Nike dives deep into the foam shoe game with a new slide silhouette.
The Nike Calm Slide is its name, and it emerges as the label’s most uncomplicated slip-on since the Benassi sandals. It’ll take a lot of work for the new slide to compete with the famed sandals that still reign supreme at home, after hooping, and running to the mailbox.
There isn’t much to the Nike Calm slides. Like its name insists, it’s pretty tame compared to more wild takes like 1017 ALYX 9SM MMW’s Zoom 005s and the Uptempo slides (whatever happened to the Ups drop?).
Designed with a tonal, straightforward look, the Calm slide materializes with a smooth foam upper topped with a small embossed Swoosh.
A rippled design, stamped again with Nike’s approval check, appears on the footbed, perhaps providing some grip to reduce abrasion and keep the foot locked in.
Meanwhile, down below, the Calm slide presents an Air Force 1-style sole and what looks like a Nike Grind outsole (hence the speckled look).
With a release eyeing July 13, the $50 Calm slide will see a pretty sizable debut in five colorways, including Black, Sail, Sesame, Geode Teal, and Jade Ice.
While it’s at the top of everyone’s mind, let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room: the Nike Calm’s undeniable resemblance to the omnipresent YEEZY Slide sandal.
Honestly, when I first came across the Nike slide, I thought it was a joke. I mean, come on, it looks like someone photoshopped the adidas shoe with Swooshes and a sneaker-adjacent sole.
Nike’s Ye-jacent shoe draws clear cues to the popular Yeezy slip-on, down to the puffed shape and foam construction.
If Ye was still throwing his online tantrums, I doubt Nike would be spared from the wrath of “Fake YEEZY” allegations.
Problematic founder aside, there’s no denying the YEEZY influence in both the Calm slide and footwear’s greater foam craze.
Labels as big as Jordan Brand and as small as Kito Wares are entering the foam-verse with chunky clogs and prehistoric…
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