If you love weird Nike silhouettes and shoes that are easy to slip on and off, chances are you’re a fan of the Air Kukini. In the fall of 2021, news broke that Nike was expected to bring back the classic Nike Air Kukini in 2022. It’s been over 20 years since this classic silhouette first released, so it makes sense that Nike is bringing back this cult classic. I was working at Foot Locker my senior year of high school, and clearly remember when they first dropped back in early 2000. So here’s a quick look back at some of the highlights of this quirky Nike classic running shoe.
Nike Air Kukini Design
Designed by Sean McDowell, whose most famous Nike silhouette is the Air Max Plus, the Air Kukini dropped the first half of 2000 to mixed reviews. I remember selling them while I worked at Foot Locker at the time, and customers either loved them or hated them. They were cool because of their innovative elastic foot web that provided the support needed to cradle the foot properly. They were touted as a lightweight, dynamic fitting running shoe with a Lycra upper and breathable sandwich mesh that stretched to fit the foot. McDowell must have had a thing for the ocean because both the Kukini and Aiir Max Plus featured a water-like upper.
Main Features
Here are some of the main features of the Air Kukini as originally listed in an Eastbay catalog back in 2000:
- Lightweight running shoe for men and women.
- The innovative Elastic Foot Web provided a dynamic and comfortable performance fit without laces.
- A seamless Dynamic Stretch Mesh upper offered lightweight comfort, breathability, and neutral stability.
- Max volume heel Air-sole complimented the midsole with reliable long-run cushioning.
- Duralon/BRS 1000 outsole for proven road cushioning and durability.
Design Inspiration
American Triathlete Mark Allen was tapped to help with the testing of the Air Kukini. Allen had a strong history with the brand, including a commercial featuring him running in the Air Max 93.
With a water-like design on the upper, the marketing seemed to imply that you could throw them on right after a quick dip in the pool, which their commercial also implicitly portrayed. Because of their versatility, the Nike Kukini could be used from everything from slipping on to walk the dog, to training for a triathlon. They had a max volume heel Air-Sole unit, which was standard on most running sneakers back then. They were also marketed as more of a summer shoe, since they were basically meant to be worn like slippers or sandals with shorts.
Alpha Project
The Air Kukini was part of the Alpha Project line, a multi-year campaign that Nike invested millions into in order to produce cutting-edge, never-before-see shoes that pushed the limits of what footwear could be. The appeal of the Kukini was it’s laceless, slip-on/off appeal and bold design. Future renditions of the Kukini were directly marketed for triathletes, touting the Kukini as lightweight, breathable, and easy to quickly slip on after completion of the biking portion of the race.
You can see a similar web-like upper design with the Air Max Duncan as well, which also released in the year 2000 for San Antonio Spurs star forward Tim Duncan. The early 2000s was truly an era where Nike was willing to take risks with ground-breaking new designs.
Since the original release date, the Nike Air Kukini has retroed several times over the years and also released with a Nike Free outsole in 2012. Originally priced at $89.99 and weighing just 10 ounces, it will be interesting to see how much they cost this time around. The year 2022 marked the 22nd anniversary of the Nike Air Kukini, and there was plenty of interest in Nike bringing them back. Hopefully, we will see some OG colorways along with some interesting new takes on them.
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