crooked tongues magazine News Features

We love Nike Air Mariahs. The retro shape trounces some inferior bringbacks that have pockmarked the Nike retro landscape in recent years, and provided your feet are relatively narrow (Sasquatch should fall back and get some AF1s instead) and you up at least half a size then they're pretty comfortable too. That curved almost hourglass outsole shape can be pretty unforgiving. But still, this shoe right here — well, in original form — must have been on the moodboard for Nike's upcoming brace of performance running. Lightweight focus? Minimalism? The sole as the star via some garish colouring? No shoe can go through the Nike retro programme without getting new colourways within months of reintroduction, but thankfully that sole unit stays flossy each time.

We still want the amethyst speckle version back in our lives, but the real beauty of this shoe is what it stands for — on the first Air Mariah's drop circa. 1981, the technology and weight (under seven ounces was a benchmark) was a major achievement. By the time is took some major alterations circa. 1988 it was still a serious runner's shoe, but it caught the eye of the true collectors and trendsetters who wanted something different on their feet in the long-lost game of sports footwear one upmanship.

By the time the PR version rolled around, it took a real discerning eye to hit up proper running stores to stock up, and not be distracted by the gimmickry of the era. The black and red retros are okay, no match for the Radiant Pink, and these green and blacks seem to dip into catalogues for loose inspiration, but a similar approach to colour blocking pays dividends, affording them a certain authenticity when it comes to playing with sacred cows. We want to see Eagles, original Mariahs and Duellists brought back too. These are on sale in the [http://www.crookedtongues.com/store/?keywords-keywords=mariah&x=0&y=0]Crooked Tongues store right now. They're a decent summer wear.

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See all running shoes instore now