“The Cortez is an iconic shoe that harkens back to my earliest days in the sport. The shoe allowed me the confidence and support to explore my fullest potential as a young aspiring athlete,”

recalls Joan Benoit Samuelson, gold medalist of the first Olympic women’s marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Designed by Bill Bowerman, The Cortez sneakers made their debut in 1972.
The sneaker was designed to give runners a more comfortable running shoe, to help with long distances and rough terrain.
The female version of the sneakers — Senorita Cortez — was released two years later.

 

 

 

Over the years the shoe has propelled champion runners, graced silver screens as well as televisions, and has become a staple of west coast hip-hop street style. These are the same shoes that Forrest Gump wore in the eponymous movie in 1994.

 

 

Nike Cortez is indeed one of the iconic pair of shoes which reminisces 70’s street style fashion and pop culture.
The shoe has graced the silver screen and Olympics with its simple and striking design.

 

 

 

 

The Nike Cortez help kick off Nike’s success.

 

 

The aesthetics and performance throughout the 70’s made it the bestselling shoe of the decade.

 

 

NOW ONLINE ON PAR5MILANO.COM/CORTEZ