Nike Cortez

About

The Nike Cortez holds a unique distinction: it is the first running shoe Nike ever released. Designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman and introduced in 1972, the Cortez was engineered to provide comfort and durability specifically for distance training. Its public debut came at the peak of the 1972 Summer Olympics, and the shoe generated $800,000 in first-year sales — a dramatic commercial leap for the young company. The name itself has a convoluted history: the shoe was originally called "Mexico" in reference to the 1968 Olympics location, then renamed "Aztec" before Adidas threatened legal action over a similar model name. The final name Cortez — a reference to the Spanish conquistador — stuck. Decades after its sporting origins, the Cortez became deeply embedded in Los Angeles street culture and achieved pop culture immortality when Tom Hanks wore it throughout the 1994 film Forrest Gump. The shoe's clean low-top leather profile has kept it relevant across generations.