Every single week, a new sneaker collab or silhouette gets unwrapped that promises to be the next big thing. Variety is great, sure, but keeping up with all the hype can be a wee bit exhausting—and that’s where the Nike C1ty comes through.
If you feel like you’ve seen the C1ty before, that’s because in many ways you have. From a distance, it looks a helluva lot like the Field General, the American football shoe from 1982 that Nike recently brought back. However, as soon as you take a closer look, you’ll quickly spot elements from two other models—both of which happen to be some of the most talked-about sneakers of the past decade.
The top half is very clearly borrowed from the Dunk Low. Even though the Dunk’s been around since the mid ’80s, thanks to colorways like the ‘Panda,’ the old school basketball sneaker has totally blown up. However, instead of the usual leather build, the C1ty replaces it with a ‘Light Bone’ mesh and suede combo that’s a little more lightweight and a lot more wearable. The classic Swoosh hits the lateral and medial sidewalls, and the American sportswear company has also added a beefy canvas pull tab around the back for added convenience.