Sleek high-top sneakers with a vintage feel.
Nike introduced the Blazer as a basketball sneaker in 1972, its name a nod to the company’s home basketball team, the Portland Trail Blazers. The sneakers then shifted from the basketball courts to skateboards, and now they’re appearing on regular wearers who don’t pay very much attention to sports at all (like myself).
Yes, I’ve considered other shoes. Adidas’s Stan Smiths are too basic. A pair of Vans doesn’t always cut it. And although Nike’s bulky Air Force 1 shoes have been a favorite among the fashion-conscious (and are even a pick in Wirecutter’s white sneaker guide), the Blazers are a far more interesting and adaptable pair of Nikes that, I think, have been unjustly overlooked. I can wear mine with all of my jeans, paired with any casual top, but they also work with slip dresses. I appreciate their vintage feel, which is less high fashion and more a design that’s in direct relation to its sporty roots.
Some advice for initiates to Club Blazer: I wear only the Mid, whose aesthetics I prefer to those of the Low. The Mid feels more reminiscent of classic ’70s style, whereas the Low reminds me of a basic fashion sneaker, like the notably clean original Adidas Stan Smith or Common Projects designs. The Blazers are comfortable, too. The soles may lack Nike Air (unless you get the SB Zoom version, which I don’t think is necessary), but they still provide strong foot support and traction, thanks to a solid-rubber sole.
But let’s be honest: I don’t just wear them for how they feel. A huge part of the Blazers’ appeal lies in how they look. And other people notice. I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve gotten me compliments, from sneakerheads whose opinions I trust, from artistic friends who appreciate that they’re mainstream without being pedestrian, and even from random people on the street who tell me as they walk by that they “love those Blazers!” Me too.
