Cortez

Coach Bill Bowerman would try anything to make a better running shoe. Even a pair of flip-flops. He grafted them into a training shoe to create the first full-length midsole. His hybrid became the Cortez. The Cortez changed running. It was 1972. People said it felt like running on the moon. It won races. It was Nike's first shoe‚ and our first hybrid. Remixing has been part of our DNA ever since.

Introducing the Flywire Cortez

Flashback

The original Cortez design.

The Original

Our purest rendition of the Cortez took some effort. We went back to the original masters, Bowerman's first patterns. The upper is as clean and crisp as the first pair. Now the design is absolutely faithful, down to that moon-walking cushion in the sole.