Nike recently treated sneaker fans to the Air Raid Jungle Gym from 1993 (which we covered here at Sneakerjawns), and now we're getting the 2014 remake. The Air Raid brand has been building some steam this year with the Air Raid Low, Air Raid Jungle Gym, and Air Raid OG, and notably the Nike Air Max 1 featuring in the Live Together Play Together Pack with a Jungle Gym colorway. On top of that, the 90s silhouette is getting releases at the beginning of the year with the Air Raid 2014 remake and the Air Raid Ray Guns. The old silhouette is getting some attention from their makers, that is Nike, to give more variations to the classic style. The Nike Air Raid has much lore to it, designed by Tinker Hatfield as an outdoor counterpart to the Air Jordans, featured in commercials with Spike Lee, hence the Live Together Play Together ethos. The 2014 Black and White Air Raid is not as colorful as the jungle gym, but style doesn't always come with flare. Let's ...
The 1993 Nike Air Raid is getting some shine in Nike's latest revamp of their 90s sneaker classics. This is one of many great kicks designed by Tinker Hatfield, so you know this reissue is deserved.
Although we had the opportunity in 2014 to get our hands on the Nike Air Raid "Urban Jungle Gym," the silhouette went astray from the original, but the new Nike Air Raid "Urban Jungle Gym" promises to stick super close to the original with official pictures as proof.
There's some more interesting history behind them. As we know, the Air Jordan's line was a massive hit, designed by Tinker Hatfield himself. The original Air Raid was the meant as the outdoor colleague to Air Jordans. It featured a memorable slogan on the sneakers "For Outdoor Use Only."
This was on display for Spike Lee's promo video for the 1992 Nike Air Raid, where he narrates Tim Hardaway's shots on a colorful outdoor court. It's cheesy and so 90s. And true to roots, the Air Raid Jungle "Urban Jungle Gym" features the color zig-zag African patterns of the court and outdoor environment in the video.
It was the Nike Air Raid 2 in 1993 that took on those colors. The original Air Raid as seen in the commercial was predominantly black. So basically this new offering is Nike Air Raid's 1993 colorway on Nike Air Raid's 1992 silhouette.
Let's take a look at these funky, retro sneakers below. As said before, the Air Raid “Urban Jungle Gym” will honor the original more than other iterations by sticking closer to the silhouette of the first. We can see the "For Outdoor Use Only" on the back of the shoes.
The Nike Air Raid "Urban Jungle Gym" is available now at select retailers.
