The Nike M2K Tekno owes much to Nike’s perennial bestseller and middle-aged-dad favourite the Air Monach. Designed in the early 2000’s, the shoe filled a gap previously only occupied by New Balance – wide, comfortable training shoes pretty much designed to mow the lawn in. The shoe has been a constant presence in Nike’s roster since its 2002 release; its simple colourways, full length air unit and availability in different widths caters perfectly to your Dad. It’s a no-nonsense sneaker, comfortable and durable.
The Air Monarch’s suitability to its target audience means it’s stuck around long enough for the dads it was designed for to become style icons. The popularity of the chunky sneaker trend meant it was a matter of time until the Monarch’s certified dad-shoe status made its way into sneakerhead’s rotations – it’s a polarising choice, but a viable one all the same. High-profile adopters like Drake and Russel Westbrook have taken cues from American dads and donned the Monarch - these unknowing pillars of normcore have had their culture appropriated, and the result is the M2K Tekno.
Designer Jin Hong added a modern edge with a slimmer last, coloured heel clip and updated branding, but kept the essence of the Monarch IV with a dad-approved chunky Air sole and panelled leather mix upper. Since its debut on the runway for John Elliott’s first women’s collection in February, the silhouette blew up on social media - resulting in production of Men’s sizes, dropping online on the16th of August.
Set to be the hottest silhouette of the summer (and beyond), pick your Nike M2K Tekno up right here.
