Outdoor gear is officially fashionable, dominating the runways and streets (everyone is wearing Xt-6s these days), encouraging new and old labels to get in on the action. But brands like Nike have a bit of an advantage, especially with sub-labels like ACG, which have been innovating with stylish outdoor apparel for decades. Given this history, the ACG vault is full of underrated silhouettes perfectly in line with modern tastes, and Nike is breaking it open to resurrect the ACG Air Exploraid.
This revival stays pretty faithful to the OG silhouette (even coming in the original colorway), complete with a stretchy neoprene bootie, a textile-wrapped midsole, and an extended lacing system that reaches the forefoot for added stability. On the heel, a slightly exposed Max Air unit adds to the very Y2K look and provides that legendary cushioning. For the debut “Neutral Grey and Ash Green” colorway, you get a blend of the two colors in the overlays on the upper, with touches of “Varsity Red” on the outsole and the logos.
Nike has been looking to its vault quite a bit over the last year, and it’s looking like they’re doubling down on retro silhouettes in 2024. ACG gear is also getting a lot of love in general, with the recent release of the waterproof ACG Torre Mids leading the charge at the Nike SNKR showcase that happened last October.
The Nike ACG Air Exploraid is arriving on February 13th (bright and early at 7 am PST) in the “Neutral Grey and Ash Green” featured here for $140 (the release date for the “Light Orewood Brown” colorway is still up in the air, but it’s expected to drop sometime in March). You can sign up for notifications when they drop through Nike’s SNKR site (and check out more details over there, too).
