nike free hybrid boot
In recent years, as Nike have slowly bled their retro catalogue dry, hyped up colourways and limited edition collaborations have had real sneakerheads lamenting the absence of simply designed retro releases and viable new models to come out of the Oregon camp…
Nike have innovatingly (or lazily) stemmed the tide of a bored consumer base by releasing mashups of popular models and retro releases, these hybrids are more often than not released to divisive opinion; for every Air Max Current there is a Jordan Spizike.
The Nike Free hybrid boot was one such release that initially received nothing but derision from coolography; its combination of the free technology sole and an awkwardly styled boot upper reeked of failure – its tan suede and black quilt incarnations did little to alleviate the stench.
For Spring 2009, however, Nike have injected some fresh air into the beleaguered model with an all white leather version. The clean palette gives the shoe a sleek futuristic aesthetic – think new age huarache copulating with native american visvim. Perhaps the black mocassin stitching could be subtler in execution, and the laces are definitely in need of a switch, but so far, in this regard at least, a promising start to 2009 for Nike indeed.
