Astounding Andre.
Bold, brash, and bigger than life, Agassi dominated his opponents in neon-colored sneakers and brights. On this day in 1992, Agassi rose up as a 12th seeded underdog from Las Vegas and defeated the higher-seeded Ivanicevic to claim his first career Single’s Title at the holy grail of tennis, Wimbledon.
In light of this memorable career milestone, today’s Nice Kicks’ Throwback Thursday honors the undisputed king of tennis flamboyancy, the face of Challenge Court and Rock-N-Roll tennis – Andre Agassi – and his 1992 Nike Air Challenge Huarache.
Early in his career, Andre embodied and embraced the role of villain. A rebel with a cause, Agassi signified and stood for everything the tennis establishment was not. Loud, bold, brash, arrogant and proudly unapologetic, Andre was undoubtedly, undisputedly, anti-country club. Furthermore, his bright, avant-garde apparel and kicks were a reflection of his style, flare, and personality.
After experiencing multiple failures early in his career, Andre completely re-dedicated himself to the game. Andre finally realized his full potential and, in the process, captivated the tennis world and ushered the game of tennis into the limelight and regular sport discourse.
Featuring an inner-boot, visible heel with encapsulated forefoot air sole units, and Durathane outsole, the silhouette embodied the very best in Nike sneaker technology, an iconoclastic early 90s tennis sneaker and Huarache model that literally hugged your foot, providing ample protection with a lightweight, comfortable ride for a variety of court surfaces.
Myriad of colorways released which spanned the entire color spectrum including white-black-bright goldenrod, white-lapis-viridian, white/bright spruce-black, and white/true royal-neutral grey. Of note, Andre’s custom PE version featured a modified outsole made for Wimbledon’s grass courts.
Agassi wore a plethora of other models throughout his legendary career; however, the Air Challenge Huarache has great historical and personal significance for Agassi and his long-lasting legacy in the game of tennis.
Be irreverent and make noise on the court like Andre. It’s completely, totally, and understandably justifiable.
