For a while they sat on shelves and Nike eventually halted production on the model and shifted budget elsewhere. The silhouette had actually garnered a new and slightly-bad reputation according to many, with the legendary status tarnished by how mainstream they had become.

The Nike Air Huarache debuted in 1991 with a minimal yet polarizing design. Its comfort was undeniable, thanks to a sock-like, neoprene upper that “hugged” the foot. Memorable ads for it read, “Have you hugged your foot today?” The “hug” approach came from a water skiing trip taken by Tinker Hatfield.

For me, the Nike Air Huarache fits half a size up. With a narrow-than-usual profile, if you were to go true to size these would be too small. A full size up and the neoprene upper will be much too loose, resulting in a weird dented look that we really don't love to see.

The Nike Huarache is meant first and foremost for comfort. Some runners enjoy the shoe, and other athletes appreciate the neoprene sock and its fit. It fits into a sneaker “gap” as both a comfort shoe for the general public and a functional shoe for amateur levels in sports like running and basketball.