The Nike Blazer was named after the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team.
Nike introduced the Blazer in 1973 as a basketball shoe, making it one of the company’s earliest basketball models. Its name referenced the Portland Trail Blazers, the NBA franchise that began play in 1970 and represented Nike’s home region in Oregon.
The shoe originally used a leather upper, a vulcanized rubber outsole, and a large Swoosh. Nike later developed high-top and low-top versions, helping the model move beyond courts and into skateboarding and streetwear.
The Blazer is sometimes confused with the Nike Bruin because both are simple vintage Nike silhouettes. The Bruin arrived later and became especially associated with skateboarding, while the Blazer’s original identity was as a basketball shoe named for an NBA team.