The Nike Cortez is not just an old shoe — it is the shoe that made Nike. Released in 1972, it was the first track shoe to carry the Swoosh into the mainstream, and its fingerprints are on everything from hip-hop to Hollywood.
1972: the shoe that launched Nike
Designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, the Cortez was built around a then-revolutionary full-length EVA foam midsole — soft, light, and way ahead of its time. (Its origins trace back to Bowerman's work with Onitsuka Tiger, a partnership that ended in a famous legal split.) The red, white, and blue colorway debuted at the 1972 Olympics, and runners immediately felt the difference. Nike was officially in business.
From track to pop culture
The Cortez escaped the track almost immediately. Farah Fawcett wore them on Charlie's Angels in 1976, making them a mainstream fashion item. In the 80s and 90s, N.W.A and the streets of Compton adopted the Cortez as a uniform — Eazy-E rarely performed without a pair. Then Forrest Gump laced up a pair in 1994 and ran across America, cementing the Cortez in film history forever.
Why it still sells
At around $90, the Cortez remains one of the best value sneakers Nike makes: timeless silhouette, genuine history, and a shape that works with jeans, shorts, and everything between. Trends come and go, but the Cortez just keeps selling — because some designs were right the first time.
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