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Update: To further celebrate the Cortez's big birthday, we spoke to Bella Hadid about being a role model, personal style, and her favorite sneakers. You can read the full interview here.
This story was originally published on May 24, 2017.
Like the Air Max, Nike's classic Cortez is celebrating a big anniversary in 2017: The rounded-toe sneaker turns 45 this year. Thought its initial success was very much tied to its purpose as a running shoe, it was quickly embraced by pop culture. (A cameo in Forrest Gump will do that — as will endorsements by the late Eazy-E and Whitney Houston.) Over the years, it's become as pervasive as the Air Max among the street-style set during Fashion Month, too. When editors decide that patent-leather kitten heels just won't do anymore, you can catch them lacing up their Cortez's and going about their show-hopping in a much more comfortable manner. In honor of this milestone, the sportswear brand is bringing back the Cortez in its initial 1972 form — white leather upper, varsity red Swoosh, accented blue midsole and all. To usher it into this next phase of its history, Nike tapped a very familiar face to provide plenty of new styling inspiration for the iconic shoe: Bella Hadid.
The 20-year-old model inked a deal with the Portland-based company back in November, and has starred in a handful of campaigns and photo opportunities for the brand since. This is Hadid's first big solo spread, though — and as the face of the Cortez comeback, you can expect to see her fulfilling her contract by rocking the kicks off-duty, too. Luckily, it's a sneaker she seems pretty jazzed about: "This one is about as classic as you can get," Hadid told W about the Cortez back in March. "Nike’s real OG and I wear it with anything—dressed up or down."
In the shoot, Hadid is photographed in an array of nostalgic outfits representing all the important trends the Cortez was around for over the past four decades, from '70s flared jeans to '80s tracksuits to '90s slip-dresses. (And, of course, all of these looks happen to be incredibly stylish in 2017.) The sneaker that ties together all those looks will set you back $100 a pair. Check out Hadid in her Cortez's in the slideshow, ahead.
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