Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Our next segment for the RE-Fresh project looks at what may be Nike’s most iconic running silhouette—the Cortez. The Cortez, in short, launched the Nike brand. Some sources have the origin of the Cortez reaching back as far as 1968 when an elite track coach named Bill Bowerman decided his athletes needed an edge. For a bit of background for those unfamiliar with the co-founder of Nike, Bowerman has had one of the great coaching legacies in all of collegiate sports. He coached 4 National title teams and 31 Olympic athletes. He’s also credited for bringing the concept of jogging to America after an eye-opening trip to New Zealand in 1962. Four years later, Bowerman published a book called, simply, Jogging, which sold over one million copies and ignited the interest in what is now one of the world’s most popular forms of exercise.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Poe

As the culture of “need to see now” has begun to command the way style is communicated to the masses, the popular attitude toward fashion illustration gradually became like that of the steam locomotive: reliable, yet just a novelty. Then, a curious thing happened over the past few years–a resurgence of the art form. Maybe it’s because the blogs, e-zines, and others have finally took to this nearly neglected expression of creativity. Or maybe it’s that the newcomers have arrived with a new set of concepts between art and fashion–newcomers like illustrator Vita Yang.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Nike began in the early 70s as a company built to serve the specific needs of track athletes. After rapid growth and branching out into other sport-specific models, Nike needed to branch out. In the mid-80s, Americans were hitting the gym and shaping up in record numbers, so the boys from Beaverton needed to crank out models to serve as multi-purpose kicks that could handle the treadmill, medicine ball, and asphalt all at once. In 1987, the iconic Nike Air Trainer 1 was born, and that shoe launched a line that later bore the signature of the ultimate cross-athlete, Bo Jackson.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Nike and Spike Lee have a longstanding partnership that most associate with Lee’s portrayal of Mars Blackmon, the loud-mouthed hype-man with fat frames and a Brooklyn-printed biker cap in the Air Jordan commercials. Decades later, Lee continues to be a major player in the Jordan Brand line, as his Spiz’ike model still sees regular releases in multiple colorways and variations. But while Jordan Brand releases models with Lee’s iconic Blackmon logo, Lee was also instrumental in the campaign for this RE-Fresh model, the Air Raid 2, paradoxically named the “Peace Raid.”

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

There is nothing subtle about Andre Agassi. His style was rebellious, and both his game and his appearance shook the conservative world of tennis. Strutting into hallowed courts in stonewashed, cut-off jeans over neon biker pants that he wore instead of traditional tennis shorts left conservative tennis fans worried. As opposed to Pete Sampras’ closely-cropped curls, Agassi rocked his hair all the way out in full late 80s flair. On his feet, he wore some of the boldest Nikes that were ever released during his 17 years with the brand. Maybe the best remembered model of his ten-year endorsement with Nike is the Air Tech Clallenge II 3/4, and the most memorable colorway is this original hot lava, white, and black model that he first wore in 1990.

“!!!Winner winner, chicken dinner!!!”
Okay, there won’t be a chicken dinner but you will get something that’s significantly worth more than a plate of cooked poultry. Announcing the 10 lucky winners from the FIRMAMENT Giveaway last week. Each will be getting the exclusive Freshness x Kangol Jacquard Reversible Pull-On Knit Cap. Click below to see if you’re one of the winners and a “thank you” to all those participated. We have more giveaway in the works so stay tuned for more information to come in the near future.

Due to the outpouring of demands for the Jacquard Reversible Pull-On Knit Caps we designed with KANGOL, its been somewhat difficult to locate them in store. But thanks to the good people at FIRMAMENT, there is no need to look further. As its Facebook Page special of the week, the Berlin-base retailer will be giving away 10 Freshness x Kangol Jacquard Reversible Pull-On Knit Caps. To win one, simply “Like” both Freshness and Firmament Facebook Pages, “Like” the related post on both (here and here), and finally, share the good news with your friends. The contest starts Today and ends November 20th, 2011. Announcements of the 10 lucky winners will be on November 22nd. Follow the step-by-step instructions after the jump and good luck to all!

Contest Start Date: November 16th, 2011 (Today!)
Contest End Date: November 20th, 2011 (Sunday) | 6 pm CET

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Recently, ESPN did an in-depth documentary on 5 basketball players who changed the college hoops landscape. In a well-rounded look at this landmark recruiting class, the documentary was the highest rated in the network’s history. The Michigan Fab Five—Chris Webber, Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Jalen Rose—arrived in 1991 as some of the most highly touted recruits in the nation. Four of the members were top ten prospects. There weren’t high expectations for these freshman, all of whom eventually started that year, but they managed to arrive at the NCAA championship, defying the odds and bringing a taste of the hood to the national stage. Their game was high-flying, full of trash talk, and uniquely styled. The shoes they wore were as unique and noteworthy as their surprising accomplishments. The Fab Five wore the Air Flight Huarache, our latest RE-Fresh feature model.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

We started this RE-Fresh segment with the Nike Blazer, the first Nike Basketball sneaker. Made in 1973, the Blazer offered a simple silhouette and a bold swoosh through the midfoot, a design feature has become one of the most recognized logos on the planet. There were many successors to the Blazer’s simple design as a result of the buzz that shoe generated and the simple colorblocking it offered to teams, and because there was no need to switch gears and re-imagine their successful approach, Nike kept cranking out similarly-styled models for over a decade. One such model is the Nike Penetrator, which hit stores in 1984.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

When recalling landmark models from the glory years of Nike Basketball, some models, like the Air Foamposite One, which we detailed in this segment months ago, have reached iconic status because of their future-forward designs and their pop culture impact. In our seventh installment of our RE-Fresh columns, we get a look at a shoe that has seen very few retro releases and still enjoys a cult following, especially in this silver and black colorway—the Total Air Foamposite Max.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

After detailed investigations of the highly technical Air Foamposite 1 (1997) and the Air Flightposite 2 (2000) in our last two Re-Fresh segments, it’s time to go back to the start of the 90s, the period many still herald as the golden era of sneakers. In 1992, Nike introduced the Air Force 180 basketball model in its low top form, though the construction looks more like a mid in today’s market. The shoe was worn by a man who at the time, and even still today to some extent, was among the most controversial players in the game; a man with a bald head, a vicious scowl, and a mercurial temper — Charles Barkley.

Produced by: Dan Hwang
Written by: Jesse Carr

Our 5th RE-Fresh segment centers on a model that embodies the bold aesthetics that typified the ambitious turn of the millennium — the Nike Air Flightposite II. In our last installment, we examined the science experiment of a sneaker that remains one of the most influential retro basketball sneakers in today’s market, the Nike Air Foamposite One, first released in 1997. Attaching an upper made from a hardened liquid to a sole made of carbon fiber in a single cast proved to be a difficult, but rewarding endeavor, as the frequent and highly-coveted releases of the retro models with eclectic colorway names like Dirty Copper or Cough Drop still garner rabid interest. So with a successful foray into the future-forward silhouettes that the Foamposite technology afforded the sneaker fan, Nike began to craft several models with uppers that looked like a Transformer landed on a rubber sole.