The Air Monarch IV is Nike‘s quintessential “dad shoe,” and it briefly had a moment among irony-motivated trendsetters back in 2018. New Balance has had much more lasting success with its retro runners being adopted by style devotees, but it looks as if Nike may be preparing a more concerted push for the humble silhouette.
Official images have leaked for the Nike Air Monarch IV “Wheat,” which instantly conjures comparisons to Timberland’s 6-Inch Boot. Just like Timberland’s most iconic silhouette, the Monarch IV sees its upper rendered in wheat-colored suede. The sole unit only strengthens the connection, as a similarly shaded midsole sits above a gum outsole. All that’s missing from the “Wheat Boots” is a black leather collar.
Nike uses a leather upper for the Monarch IV and rarely issues it in colorways that draw any attention from sneakerheads. Even during the shoe’s brief moment of trendiness, Nike did very little differently in order to draw sudden fandom. With the exception of a “Weekend Campout” edition playing into the “dad shoe” reputation and released ahead of Father’s Day in 2018, the Swoosh kept churning out the sneaker in its same form. Those who wore the Monarch IV simply met the shoe where it was already at, appropriating the white/blue/silver and white/black/red colorways long favored by older men on shelves from the likes of Kohl’s.
The Monarch franchise began in 2003 and was overtly targeted toward an older male demographic. First introduced in 2009, the Monarch IV has gone without any successors and features a chunky leather upper and full-length encapsulated Air unit, placing comfort above all else. It was never intended to be cool, making it an authentic choice when the “dadcore” and “normcore” aesthetics initially took off. In other words, the sneaker was so considered so dorky it was cool.
The Nike Air Monarch IV “Wheat” doesn’t yet have a release date but is expected to release in the coming months. Pricing has also yet to be confirmed and could come in higher than the model’s now-standard $80 tag.
