At this point in the sneaker game, it’s a safe bet to assume that any popular performance sneaker will receive a “lifestyle” model sooner or later. On paper, this makes a lot of sense. Performance silhouettes are generally sleek and unique, so throwing casual materials on them and switching to a street-ready style seems like a pretty damn good idea. However, it’s not without its flaws. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Unfortunately, in the case of the recently-announced Nike Dualtone Racer … it didn’t work. If you couldn’t tell from looking at the above image, the Dualtone Racer is based off the infamous Nike Flyknit Racer, a shoe that turned the sneaker game on its head when it first released with its sleek, minimal style and incredibly unique look.
The performance materials were what gave it that look … and since it’s been remade as a lifestyle model, the performance materials are nowhere to be found, so the signature look is nowhere to be found either. Big L (no Lamont Coleman either) for Nike on these new jawns.
These don’t really look like a Flyknit Racer, they look like a middle-of-the rack mall Nike. The Flyknit Racer is a shoe that’s better left untouched, and the look of this shoe proves just that. Not everything needs a lifestyle model, no matter how profitable it might be.
What do you think of the Dualtone Racer? Do you agree that the Flyknit Racer doesn’t translate well to a lifestyle look, or does the more casual nature of the shoe appeal to you? Hit us up and let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
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