Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

J. Crew and Nike Drop the Killshot 2 Sneaker and It’s Already Sold Out

Nike Killshot

About as long as Western civilization has existed, shoes have been a status symbol. From the long-toed poulaines of 15th century Europe to the demure Toms slip-on of the 2000s, footwear is a functional emblem of where you rank within the cultural pecking order.

But of all the types of shoes to become a status symbol, could anyone have foreseen that it would be the humble sneaker that would eclipse all other types of footwear? And to make this irony even sharper, it’s not the souped-up sneakers that achieve this iconic status, but the simplest and most nostalgic designs.

Related Videos

Case in point: the Nike Killshot.

The Killshot started life in 1979 as a “court shoe,” with a low profile and soft sole that kept racquetball players comfortable and nimble. With its leather body, suede detailing and utilitarian white-on-natural color scheme, it was a forerunner of today’s athleisure styles. It wasn’t just meant for sports—it was meant to show in non-sporting environments that you, the wearer, were sporty. But not so sporty that you didn’t care about fashion.

J. Crew X Nike Killshot II

Over the years, the Killshot gathered a fan base outside the court. When it was first re-issued in 2009, it wasn’t only the sneaker world that went wild. The Nike Killshot is the ultimate “lifestyle shoe”—a go-anywhere, do-anything closet staple.

Since 2015, the Nike Killshot has been available in collaboration with J. Crew, who bumps the exclusivity of these highly covetable kicks by offering them only as limited editions (and limiting purchases to one per customer). The most recent iteration was released this year, this time with a vibrant green swoosh in addition to the original navy blue colorway.

Combining quality-first minimalism with a Wes Andersonian nostalgia, the Nike Killshot is a study in casual elegance. Or is it elegant casualness? Or does it even matter? The main thing is that these hella comfortable sneakers go great with everything you wear, all the time, every day. From broken-in denim to aloha shorts to a wedding tuxedo, you can wear the Killshot with anything. That is, if you can get your hands on a pair.

The green version of the sneaker is already sold out, so unless you want to pay a collector’s fee for a pair of your own, you’ll probably just have to wait until the next re-release (or settle for the more sedate white-on-navy color scheme.. Take our advice and buy during the pre-sale.

Editors' Recommendations

Review: These men’s pajamas cost $600 — are they worth it?
Sleep in the lap of luxury with this pajama set by Paul Jays
paul jays pajamas review pxl 20230220 072532307

When you were a child, your parents likely bought you a pajama set featuring your favorite superhero or cartoon characters. As you grew older, you ditched those pajamas for boxers or sleeping in the buff. Once you've made it and established yourself as a successful man in the world, the pajama set makes its return to signal that you have arrived.

Of course, you could just buy any old kind of men's sleepwear to go under your robe while you putter around your apartment — or you could don this luxurious pajama set from Paul Jays to wear while wandering your estate, drinking coffee, and pondering your next great move to grow your empire. I tried out the Geo Print Long Set, and from the moment I put it on, my reasons for taking it off numbered zero. Here is an honest review of this luxurious set, the Porsche of men's pajamas.

Read more
How to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day — style tips you need to look your best
Your St. Patrick's Day style guide
style tips for holiday party outfits green and tan

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, kidnapped and brought to the island as an enslaved person at 16. He eventually escaped but returned later and is believed to have brought Christianity with him. One thousand years later, he is still celebrated on St. Patrick's Day, the accepted date of his death, March 17. And how do we celebrate it? By wearing the color green on St. Patrick's Day, of course. Wearing the color symbolizes the patriotism of the entire island.

Now, whether you are Irish or not, you can show your support for the island by donning green on St. Patty's Day. However, that doesn't mean you have to go all out and look like you jumped right off the box of Lucky Charms. Here are a few tips to help you celebrate the patron saint of Ireland without sacrificing looking fantastic.

Read more
Freezing jeans shouldn’t really be a thing — here’s why
Why you should stop putting your jeans in the freezer

Recently, I reached into a friend’s freezer for an ice sphere and came across a pair of neatly folded jeans. This sight took me by surprise not because it was unusual, but because the practice felt so dated. For those that might not have heard of the practice, the idea behind freezing your best jeans is that freezing denim kills bacteria from well-worn jeans without actually having to wash them and affect the fade or overall integrity of the denim.

When did freezing jeans become a thing?
Jeans have been around since 1871. These popular pants were invented by Jacob W. Davis and patented by Davis and Levi Strauss. Though people have anecdotally frozen their denim for years, more as an odor-removing process than anything else, Levi Strauss actually pushed this practice into the mainstream in 2011. In 2014, Levi Strauss' CEO Chip Bergh repeated longstanding advice from the jean company; don't wash your jeans, freeze them instead. Bergh's reminder was more of a conservation effort to get people to freeze their jeans to stretch out the time between washes.

Read more