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This Retro Nike Sneaker Is So Clean, It Could Pass as a Dress Shoe

Look good, feel good, play good.

Close-up of black Nike sneaker with black laces and orange swoosh logo on white tongue label.Nike
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By Jack Seemer

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In the words of Deion Sanders, “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good.”

All to say, Nike’s latest rendition of its former football shoe looks ready for a new round of contract negotiations around in the board room.

No wonder it basically looks like a dress shoe.

Pair of black leather Nike sneakers with black laces and textured rubber soles.
The Astrograbber dresses to impress with a full-grain leather upper.
Nike
Black shoe sole with square-shaped rubber studs arranged in a grid pattern.
The shoe retains its old-school outsole, originally designed for traction on turf surfaces.
Nike

Now surfacing overseas, a new version of the Astrograbber first released in the 1970s adopts an upper made of full-grain leather that’s slightly burnished for subtle variations in color.

Close-up of the heel and sole of a black leather sneaker with textured rubber outsole and stitched detailing.
Burnished detailing adds depth to the black finish.
Nike

What’s more, the model also swaps out the traditional flat laces for small round ones that give it a uniquely polished look akin to a typical dress sneaker from Cole Haan or Allen Edmonds.

Pair of black Nike leather sneakers with black laces and white tongue labels featuring the Nike logo.
Tonal details keep the silhouette streamlined.
Nike
Close-up of black Nike leather sneaker with black laces and white tongue label featuring black and orange Nike logo.
Round laces do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of elevating the sneaker into dress-shoe territory.
Nike

This isn’t Nike’s first experiment with the Astrograbber, which resurfaced in 2024 as part of a high-profile collaboration with Emily Adams Bode Aujla’s eponymous label Bode.

Previous releases have showcased uppers made from knitted fabric and even waxed canvas.

However, this rendition is easily the brand’s most refined yet, positioning the Astrograbber as one of the most fashion-forward silhouettes in its vast archive.

Black leather Nike sneaker with black laces and a textured black sole.
This is easily Nike’s most refined take yet on the Astrograbber.
Nike
Pair of black Nike shoes shown from the back with embossed Nike logo on the heel.
Embossed branding also distinguish this variant among previous releases.
Nike

Availability and pricing

This elevated version of the Nike Astrograbber will debut overseas in May, with a US rollout expected in the coming months. Like other versions of the model, it should carry a price tag of around $135.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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