Nike Air Current for July 2012

The Nike Air Current is a better shoe than the Nike Air Flow. We base that grand statement on the way the shoe just looks less awkward in its transition from a more conventional rear to that neoprene toe.

We also think this 1989 masterpiece is the granddaddy of a whole lot of our favourite shoes. The lack of a swoosh on the Nike Air Current is certainly a primer for what the Huarache made into mass appeal 2 years later. Bruce Kilgore is a genius and his contribution to the Sock Racer and Sock Trainer is present in the Air Current. Colour blocking and forefoot strap (we think the Sock Trainer is pretty much a dummy run for the Current). This is a shoe that’s not quite laceless, but with 3 eyelets to the Flow’s 6, it feels like the training option of the duo.

A Surprising Treat

Once upon a time, when yellowed, glue marked examples of this eccentric moment in Nike design were scrutinised and bought to keep rather than wear, we never thought this would ever come back. However, when the 2008 Air Max 90 Current dropped, we got the feeling that a retro was imminent. We also know a few advocates for this silhouette who certainly had discussions with those with the power to bring classic Nikes back from the dead. After the Flow reissue, we knew Nike would want to get the most out that tooling.

While we’re happy that the Flow’s audience was big enough to justify further dips into the vaults, with the shoe being spotted on the feet of a crowd that are way beyond the small band of diehards who dreamt of it coming back, but it’s not an easy shoe to pull off, is it?

A Helping Hand for Us Wide Foots

We wide foots suffer at the hands of the neoprene’s habit of leaving nothing to the imagination. With the Air Current, the darker colours can hide the shape of your foot. It’s far more versatile and lacks the Mr. Motivator vibe of its sibling. The three colourways here follow the DNA of the OG colourways. The Black/Volt being pretty damned close to the Black/Fluoro Green original and a Black/Infrared version being an homage to the Black/Pink edition. Without this, we probably wouldn’t have the Huarache, Presto, Woven or the recent Flyknits. It’s a bit of history, but crucially, they’re wearable.