crooked tongues magazine News Features

The Nike Challenger is one of the best vintage runner retros from Nike, and it seems to sidestep the dreaded faux-yellowing. This is one of Nike's best releases season after season, but we think it gets a little slept-on every time it drops. After all, this is a shoe steeped in classic performance design - lightweight, simple, but hugely effective in establishing the power of the swoosh from trackside. They're definitely a contender. After the 2009 re-release of the original brown Challengers were a low key, non-hype highlight that could've been a quiet 30th anniversary celebration of the shoe's 1979 release, we're loving the new brace for Summer (and there's even more set for Winter). This Dark Obsidian version is a perfect makeup of one of Nike's very best.

While the same year's Bermuda - itself brilliantly retroed a couple of years back - was a pioneering release - this is that model's more sensible brother. The use of mesh at the forefoot was pioneering - most runners preceding it and dropping at the time look backwards by comparison. And in line with Bowerman's near psychotic zeal for minimised weight, this altered sneaker design as we know it. Nike Air Currents, Nike Air Flows, Nike Air Huaraches, Nike Air Prestos, Nike Free Run+...it all stems from the brand's 1979 breakthroughs. The variable width lacing gave them some visual clout too, yet all that aesthetic appeal was born from the need for speed. No gimmicks. These are on sale now, with another makeup dropping next week - check it out in the Crooked Tongues store now...