 | |
| Type | Sneakers |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Nike, Inc. |
| Inception | 1979 |
| Manufacturer | Nike |
| Available | Yes |
| Website | nike.com |
Nike Killshot is a shoe released by Nike in 1979. Originally released as a tennis shoe, the shoe became popular for its sleek design and was eventually brought back as a lifestyle shoe.[1]
The shoe was designed to be used in tennis, racquetball, and squash. An important design aspect was making sure it was versatile and light enough to be used on the court and not weigh down the player during a match.[2]
The original model was made using mesh and suede. This was done to create a shoe that would allow the player to move easier and not be hindered by stiff movements. Many other tennis shoes at the time were still being made from leather which Nike believed limited a player movements while on the court.[3]
The second release of the shoe helped make it popular in the men's fashion scene.[4] J. Crew approached Nike to rerelease the shoe after a decade but this time as a fashion sneaker rather than an athletic sneaker. The rerelease was called the Killshot 2 and featured the same design as the original but with the mesh replaced with leather to give it a more elegant look. The shoe was exclusively sold through J. Crew and would immediately sell out whenever it was stocked in their store.[5]
After J. Crew's bankruptcy, the exclusivity of some of the models was gone and Nike released those colorways everywhere along with new ones.[6]
