The lowdown on retro trainers

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Until recently the majority of sports brands were taking their retro inspiration from the 70's. The tide seems to be changing, Nike have just released their "Air Tech Challenge II" hi-top. It's a hi-top made famous by Andre Agassi in the late 80's and early 90's.

Some purists of the retro scene may see this as sacrilege, the gel bubble, vinyl prints and flashy colours being the antithesis of retro. But perhaps it's a generation thing.

Born in 1979, the Air Tech Challenge was mouth watering to my ten year old perceptions, the shoe also has the canny ability to bring back the golden memories of youth.Whereas someone born ten years before 1979 will view the trainer in a completely different light.

Therefore I expect retro trainers to evolve just like any other market. I think it's only logical the thirty somethings market will always desire the trainers of their youth. Who knows, maybe even a 'Adidas Shamiso' will have a retro release in twenty years time.

A look into the basis of retro trainers...........

A market that continues to grow, and has nearly taken over all sales, retro trainers and the re-issue of classic trainers have continued widespread appeal.

The Adidas range is called the 'Originals'. The most popular trainer the company has ever sold is the 'Stan Smith' model.

Adidas has tended to name their retro shoes after cities or regions, or famous sports stars of the retro era like Rod Laver (the champion Australian tennis player). Some popular Adidas trainers named after cities, places and regions are the Tuscany, Boston, Dublin, Munchen, Forest Hills, Paris, and San Francisco.

None of the other major brands have as of yet followed Adidas's lead by categorising all their retro shoes under a title of 'Originals' or similar. Adidas seem to have really embraced the retro market, and seen the potential ahead of time.

Nike have tried to tap into it, naming a few shoes with 'Tradition' into the title, but overall it feels a luke warm attempt. One reason could be because of the histories of brands. Adidas for example were at their peak during the 1970's, likewise were Puma, on the other hand Nike were not.

The 1980's is a different proposition completely, a decade of dominance for Nike, once this generation of shoes is viewed as 'retro' they can really take advantage. The tentative release of the Air Tech shows Nike have twigged onto this potential. Only time will tell how the retro market evolves, and whether customers really want to embrace the gaudy trainers of the late 1980's.