The Nike Cortez: A Sneaker Retrospective

Bill Bowerman made athletic shoe history when he used a waffle iron to press outsoles for his Oregon Ducks track squad. Ever since then, the bottom of a shoe, or the tread, has mattered when it comes to gaining a performance edge. Though not equipped with the same waffle print, the Nike Cortez is just one, yet a highly important, example of such a shoe where distinctions of its design have mattered.

Nike's classic running shoe from the '70s, the Cortez, is sort of a Plain Jane of shoes. Equipped with a nylon body on its truest incarnations, the running shoe sports a full-length, white rubber herringbone tread and the large signature Swooshes on both sides of the shoe, giving the Cortez a simplistic, yet distinguished look.

As a running shoe, the Cortez is quite basic and prehistoric in shoe years, but for the time of its creation, it was quite something. With a foam midsole, the light, flexible body and high-gripping rubber outsole, the Cortez was something to experience. It does lack in support, as it is very easy to overpronate and turn an ankle; much of the support that exist in the shoe comes from tying the shoe tightly over the bridge of the foot, which can result in some genuine discomfort; and depending one's foot shape, the heel can slip some, especially with Cortez models with the leather heel and lining. Style-wise, though, the Cortez really does shine.

Having been a cult classic after re-emerging commercially over a decade ago and with famous "Seinfeld" character George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) wearing the original black/white and navy/white versions of the shoe, the Cortez has done quite well. With colorways that have been reissued with leather and suede, some celebrating Olympic seasons and American cities, along with special edition updates to the shoe, the Nike Cortez has managed to survive more than 30 years in the shoe industry.