Nike ACG is still in the very early stages of its performance-focused relaunch, but the outdoor line won’t move on completely from retro aesthetics. In fact, the very shoe that served as a spark for All Conditions Gear is about to make a comeback with ACG branding.
The Nike ACG LDV will release in two colorways in April with a few small tweaks for the retro runner once adopted by mountaineers. A much thicker midsole makes use of ReactX to deliver modern comfort levels, while the overall shape of the classic mesh, suede and leather upper appears to be hiked up to look like, well, more of a hiking shoe. ACG gets a stamp on the lateral heel, while the insole bears a new graphic of hikers in looks from the past.
Nike originally released the LDV in the late-’70s as a running shoe. Officially, the name is short for Long Distance Vector, and internally it was called the “Long Distance Vixie” as a nod to the podiatrist, Dennis Vixie, who designed the shoe’s last.
For their 1978 summit of K2, Rick Ridgeway and John Roskelley were given pairs of LDV straight from Nike and were photographed in a now-famous photo at the base of the mountain in them. They opted to wear the sneakers rather than boots typically employed for such feats because they were less stiff and more breathable. Upon their return, they sent the thrashed shoes back to Nike with a list of suggested improvements.
Nike listened and ended up introducing its first dedicated outdoor shoes in the Lava, Magma and Approach in 1981. Eight years later, the Swoosh would lean in even further by launching ACG.
The LDV also has wider cache outside of the outdoors space as an earlier-period, waffle-soled Nike running shoe, and the last time it was in the limelight was through a Sacai collaboration in 2019 mashing the model up with the Waffle Racer. Its mountain lore was also invoked, however, through a number of hiking-oriented revamps in the 2010s.
The Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” will release April 4 followed by “Sulfur” April 25. Both colorways will likely be available through Nike’s website and select third-party retailers with pricing set at $130.
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (pair)
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (lateral)
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (medial)
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (above)
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (heel)
Nike ACG LDV “Brilliant Blue” (insole)
Nike ACG LDV “Sulfur” (pair)
Nike ACG LDV “Sulfur” (lateral)
Nike ACG LDV “Sulfur” (medial)
Nike ACG LDV “Sulfur” (above)
Nike ACG LDV “Sulfur” (heel)