Decade after decade continues to prove it: the Nike Grade School Boys Cortez will never go out of style. Originally released in 1972, the Cortez was the brainchild of track coach Bill Bowerman and became an immediate hit with both runners and lovers of casual footwear. Its distinctively tapered upper features stitched leather and an oversized Swoosh for classic Nike style, as well as a subtle wedge graphic on the sole profile to tie the visual effect together.