Nike has been both a sports and fashion industry titan for six decades now, and over this time, the label has amassed an untouchable catalog of iconic silhouettes. Between Jordans, Air Maxes, and Air Forces, there’s no shortage of instantly recognizable kicks from the Swoosh, but with all of this history, a few silhouettes have been lost to time. One such silhouette, the Field General 82, dropped back in the ‘80s as a football sneaker, and it’s being revived after nearly 40 years.
As the name suggests, these were originally released back in 1982 and designed to be worn by professional football players in the NFL. Up top, you get a leather and ballistic nylon construction, with leather on the heel and the mudguard (and Swoosh logos). The rubber outsole draws from the lifestyle version of the silhouette without the cleats, but it still features a studded traction pattern for support if you decide to run a quick game.
At the moment, it looks like the “White/University Red” colorway is the only one that will be available when these drop, but it’s highly likely that plenty of collaborations and other colorways are on the horizon, with rumors of a Union LA collab already circulating. The upcoming Super Bowl LVIII is likely what inspired the Swoosh to tease these kicks, and it wouldn’t be too surprising if we saw them drop before the big game. The popularity of classic sneakers in general (everyone is wearing Sambas now) is another factor that probably encouraged Nike to open up the vault.
There’s no official release date for the Nike Field General 82 in “White/University Red” just yet, but it’s expected to drop before the summer for $100 – keep it locked on Nike’s official channels for more info.
