{"id":902932,"date":"2019-04-29T10:50:56","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T14:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=902932"},"modified":"2019-04-29T10:50:56","modified_gmt":"2019-04-29T14:50:56","slug":"how-andre-agassis-air-zoom-challenge-2-ushered-in-a-new-era-for-nike-tennis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/how-andre-agassis-air-zoom-challenge-2-ushered-in-a-new-era-for-nike-tennis\/","title":{"rendered":"How Andre Agassi’s Air Zoom Challenge 2 Ushered in a New Era for Nike Tennis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Virtual Andre is Birthday Andre.<\/p>\n

In honor of the birthday of the loudest tennis player ever, today we pay a special tribute to Andre Agassi<\/strong> and his 1997 Nike Air Zoom Challenge 2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The mid-90s were an amazing time for Nike tennis in part due to the fierce rivalry between the game\u2019s two global ambassadors: Astounding Andre Agassi and Pistol Pete Sampras. While Sampras held the head-to-head advantage, it was Agassi with his justified irreverence, larger-than-life personality and charisma, and iconic kicks which catapulted the sport of tennis into contemporary mainstream American social consciousness and sport culture.<\/p>\n

1995 was a breakthrough year for Agassi, a year which saw him earn a world number 1 rank by virtue of a monumental Australian Open win against Sampras – a four-set thriller – in the land down under.<\/p>\n

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photo by Mike FIAL\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That same year, Andre dispatched the wig for a shaved head, often covered with a bandana, ushering in a new era of \u201cPirate Andre\u201d and with it, the grunge tennis look, a stark contrast to \u201cRock-N-Roll\u201d and Challenge Court tennis of the early 90s. Gone were the days of brightly colored neon-colored sneakers and spandex shorts which were instead replaced with toned-down, darker, subtler colors and graphics, an ode to Agassi\u2019s maturity and evolution both as a player and individual.<\/p>\n

After winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta wearing the Air Zoom Challenge, the sky was the limit for Agassi. When he lost, he did so in style, always laced in the game\u2019s most avant-garde sneakers.<\/p>\n

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photo by @tennis_archives<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Designed by Wilson Smith, the Air Zoom Challenge II was the successor to the Zoom Challenge and reflected the Agassi line in the mid-90s with its distinguished swirling outsole tread. This underrated and often forgotten Agassi silhouette truly represented and embodied the very best of Nike tennis at the time and came fully loaded with heel and forefoot Zoom Air cushioning, a lightweight synthetic leather upper with high-abrasion Ceracom tip, a High-wrap Phylon midsole with carbon fiber midfoot stability plate, and DRC court rubber outsole.<\/p>\n

Beginning with its predecessor, the Zoom Challenge 1, the Air Zoom Challenge 2 also featured an iconic Agassi \u201cA\u201d logo in lieu of the signature Challenge Court flaming tennis ball, icon which last appeared in the Nike Air Alarm.<\/p>\n

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A high-performance athletic sneaker, the Air Zoom Challenge 2 \u2013 both then and now \u2013 remains timeless from design, performance, and aesthetic perspectives, whose upper featured smooth lines and curves. The lateral outrigger is reminiscent of both the 1996 Nike Air Penny II and 1997 Nike Air Zoom Flight Five, helping secure the foot during hard lateral cuts, preventing ankle rollover. Moreover, the slit-finger ventilation panels located throughout the upper allowed for maximum breathability and ventilation.<\/p>\n

Considered the \u201cperfect pair\u201d by the man himself, the Air Zoom Challenge II was in effect a \u201ccatcher\u2019s mitt,\u201d wrapping underneath and completely consuming the sides and top of the foot for an amazing, secure fit and lockdown feel, giving the athlete unparalleled support and stability.<\/p>\n

While primarily designed for tennis, the Air Zoom Challenge II also served as a stable, lightweight, well-cushioned \u201ctop 3 hoops shoe\u201d according to Nick DePaula by virtue of its vented, breathable upper and Zoom Air technology, illustrating the shoe\u2019s staying power over time.<\/p>\n

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Three original colorways were produced including white\/blue spark, white\/black-comet red-metallic silver, and black\/sterling-varsity red, the latter which remains highly elusive for collectors today.<\/p>\n

To complement the shoes, Nike created a series of print advertisements in multiple languages, as well as an innovative television advertising campaign known as \u201cVirtual Andre,\u201d which depicted Andre in virtual reality form playing tennis while wearing the Air Zoom Challenge II in the classic white\/blue spark colorway.<\/p>\n