Nike is giving consumers another chance to cop some of its most coveted sneakers from over the years with its new Cult Classics program.
Nike announced this new program with a cinema-themed short film titled “Three Way Call” starring Robbie Williams, Senior Brand Creative of Sneaker Culture and Footwear Curation at the Department of Nike Archives (DNA).
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All of the styles revealed in the Cult Classics lineup had already been leaked prior to this announcement, though it’s nice to see an official confirmation and rollout from the brand.
The lineup includes iconic CO.JP (Concept Japan) styles like the “Veneer” and “Ultraman” Dunk Lows and the “Linen” Air Force 1s, all of which originally released exclusively in Japan in limited quantities in the late ’90s through early ’00s.
Nike also confirmed the return of the “Ivory Snake” Air Force 1, which originally released in 1996 and was most recently retro’d in 2019.
The Cult Classics program will also serve as the re-introduction of the Air 180, an Air Max model that originally released in 1991. The silhouette will return in its two OG colorways: “Ultramarine,” last retro’d in 2018; and “Concord,” last retro’d in 2013.
The lineup also features two styles that some may consider modern classics. The “Varsity Green” (aka “Michigan State”) Dunk Low, which originally released in 2021, is returning this summer as part of the series. We are also getting a re-release of the Air Max 90 “Reverse Duck Camo,” which first launched as part of Air Max Day 2020.
All of this is good news for those that were never able to obtain these shoes when they first released (or when they last retro’d). However, there are others who may see this as Nike diluting the exclusivity that made these “cult classics” in the first place.
Here’s what Russ Bengtson, an OG in the sneaker media space, had to say about the return of the “Ultraman” Dunk Low:
So here’s the thing to me with shoes like this. The coolest thing about them was the context. If you had these., or the City Attacks, or any of the CO.JP flavors, you knew something or knew somebody. Or you’d been to Japan. It meant something beyond “oh that’s a cool colorway.” And that part of it is basically gone now.
Check out the Nike Cult Classics lineup below. These will be releasing throughout the next few months on SNKRS and at select retailers. Nike will be adding more styles to this lineup in the future so stay tuned to Modern Notoriety for updates.
Nike Dunk Low “Veneer”
Color: Veneer/Deep Purple-Autumn Green
Style Code: DA1469-200
Release Date: April 25, 2024
Price: $115 USD
Nike Dunk Low “Ultraman”
Color: Varsity Red/Silver
Style Code: FQ6965-600
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Price: $135 USD
Nike Dunk Low “Michigan State”
Color: White/Team Green-White-Total Orange
Style Code: DD1391-101
Release Date: May 10, 2024
Price: $115 USD
Nike Air Force 1 “Linen”
Color: Linen/Atmosphere-True White
Style Code: 845053-201
Release Date: Summer 2024
Price: $135 USD
Nike Air Force 1 “Ivory Snake”
Color: White/Elemental Gold-Dark Hazel-Black
Style Code: AO1635-100
Restock Date: Summer 2024
Price: $150 USD
Nike Air 180 “Ultramarine”
Color: White/Ultramarine-Solar Red
Style Code: FJ9259-100
Release Date: May 2024
Price: $150 USD
Nike Air 180 “Concord”
Color: Summit White/Metallic Gold-Bright Concord
Style Code: FJ9259-101
Release Date: Fall 2024
Price: $150 USD
Nike Air Max 90 “Reverse Duck Camo”
Color: Infrared/Black-Dark Sage
Style Code: CW6024-600
Restock Date: Fall 2024
Price: $140 USD
