NIKE AIR MORE UPTEMPO

For some, a black-and-white shoe; for others, the sneaker of all sneakers. What exactly are the Nike Air More Uptempo, and when could we first see them?

In the context of basketball sneakers, the 1990s can be called the best era for this field. Sneaker designs covered a truly wide range and, besides narrow “safe” models, a number of nonstandard wide “loaves” also made it to market.

Competing with the Air Jordan Retro line wasn’t easy in that era. The Nike Air More Uptempo silhouette was first released in 1996 and was created by designer Wilson Smith, who was also responsible for a unique brand strategy. While in the second half of the ’90s most designers tried to create unobtrusive and simple silhouettes, Wilson Smith decided to go the opposite way, as this period was for him a time of expansion not only of artistic movements but above all of the popularization of nonstandard and bold aesthetics.

The first release of the Air More Uptempo model was introduced alongside the Air Jordan 11 Retro, one of the most popular silhouettes of the entire Air Jordan Retro line. A silhouette as unique and revolutionary as the Nike Uptempo deserved a unique face. Every hooper associates the year 1996 with the Chicago Bulls, and because Michael Jordan was the face of his own brand, the main face of the Uptempo model became Scottie Pippen. Scottie’s game was truly versatile—he could play multiple positions—and the silhouette was presented with similarly versatile use.

Since the first release of the Nike Air More Uptempo, nearly a quarter of a century has passed, yet interest has never waned. In recent years we’ve seen a strong comeback of this silhouette in many new colorways as well as in interesting collaborations. Among the most memorable we can definitely include the collaboration with the skate/streetwear brand Supreme.