Often, Nike fans flood the brand's comments, asking to bring back an extremely sought-after sneaker from the past. And lately, Nike's been answering fans' wishes, digging through its archives to unearth its most timeless kicks for buzzy comebacks.
Enter Nike's Cult Classics program, right on time for Nike's obsessions with its past. Nike's Cult Classics series brings back the label's most, well, cult classic models for 2024 releases.
"Remember the shoe you couldn't get, but you definitely never forgot?" digital creator Robbie Digital says in Nike's Cult Classics promo. "You know what we call those shoes. We call them Cult Classics."
Nike's Air Max 90 "Reverse Duck Camo" instantly caught my eye in the lineup, partially because it's the boldest shoe of the bunch (so far).
Originally released on 2020 Air Max Day, the Nike Air Max 90 "Reverse Duck Camo" sneaker launched as a flipped version of the 2013 atmos x Nike Air Max 90 collab. On the 2020 release, the sneaker's bright red and black shades swapped places. However, that unmistakable camouflage pattern again decorates those smooth upper panels.
Nike would drop more "Duck Camo" Air Max 90 sneakers during the Summer of 2020, cooking up a series of not-so-disguising bangers.
Now, four years later, the "Reverse Duck Camo" Air Max 90s are back. We're still awaiting release info for the Air Max 90 sneakers, but Nike has already begun rolling out some Cult Classics sneakers. In other words, the Duck Camo pairs probably aren't far off.
Part of Nike Cult Classics, the "Veneer" Dunks just launched for the first time since 2020. At the same time, the Nike Dunk Low "Varsity Red and Silver," a.k.a. "Reverse Ultraman," is penciled for May 3, while Nike's Dunk Low "Varsity Green" drops on May 10 on Nike's SNKRS app.
Nike's Cult Classics series also includes the Air Force 1 Low "Linen," Nike Air Force 1 Low "Ivory Snake," Nike Air Max 180 "Ultramarine," and Nike Air Max 180 "Bright Concord." Oh, and according to Nike, there are "more" sneakers to come (of course, we'll have to wait and see about the other surprise returns).
Nike can't seem to stay out of its historic sneaker collection, either reviving them in their original glory or refreshing them entirely — some might call this "reimagining" — to align with modern tastes.
Either way, it gives fans another chance to redeem themselves from previous Ls (hopefully). As a fellow sneaker lover, I'm more than here for that.
