Nike's Domed Logo

Nike's cult classic Terminator basketball sneaker featured a domed logo on the heel identical to the logo on the shirt to the right. As you can see, the logo's top is rounded, resembling a dome. Nike also used this logo on a similar shoe dubbed the "Big Nike." I assume that name derived from the logo, which was literally a big Nike.

While rarer red and grey versions of the Terminator existed, common versions were navy and grey and worn by the top-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. On the other hand, Big Nikes were predominantly white with colored Swooshes, soles and linings. Big Nikes were big during the 1986-1987 basketball season, or school year, whichever way you choose to look at the matter. Nike also released their first line of Dunks in the fall of 1986, also just in time for basketball season.

But Nike didn't just release Big Nikes and Dunks in 1986. There were the sweat suits, the shorts, sweatbands and T-shirts, all with the ubiquitous domed logo. Basketball shorts were still short in 1986, so it was possible to fit a longer pair of shorts underneath a slightly roomier, shorter pair, creating a layered look reminiscent of a half slip or a petticoat perhaps. Many athletes opted to layer with spandex bicycle shorts, and that was the new thing to do. I balled with spandex underneath my basketball shorts a lot. It was 1986, and that's what we did.

Anyway, the shorts designed for the Dunks were versatile because you could also wear them with Big Nikes. The domed logo on the shorts matched the logo on the heel of the shoe. You could coordinate shorts to shoes and vice versa. The shorts were similar to the layered Air Jordan shorts sold a year earlier. Essentially, they were two pairs of shorts sewn together at the waist. A longer heather grey piece dropped underneath a shorter piece, falling to about mid-thigh. And that was considered long.

This decade, Nike has re-released, or "retroed" rather, many of their classic athletic shoe designs. The company has retroed old T-shirts too. Dunks galore have dropped in various states of interpretation. We've seen the original six colorways tweaked with suede in place of full grain leather. This year, Nike released a line of original-style Dunks carefully antiqued to look 20 to 30 years old.

The antiqued treatment generated a lot of derision because a lot of people still like bright white outsoles instead of yellowed, weathered ones. Personally, I like the antiquing. It's a twist. It's slightly different. It's not the same old thing we've known for 25 years. Besides, antiqued basketball sneakers work better with antiqued denim. Furthermore, while pristine perfect sneakers still have their place in society, the whole notion of a spotless, undamaged sneaker can get rather boring, like gag-me-with-a-spoon boring.

Antiquing has it's place. Nike's efforts to rehash and reinvent the old has proven to be largely successful. I approve. Looking to the past has led to fresh new Dunks, and now we have a lot of interesting hybrids to choose from, like Nike's AJFs and vintage Air Max uppers combined with an AM 360 Air Unit.

But as Nike has been brilliant with their latest Dunks, they have ignored the original clothing line with the domed logo. Big Nikes haven't shown up either. Nike did release vintage-style Terminators recently, but there's no shirts to coordinate with.

I want the whole 10 yards. I want it all. I want tees, jackets and a sweat band for my arm. Make them destroyed if you want. Give the logos some cracking. Put them on a faded 50/50 slim-fit T-shirt, and you'll have a smart product. I would love to wear just one tee with that nostalgic domed logo. Domed Nike logos rock.

And if I saw those shirts with an original Air Jordan logo, I would buy that too.