Nike Air Tech Challenge “Agassi” - A Retro Let Down

[beaudry93]

I found this browsing. Im a huge Nike fan but I loved the old school shoes. Nike is def coming out with these in April 2007.
They are close to the originals but not quite

http://www.nicekicks.com/661/nike/retro/nike-air-tech-challenge-agassi-a-retro-let-down/

 

[127 mph]

Does anyone have info on the specs of the retros??? Like weight, cushioning, price etc. I will have to buy like 50 pairs.

 

[Admerr]

Yeah they are becoming a real letdown. Nike replaced the flaming tennisball on the back with some new logo, the colors aren't as fluorescent/vibrant, and another thing I noticed is that Nike took off the black on the heel of the midsole. It seems like a minor detail, but it really makes the colors "Pop" on the O.G.'s.

 

[VictorS.]

They don't look too bad. I'd probably buy them at the right price. It's possible that this is just a promo version and the ones they release will have the original colorway.

I would probably consider these more of an updated version rather than a re-release. They also have ventilation in the front that the original lacked.

 

[Brian Purdie]

reading the thread, i think they have an excellent point. I have seen samples of many model Nikes, and samples are usually different (sometimes very different) than the final release model. The colors may be different from the final product. don't worry until you actually see them in stores.

 

[alcap26]

I think they actually look pretty good. Might have to get a pair since I had the originals many years ago.

 

[Nextman916]

Hmmm I might get one of these just to wear casually.

 

[stormholloway]

No point in going retro if they don't look like anything that existed in the past.

 

[Janne]

They're awesome! I might buy a pair if the price is right and wear them when playing matches!

 

[darkblue]

nike retros have been disappointing.... the air jordans look REALLY cheap, compared to the originals.

 

[Rob_C]

I think Nike's new deisgns suck. They brought back/never discontinued the Air Oscillate, one of the shoes they definitely should have kept/should bring back is the ones Agassi wore when he won the French. I also think Nike should always have a 3/4 model for those of us who have gotten accustomed to playing in them. I dont even wear low top dress shoes anymore. The Zoom Tech Challenges, I believe, were good too, they just wore out in like a month.

 

[Colpo]

I think Nike's new deisgns suck. They brought back/never discontinued the Air Oscillate, one of the shoes they definitely should have kept/should bring back is the ones Agassi wore when he won the French. I also think Nike should always have a 3/4 model for those of us who have gotten accustomed to playing in them. I dont even wear low top dress shoes anymore. The Zoom Tech Challenges, I believe, were good too, they just wore out in like a month.

Rob, you're fondly remembering AA's '99 Air Zoom Beyond, and the just-later Beyond II - awesome 3/4 jobs! I too cannot believe that the 3/4 shoe design has been pushed aside as just a design fad, when I loved the feeling of security and support I got from the higher ankle covering. Nike pretty much invented the genre back in 1983, and now we hear ... crickets.

It's unfortunate that bringbacks can't be 1:1 reproductions of the original - it's not like the photographs and technology don't exist. Look what Nike was able to do for Blake in their Agassi tribute at the Open! I don't think the issue is whether the bringback is a nice shoe; as long as it's a bringback, it should be compared to its original version, and they rarely measure up.