The Gorpcore trend and the legacy of Nike ACG

A few months ago we talked about 'Gorpcore', and how mountain clothing managed to make the leap into the fashion world and become quite definitely cool. No more Balenciaga or Vetements, but fleece and jackets by The North Face (thanks also to collaborations with Supreme) and Patagonia dominate the streetwear scene and catwalks around the world are full of oversized down jackets and technical clothing, in short, what was previously by definition called "ugly" but useful and comfortable, now it is the maximum expression of being cool.

Since 1989, Nike ACG has been trying to mix the two worlds and with great success. But let's make a little 'order and start from the beginning to try to understand what the new ACG collection that will be launched from now and month forward, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the outdoor line.

In fact, the seeds of ACG were planted long before the actual birth of the outdoor line of Nike.
In the early 1970s, a group of rock climbers from Southern California, around Yosemite Park, who called themselves Stonemasters, applied the relaxed and flippant style of surfers and high-altitude sports, achieving an unexpected success. Jim Bridwell and Lynn Hill, were among the first to push "free climbing" (the dangerous art of climbing massive rock walls without ropes) with the attitude and the relaxed style typical of California at the time, let's say that the attitude was as important as being the first to get to the top.
In an old interview, one of the original Stonemasters talks about how they often expressed themselves in white trousers like painters and colored shirts only to upset the more traditional climbers. The footwear then followed the example: light approach and running sneakers.

This movement was not limited to Yosemite, and it was not long before other climbers would even switch to lighter shoes. The famous photo of Rick Ridgeway and John Roskelley halfway to the summit of K-2 with the yellow Nike LDV at his feet was the spur that convinced the Oregon brand to attempt the big jump into the outdoor world.

In 1981 the Nike Hiking line was launched, a forerunner of ACG, with a trail shoe, the Lava Dome, in two versions: Approach and Magma.
They were not your classic trekking shoes, they were lighter, they dried immediately and in the case of the Approach, they used a new and revolutionary waterproof fabric, GORE-TEX®.
Orange swoosh, the use of bright green were strong choices by Nike, also following what the North Face and Patagonia did with their jackets.
We arrived in 1989 when ACG was finally launched, although the name was already used in 1988 for the all-terrain version of the Pegasus.
If Nike Hiking was still linked to the world of hiking, ACG had crossed the boundaries, covering practically all the activities that can be done outdoors (mountain biking, snowboarding, athletics, etc.).

In addition to shoes, Nike has exploited its know-how acquired in clothing (and the world reserves of nylon) to achieve everything snowsuits in Gore-Tex to light windbreakers. In the '90s all outdoor activities became more accessible, everyone had a mountain bike and the wave of fans for "extreme" sports made ACG a line "for everyone".

In 1991, the genius of Tinker Hatfield lends itself to the creation of the iconic Nike Air Mowabb. A hybrid between the Wildwood and the Huarache, inspired by the Native American moccasins and the desert landscape of the city of Moab in Utah.

With the passing of the years, other unique creations arrived, like the Deschutz Sandal with Air sole inspired by the Kayaks and the Air Moc of 1994.

Aesthetic and technical innovation, in these 30 years Nike ACG has developed and renewed every aspect of outdoor clothing, sports with a very powerful aesthetic, some more targeted campaigns and others less so, have made ACG travel between successes and failures.
Today, to celebrate its birth, Nike rediscovers with this new collection, retro prints, functionality, wearability, and sensitivity, plus returns to the three-layer system: breathable Dri-FIT wool, the fleece with its insulating function and GORE-TEX® fabrics that combine to provide protection in all possible conditions.
Because, although Nike ACG has been able to go through different and difficult moments in its 30 years of history, one thing has always been true and still is, it has always remained faithful to its essence and to that name, ACG (All Conditions Gear).