Nike has been a part of the slip-on footwear game for a long time, creating some of the most faithful and well-loved silhouettes to wear during your summer months. Still, each one is unique and better than the last regarding the technology it uses. The Nike Calm Slide is their latest leap into the lace-less shoe department, and footwear lovers can’t help but notice similarities to a former Adidas product.
Nike Calm Slide
These leisurely slip-on shoes were first unveiled in four different colour options at the start of 2023 as Nike started dropping images for their Summer releases.
At first glance, there is nothing too innovative about the visual design of the slides; they are a tried and true construction with comfort and ease in mind, at least until you look at the underside.
The outsole of these slides has been designed to solve the issue that many loving customers experience in their lace-less shoes where they slip and slide (sorry, I had to) because of the foamy construction of the shoes. Still, you don’t need to worry about that in the Nike Calm Slide.
RELATED: Where & Why You Should Buy Adidas Yeezy Slides In 2023
The outsole has a perimeter of notches, giving the design a decent amount of traction, along with the lines in the outsole underneath; aside from that, these slides aren’t anything ground-breaking but are perfect if you want a decent pair of Summer slides with a faithful design.
The Nike Calm slide has a comfortable footbed with cushioning for your heel and the ball of your foot, with a robust midsole for extra support. The seamless design also makes it timeless, with a look that is all one piece, adding a level of elevation and sophistication to an otherwise stereotypically relaxed silhouette.
Seeing Double?
To address the elephant in the room, many people say that the new Nike Calm Slide looks awfully similar to the beloved Adidas Yeezy Slides, and you can easily see why.
Both brands have opted for a uniform and seamless look, without complex construction lines where pieces might have been constructed separately, giving the slide a more elevated and sophisticated appearance.
There are just enough differences for the styles to check out. Aside from the apparent difference in the branding, the Yeezy slides have no traction on the inside of the slides. In contrast, the Nike Calm has internal striations, allowing for more traction on the inner sole.
The outsoles are the most obvious difference, with the uniform wavy pattern on the Yeezy being very different from the Nike Calm, where the outsole has been made to emulate the Air Jordan 1, paying homage to the heritage of the Air Jordan line.
It does give off a slight air of “Hey, let me copy your homework but don’t worry, I’ll change things up.” But at the same time, when you are staying faithful to a tried and true slide silhouette, how much variation are you really going to find?
Nike has already gone outside the box with their Jordan Hex Mule, so surely we can cut them a little slack for better comfort over a totally different look, can’t we?
Release Date and Price
For those of you who have been watching these sneakers since they were first unveiled in January, it’s been a long wait, but for others tuning in now, don’t worry, you will see these ultra-comfy-looking slides pretty soon.
The expected release date for the Nike Calm Slide has been announced for the 14th of July, 2023, so we have less than a month before we can get our hands on these.
The expected retail price for these slides is $50, but that might change closer to the time and depending on where you are buying from, so shop around for the best deal.
