Nike’s Greatest Tennis Shoe Ever Is Finally Returning This Week

You don’t sit atop the sneaker designer throne on the merit of a single pair of Air Jordans. And while longtime Nike mastermind Tinker Hatfield will probably have a pair of Air Jordan 3s embedded into his tombstone at this point, his influence in the space is hardly confined to one pair of shoes. From basketball kicks to runners to sick training shoes, Hatfield has done it all. And this week, one of his most beloved shoes—a model made famous in the tennis world—is re-releasing for the first time since 2019.

Returning on August 30th in the iconic ‘Hot Lava’ colorway, Hatfield’s Air Tech Challenge 2 is the definitive tennis shoe of the ‘90s, made famous by the legend Andre Agassi. Hatfield leaned into Agassi’s anti-establishment vibe when conceiving the shoe, telling GQ in 2022 that atop the design page he scribbled out the words “Anti Country Club.” It’s hard to picture a shoe that captures that ethos better. The namesake neon pattern is loud and bombastic, the epitome of that era’s sneaker design ethos.

Pair those killer good looks with some groundbreaking Nike Air cushioning, and you’ve got yourself a sneaker primed for crossover success. The Air Tech Challenge 2 quickly leapt from the courts to the streets, creating a genuine moment for Nike’s tennis division–and adding another jewel in Hatfield’s crown. Even 30 years later, it’s hard to think of a cooler tennis shoe.

The shoe has been rereleased a number of times over the years, but the 2024 edition comes with a twist. This year’s retro of the Air Tech Challenge 2 comes with a design element Nike has been utilizing since 2022’s Air Jordan 1 ‘Lost & Found’: an off-white sole that mimics the effects of aging, giving the shoe a vintage vibe. Past that, the shoe is built to its original specs, with a functional mid-top rise, a cushy Air unit, and a crackling neon pattern just like the one that adorned Agassi’s pair in the ’90s.

You can add the Nike Air Tech Challenge 2 ‘Hot Lava’ to your sneaker rotation tomorrow, August 30th, when it drops for $150 via the SNKRS app and select Nike retailers.