5 Retros We Need to See in 2020

adidas Race Walk SD

It’s time to herald the return of an obscure walking shoe from 1989. To gauge how old this design is, its label reads ‘Made In West Germany’. The team over at Herzogenaurach brought back the suede-heavy LD (Long Distance) edition back in 2008 – but perhaps that was 10 years too early. The UK’s Offspring then transferred the LD’s bright blue and yellow colourway onto the ZX 710 as a further homage in 2014. Now, it’s time to resurrect the SD – Short Distance – version. That nylon upper will be perfect for Summer 2020. The wedge of yellow in the midsole, matched to the Three Stripes and lining is too nice to leave sitting in a dusty archive. Bring back bright colours!

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star (Made In USA)

Chucks have been around for over 100 years, and while production now takes place elsewhere, Converse used to make them all in the USA. Vintage collectors, thrifters and old-timers all covet the iconic sneaker’s heritage spec, and the older build is objectively better quality. It’s unfortunate that production stopped when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2001 but, since they’re now part of Nike, there are now 2 billion reasons for All Star factories to return to American soil. The pilgrimage-worthy Made In Japan line is a positive step, but Made In USA is the endgame. Other footwear companies have been able to keep a portion of their output domestic – so can Converse.

New Balance 992

It doesn’t get much more ‘dad’ than the New Balance 992. The behemoth grey flagship was introduced in 2006 for the company’s 100th anniversary, and instantly had rapport on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ feet. Suede, mesh and ABZORB SBS likely still make for a formidable combination for both jogs and keynote presentations. Origin stories of the OG dad shoe remain hotly debated despite the trend’s dying embers, but given it’s numerically sandwiched between the still-in-production 991 and 993, it begs the question: where’s the 992 retro? Don’t just take our word for it – there’s even an online petition out to bring it back!

Nike Air Zoom Citizen

The Air Zoom Citizen was born out of the legendary (and short-lived) Alpha Project in 1999, launched with a hilariously memorable ‘Long Run’ ad. Latest-gen performance sneakers like the new Zoom LeBron 17 owe their design to the Citizen’s visible Zoom Air midsole. The OG white/blue/black colourway is a masterclass in colour-blocking, but the ‘Pimento’ and ‘Gold Post’ editions that released alongside it are also great. Other Alpha Project spawn, including the Presto and Shox lines, are routinely retroed, so the Air Zoom Citizen is long overdue. Nike, please do it properly.