Nike Blazer

The Nike Blazer was a billboard for Nike, helping make the Swoosh synonymous with the young company. Nike named the Nike Blazer after the Portland Trailblazers, sticking to their Oregon roots, but it was actually George "The Iceman" Gervin from the San Antonio Spurs to be one of the first NBA stars to adopt the shoe. There was a point where Gervin received a special iteration of the Blazer with his "Iceman" nickname on the heel tab where "Nike" would traditionally be placed. At the time, player-exclusive sneakers were not a trend yet, so it is possible that the Nike Blazer was one of the first sneakers to have player-exclusive colorways. As the 1980s approached, Nike began to focus on their Air collection and the Blazer soon became outdated, going from a performance basketball shoe to a cost-friendly lifestyle sneaker. The Blazer's low price point led skateboarders to adopt the sneaker, as its features were great for skateboarding. In the mid-2000s, Nike SB implemented new technology to the Blazer to make it, even more, skateboard friendly, with Zoom Air cushioning and padded collars. Supreme New York's 2006 Nike SB Blazer collaboration was one of the first to shine a spotlight on the Blazer, throwing the design into the epicenter of 2000s street culture. Since then, the Nike Blazer has been released in countless colorways and collaborations. One of the most renowned Blazer collaborations was the Nike Blazer Off-White The Ten, Virgil Abloh's first and most-recognized collection with Nike. The design boasted a reconstructed aesthetic with exposed foam edges, sheer tooling, and a vintage appearance. Another collaboration that has garnered much acclaim is Japanese label sacai's collaborative Blazer series which channels the brand's warped design philosophy. Aside from collaborations, many general release Nike Blazers are still very much in demand, like the Nike Blazer Mid 77 Vintage, which nods to the original Blazer colorway from 1973. You can shop the complete Nike Blazer collection now on StockX.