Most of Nike’s popularity revolves around a handful of models. The Swoosh elects these models far in advance, devising marketing schedules and trend forecasting to curate your rotation. But what happens to the hundreds of models that don’t earn a spot in the limelight? Well, they end up in the rotations of the sneakerheads, of course.
The purist has long searched for the rarest, most underrated Nike sneakers. There’s no beating the feeling of sporting a decade-old general release that turns heads. In honor of this feeling, we’ve teamed up with StockX to round up 10 pairs of underrated Nike sneakers that deserve some love in your rotation.
From the latest Stüssy collaboration, which looked to the criminally underrated Nike Air Penny, to old general-release Nike ACG gems, scroll through for some inspiration outside of the usual suspects. They're all available now and StockX-verified.
Shop 10 of the most underrated Nike sneakers below.
Nike x Stüssy Air Penny 2
Air Penny 2 Stüssy
Nike
Stüssy loves a Fossil colorway and so do we. It's been a fixture of the last few collaborations between the brand and Nike, and it's the main character of this one, too. Redressing the Nike Air Penny 2 for a new era, this collab likely won't create the hype of the previous Air Force 1s, but it's earned a spot in our heart if that's worth anything.
Nike Zoom Vomero 5
Zoom Vomero 5
Nike
Several years back, A-COLD-WALL*'s Samuel Ross revived the Nike Zoom Vomero in a collaboration. Since then, we've had a hard time allowing it to sleep again. Nike has been quietly releasing some of its best colorways on the model like this Wheat Grass/Cacao Wow masterpiece.
Nike x Ambush Air Adjust Force
Air Adjust Force Ambush
Nike
Don't get us wrong, we love a Jordan or mainline Nike silhouette collaboration as much as the next person, but we get more excited when someone like Yoon opts for a lesser-known silhouette. The Nike Air Adjust Force acts as the perfect, impactful foundation for this retro update.
Nike Air Trainer 1 Utility SP
Air Trainer 1 Utility SP
Nike
Air Trainer 1 SP
Nike
Debuting in 1987, the Nike Air Trainer 1 Utility has a very distinctive retro energy to it. It's perhaps what attracted Travis Scott to the design for his 2022 collaboration.
Nike ACG Mountain Fly
Mountain Fly
Nike ACG
One of our favorite releases from Nike in the past five years is the Nike ACG Mountain Fly. While Nike ACG rarely makes the headlines, this super-sleek, technical trail sneaker deserved more attention.
Nike x Jacquemus Air Humara LX
Air Humara LX Jacquemus
Nike
Nike x Jacquemus is moving into its next chapter with the announcement of an Air Force 1 collaboration, but we should never forget about the quality of the Humara collab. Landing in hot pink and brown, this robust silhouette shined.
Nike Lahar Low
Lahar Low
Nike
Nike has an archive of fire hiking silhouettes and the Lahar Low is one of them. This off-kilter silhouette features a chunky hiking sole unit and a sneaker-like upper which always starts conversations.
Nike Air More Uptempo 96
Air More Uptempo 96
Nike
'90s kids will remember the shameless product placement of the Nike Air Uptempo in Tarzan, and likely have a soft spot for the silhouette because of it. This denim version makes the most of the retro shape.
Nike Air Penny 2
Air Max Penny 2
Nike
Yes, the Nike Air Penny has already secured a spot in this roundup thanks to the Stüssy collaboration but we couldn't resist this White Rosewood colorway, too.
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