been focused on keeping runners safe, but it had some pretty radical notions on how to do it.
NYLON CORTEZ: Beat the sox off the competition
Initial Launch: 1972
Most athletic shoes in 1972 were leather or canvas. Bill Bowerman, seeking another advantage for his runners, began pushing Nike’s partners in Japan to experiment with nylon, which was lighter and more flexible than leather and featured weather-resistant properties canvas lacked. Three layers of the synthetic later, the Nylon Cortez drastically reduced weight and kept water out, at least for a while. The Cortez was the first Nike shoe constructed of nylon, and it added years to the lifespan of Nike’s bedrock model. When Nike split from its Japanese partner, both companies were allowed to sell the model. But only Nike could use the name.
Like the original, the Nylon Cortez featured a full-length midsole to provide cushioning during runs. The nylon fabric made what was already a light shoe even more so; this three-decades-old version is actually lighter than today’s average running shoe. The herringbone pattern on the sole was said to improve traction, and was molded from a durable rubber composite. In fact, the whole package — ads claimed — could last a runner for up to 3,000 miles. Those claims are long gone. But the Cortez remains a testament to longevity in all its forms.
WAFFLE RACER: When in doubt, waffle
Initial Launch: 1977
It began as the Oregon Waffle, but once it shed the University of Oregon’s signature colors and got a wider sole to add stability, it needed a new name. And so it became the Waffle Racer —owned and revered by distance runners everywhere, further establishing Nike’s dominance in the racing shoe category.
Built on a new last inspired by the Vainqueur — a track spike worn at the Montreal Olympics — the Waffle Racer featured other subtle improvements on its ancestor. A one-piece nylon toe box was added to reduce friction. The aggressive waffle outsole was actually comprised of “mini-waffles,” to lighten the shoe but still handle terrain typically found on cross-country courses. Nor will you find an insole in this version — it was removed to reduce weight. Dedication like that is the stuff of championships.
2007 sees Nike rerun a collection of iconic running shoes from the 1970s. A collection of shoes that helped define a formative period in Nike’s history, engineered to the exact specifications of the originals. Original styles meticulously recreated down to the stitch. Handcrafted to look 30 years old, as if delivered directly from the Nike archives. 1970s-grade nylon. Swooshes that we hadn’t quite gotten right. Weathered foam that only 30 years can create. And, of course, the signature color combos.
These shoes do not simply recreate the past; they challenge the future of Nike design to do more with less. Nike co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman was committed to providing more benefit with less, in respect of both the athlete and the environment. Embedded within each shoe is the emotional seed of what the company stood for, and continues to stand for today, ensuring each shoe has an individuality and uniqueness. At Nike, it’s not simply about creating a beautiful product.
A Golden Era of Nike Running
In the sport’s golden era, Nike Running footwear held a special place in the kit bags of some of the world’s greatest runners. The LD-1000, Daybreak, Oregon Waffle, Nylon Cortez, Waffle Racer and Elite — each style went on to redefine expectations for running footwear and helped solidify Nike’s place as the innovation company for runners. Each style went on to become an icon on the track and in the hearts of runners. For some it was the performance edge they gave, with Bill Bowerman’s groundbreaking waffle outsole leading the way. Runners wore them until they literally could not go another step. For others, the shoes broke the mold of what a running shoe should look like. From technology through to design, materials and colors, each shoe was unique. Each shoe came to mean something special to runners. All groundbreaking, though rarely in the same way.
These shoes built Nike from the ground up and set the tone for Nike’s passion for innovation over the next 30 years. While Nike has continued to push the boundaries of design and innovation for the past three decades, it is important to look back at the original masterpieces that remind us where it all began. Not simply looking back to congratulate, but looking back to capture and reinterpret what is intrinsically good about Nike running shoes — they’re simple, iconic and honest.
LD-1000: the first shoe made for your knees
Initial Launch: 1976
With the full force of coaches, doctors, athletes and Nike’s R&D behind it, the LD-1000 unleashed two big ideas on the running public. The first was the use of mesh to help cool the foot and prevent blisters. The second, perhaps more important idea of the two, was a wide flare of the midsole and outsole to help control overpronation, or “inward roll” of the foot on impact. The LD-1000 was so wide that one college team claimed you could plow a field with it, and began referring to the shoe as “The Tractor Trainer.” But that didn’t stop them from wearing it.
While the shoe gained curious glances for its flared styling, it gained admirers for the stability it brought. Other modifications included foam inserts to absorb shock, and longer waffle studs to deliver more cushioning and reduce torque on the foot when it hit the ground. Nike’s first stability trainer may have been focused on keeping runners safe, but it had some pretty radical notions on how to do it.
NYLON CORTEZ: Beat the sox off the competition
Initial Launch: 1972
Most athletic shoes in 1972 were leather or canvas. Bill Bowerman, seeking another advantage for his runners, began pushing Nike’s partners in Japan to experiment with nylon, which was lighter and more flexible than leather and featured weather-resistant properties canvas lacked. Three layers of the synthetic later, the Nylon Cortez drastically reduced weight and kept water out, at least for a while. The Cortez was the first Nike shoe constructed of nylon, and it added years to the lifespan of Nike’s bedrock model. When Nike split from its Japanese partner, both companies were allowed to sell the model. But only Nike could use the name.
Like the original, the Nylon Cortez featured a full-length midsole to provide cushioning during runs. The nylon fabric made what was already a light shoe even more so; this three-decades-old version is actually lighter than today’s average running shoe. The herringbone pattern on the sole was said to improve traction, and was molded from a durable rubber composite. In fact, the whole package — ads claimed — could last a runner for up to 3,000 miles. Those claims are long gone. But the Cortez remains a testament to longevity in all its forms.
WAFFLE RACER: When in doubt, waffle
Initial Launch: 1977
It began as the Oregon Waffle, but once it shed the University of Oregon’s signature colors and got a wider sole to add stability, it needed a new name. And so it became the Waffle Racer —owned and revered by distance runners everywhere, further establishing Nike’s dominance in the racing shoe category.
Built on a new last inspired by the Vainqueur — a track spike worn at the Montreal Olympics — the Waffle Racer featured other subtle improvements on its ancestor. A one-piece nylon toe box was added to reduce friction. The aggressive waffle outsole was actually comprised of “mini-waffles,” to lighten the shoe but still handle terrain typically found on cross-country courses. Nor will you find an insole in this version — it was removed to reduce weight. Dedication like that is the stuff of championships.
