Nike Sportswear Adds the Air Raid to Its "Rayguns" Pack
The classic cross-strapped basketball sneaker gets done up in the fictional team’s colors.
After adding Kyrie Irving’s new Kyrie 7 to its ranks, the Nike “Rayguns” pack is looking to the archives for its next style — namely, the Air Raid. A Tinker Hatfield-designed, Tim Hardaway-endorsed basketball shoe that made its retail debut in 1992 and has released in a handful of classic colorways this fall, the Raid’s multi-texture upper and signature criss-crossing straps lend themselves well to the fictional ABA team’s vibrant color palette.
Bright “Team Orange” tones appear on the nubuck toebox and mesh quarter panels, while overlays are mostly done up in black nubuck. Blaze orange straps criss-cross across the black mesh tongue, secured by “Team Orange” plastic pieces and Velcro straps on each side of the collar — branded on the lateral side, unadorned on the medial side. A green Rayguns basketball logo is placed on the tongue, and three colorful stars run down the heel tab.
Also on the heel is the Air Raid’s familiar “For Outdoor Use Only” accent. Insoles supply a varsity-style “Rayguns” spellout motif, with the look finalized by white laces, a white midsole and a sturdy black rubber outsole that adds one final “For Outdoor Use Only” hit.
Though an official release date has yet to be announced, the Nike Air Raid “Rayguns” is rumored to release on Nike SNKRS come January 2.
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