Outside of collaborative releases that saw brands like Sacai experimenting with the model, Nike has kept its iconic Cortez sneaker true to it’s form for over 50 years. But now the company is trying it’s hand at revamping the model themselves, introducing a design twist to the classic running shoe that makes it better equipped for the soccer field.
Right off the bat, the first thing you’ll notice about this special edition of the Cortez is the elongated tongue with the foldover flap, which is removable and has a standard tongue under it. The flap is a signature element of soccer cleats/shoes meant cover the bow of the laces to aid players in precision shooting. Moving on, Nike reengineered the upper of the model too, giving it a wider toe area and firmer side panels than a standard Cortez. The result is said to help prevent warping and creasing. A quilted leather in Metallic Cool Grey is used to construction the upper, with a new stitching pattern that’s more customary to what you would see on a pair of soccer cleats. The number 72, which represents the year the Cortez was first released, and Nike’s signature Swoosh share the responsibility of branding the back of the shoes in black.
You can find the Nike Cortez SE “Metallic Cool Grey” available now on Nike.com and at select retailers, priced at $100.
