Style # 316418-181

Nike Cortez Basic Leather '06
The Nike Cortez was released in 1972 as the Tiger Corsair, but in 1972 it was renamed the Cortez after the partnership between Nike (still called Blue Ribbon Sports at the time) and Onitsuka Tiger disintegrated.The original model was made of leather with seven lace holes, but was also produced in nylon and suede models in the 70's. A women's version was also released called the Senorita Cortez. The Nike Cortez was reissued in the mid-90's and in 2003 the Cortez was added to the Nike ID lineup, allowing fans and collectors to personalize their Nike Cortez shoes by choosing their own colorway from a range of available colors. The Nike Cortez is available in Basic, Deluxe, and Nylon editions.
Fun Fact: Tom Hanks wore a pair of Nike Cortez in the Oscar-winning movie Forrest Gump and Jason Alexander wore them in the role of George Constanza on the hit tv series, Seinfeld.
If you would like to read more about the history of Nike shoes and the Nike brand, please click to read our Nike history article in the Sneakerhead.com Sneaker Academy.