Iceberg Presents 24 Nike Sneakers You've Never Seen Before | Grailify
Iceberg Presents 24 Nike Sneakers You've Never Seen Before

Iceberg Presents 24 Nike Sneakers You've Never Seen Before

Iceberg's gigantic Nike archive has more to offer than just Air. Here's a look at some models you've never seen, and the reason he's so passionate about them - one of the biggest Nike collectors on the planet off the beaten track.

Iceberg, most people know you as the biggest Air Max collector under the sun. Today we're going to take a look at a few gems that have flown under the radar so far. Why are these shoes important to you?
Important might not be the right word. I like these models because you don't see them every day. Their rarity distinguishes them from the 100th photo of a highly praised shoe that is high on social media. From my personal point of view, this phenomenon of shoes constantly reappearing has taken the fun and interest out of many models. This goes so far that in 90 percent of cases I consider it too boring to even post a photo of a shoe on Instagram.

What we see here could easily be categorised as the "dad shoe" or "bulky sneaker" trend. Nike had a really strong time in the mid to late 1990s when a lot of these interesting sneakers came out. Did you immediately like these models and buy them when they came out, or did you add them to your collection later?
Back then, I was mainly interested in classics like the Air Max 93 or the Air Max 97. I'm deliberately not mentioning the 95 because it just wasn't my model at the beginning. The models you're talking about were rather hard to find in the usual shoe shops back then. For one thing, they were designed for sport, not for "lifestyle". For another, this classification didn't even exist back then - every shoe was designed for sport. So you are most likely to find them in the "running shoes" category. Other models were too special in design to fit on the shelves of the masses, so most of them were largely unknown at the time. This also answers the question of when I bought these trainers, namely much later, when I was tired of the visual overload of typical everyman trainers.

Nike Air Structure II (1993)


Nike Air Edge 2 (1994)


Nike Proton (1994)


Nike Air Structure Triax (1994)


Nike Air Trophy (1995)


Nike Air Windrunner (1995)


Nike Ceres (1995)


Nike Air Windrunner (1995)


Nike Air Stab E (1995)


Nike Air Structure Triax (1996)

 
You have a huge collection that includes several thousand pairs. How hard was it for you to narrow it down to what we see here in this article?
The search took quite a long time because they are mostly models that only exist in one or a few colour variants. So they exist as "single pairs" somewhere in the depths of my collection. Besides, the decision is rarely easy for me - if I like sneaker X today, I might have moved on to sneaker Y tomorrow.
 
Speaking of rummaging through: How is your collection organised and how do you find certain models when you are looking for them?
Over the years, I have made several attempts to organise my collection. But due to the sheer number of different pairs, they were almost never all stored in the same place. Therefore, arranging them was rather difficult, if not impossible. But now I have managed to group models that I really own a lot of pairs of, like the Air Max 1 or the Air Max 90. The fewer pairs I own of a model, the messier it becomes. That's the reason for the tedious search for things that go with this article.

Nike Air Equilibrium (1997)
 
How do you keep all those kicks in mint condition for later? Last summer was extremely hot - was that a problem?
Unfortunately, I don't have a patent remedy against decomposition. I often thought that my shoes would be spared this fate because many of my models, of which I had seen rather brutal photos, were still intact. And this despite the fact that most of them were stored in several garages that became saunas in summer and iceboxes in winter. But that turned out to be wishful thinking, and I'm now also battling the ubiquitous cookie monster. Whether heat or cold are the worst enemies of these soles, I can't say, but I have seen the sole of a shoe literally melt under the glaring sun.

Nike Air Base E (1997)
 
Nike offers strong models in every category. But there is still a lot of potential in this segment of trainers that we see here. Would you like Nike to relaunch some of these shoes as soon as possible, or better not?
In general, I'm not a fan of one-to-one retros. Sure, in my opinion you should make an AM 1 OG or a 90s Infrared a permanent part of the collection. But with most other models, retros just seem forced. I like to compare it to an old Mercedes-Benz. You could probably recreate an SL from the 80s - but would it still be an SL from the 1980s? In my opinion, it's better to let these old treasures rest and concentrate on new shapes and colours. Nobody needs a retro version of every shoe ever made - after all, a large part of the production ends up on sale or in outlet stores anyway. And then neither the retro version nor the price cut are worthy of the original. Quite the opposite - it could ruin the legacy of another legend.

Nike Air Skylon Triax III (1997)
 
Nike recently launched the M2K, which is also part of the larger segment and is a kind of retro future - it's an homage to the Monarch, but with a few new features. How do you like this kind of freedom in interpreting archival styles? Does it hurt you as a collector of the originals?
They really did everything right with the M2K. It's a modern interpretation of a classic. You can tell that the designers have put some thought into giving an old shoe a new look. It perfectly reflects the current zeitgeist, harking back to original styles from the 1990s that have been celebrated and brought back to life for some time. It should continue in this direction, replacing boring imitations with innovation and fresh designs.

Nike Air Structure Triax (1994)
 
What do you think about Nike changing the design of trainers, e.g. putting a VaporMax sole on an Air Max 97 and so on? Are you open to these experimental designs?
I'm always open to experimentation and new designs. But that doesn't mean sticking a dozen familiar uppers on a VaporMax sole. Some mash-ups look really great, but you should have an eye for when it's too much of a good thing. I for one think the Air Max Plus upper on the 97 sole is super strong. But the 97 upper on the AM Plus sole is weak sauce - they should have left it as a sample that never went into production. Ultimately, it's all a matter of personal taste, like many things in life.

Nike Air Equator (1996)


Nike Expede (1996)

 


Nike Air Stasis Footscape (1996)

 


Nike Air Terra Outback II (1996)

 


Nike Air Struktur Triax (1996)


Nike Air Perseus (1996)

 

Nike Zoom Elite Sample (1997)

 

Nike Air Talaria (1997)

 

Nike Air Terra Triax (1998)


Nike Air Structure Triax (1998)

 
Do you still buy new pairs for your collection unless you get "seeded"?
My current shoe purchases are rather modest. That also applies to seeding, by the way. The popular opinion that I am inundated with shoes is simply a myth.
 
What were your favourite Nike releases in 2018?
I found the 2018 reissues of the Air Max 93 to be strong across the board. Of the new models, I really like the Air Max 270 as another successful reinterpretation of a classic, the Air Max 93. The Bowfin version was just awesome in my eyes. The sole with the massive 270 bubble is an absolute beast, and in combination with the upper, which is reminiscent of the old ACG days, the Bowfin was my overall winner for 2018.
 
Thank you very much for the interview, Iceberg!

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