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Its been a while since I’ve owned a pair of Tech Challenges. The model was made famous as the signature shoe for tennis player Andre Agassi. Probably the most notable colorway is the Nike Air Tech Challenge II QS Hot Lava.
This version is the 2019 retro of the original and gets its name from the colorway. The shoe comes with a plastic Nike hangtag and differs from previous retros thanks to the plastic covering the bottom two eyelets, which is grey in this version and white in other versions.
You shouldn’t have any problem making an outfit with these. I’d treat them as a white/black/grey sneaker with the lava as the least crucial thing to match. Light or dark wash pants should work great with these. If you’re stuck for an outfit, try an all black get up for an easy fix.
How Are The Materials?
The materials aren’t great on these. We basically get a standard Nike Sportswear level of smooth leather, with some areas being perforated. The materials aren’t terrible, but they’re nothing to write home about either. At least these have a matte finish going for them, as opposed to the hard, plasticky leathers of years past.
How Do They Fit?
These Nike Air Tech Challenge II QS Hot Lava fit narrow. They remind me of the Air Jordan 4 fit a lot, so I went up a half size and these are very comfy at that size. I basically had sold all my true size Tech Challenges as they were not comfortable to wear for longer than an hour or two. With the half size up, I find these a lot more comfortable. Still, old technology here, so don’t expect a Boost or React level of comfiness.
I really wanted to experiment and see if the half size up eases my qualms about this model, and it does! Now I can rock these around and get that real old school Agassi vibe, with the splash of late 80s-early 90s brightness on the trademark hot lava gradient above the midsole.
Where To Cop the Nike Air Tech Challenge II Hot Lava
As of the writing of this article, you can find them on eBay, among other places.
Colorway: White / Hot Lava – Black
Style Code: CJ1437-100
Year of Release: 2019
MSRP: $130