20 Years of Nike SB - Collaborations

03.25.22

Out Of The Box, From Day One

Before collab was a colloquial term, Nike SB and cohorts were digging everywhere for sparks that would become grails. More than creative partners, SB collabs were and are permission to get weird, often done with zero permission. More than materials or colorways, SB collabs became the gold standard of how far you can push an idea and where you could mine for the next reference or homage. Obscure and iconic graphics, legendary spots, greatest misses, heroes and villains, all found their way to a shoe and completely changed the nature of collabs along the way.

Medicom Nike SB Dunk Elite

The unlikely union between an exclusive Japanese toy brand and SB started with a milestone Dunk SB that featured a double-layered Swoosh for the first time ever on the silhouette. In 2018, Medicom and SB pushed the story further with tech, nostalgia, and a triple toy threat. The Medicom Nike SB Dunk Elite featured Flyknit sock collar tech, a throwback colorway to their first collaboration, three co-branded Be@rbricks, and a hat because... why not? Everyone likes hats.

Levi’s x Nike SB Dunk Low – Navy Hyperstrike

Launched on Independence Day in 2011, the two American heritage brands joined forces in patriotic fashion. Denim had been in the SB mix as far back as 2002, with Reese Forbes requesting a jean material Dunk Low with an assist from Natas Kaupas. With the detailing, materials, and colorway calling back to Levi’s classic aesthetics, it was only natural to up the ante with an exclusive Team Edition pair of 511 jeans to add to the flex.

Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Dunky

As the folklore goes, the SB design team took a trip in 2019 with the takeaway being that their collabs needed more flavor. More than just vibrant color or obscure references, Nike SB reached out to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, who not only shared Nike’s upstart spirit but were also masters of mixing things up. The result was not only another sought-after Dunk SB, but a hairy cow-print creation, dripping with plenty of sweet details.

Gundam

Futuristic vision, superior craftsmanship, and expert storytelling made Gundam visionary in animation and toy design. Not only did they master the market, they changed the stature of toy culture and inspired a fanbase obsessed with detail and innovation. Released in two colorways in 2021, The Gundam Nike SB Dunk High was a master class in imagination, taking sci-fi uniform aesthetics and intense detailing to the Dunk. With its removable Swooshes, rendered Gundam style and customizable sticker sheet, the shoe also launched with two model kits housed in boxes styled after the classic Nike SB packaging.

U.N.K.L.E. Dunk

Not only did the Nike SB D.U.N.K.L.E. set a tone for the Pink Box era in 2004, it brought the worlds of art, music, skateboarding, and sneakers together in one collaboration. Founded by James Lavelle, U.N.K.L.E. operated much like an art collective, considering the visuals as much as the sonics, with graffiti legend Futura creating characters that brought the songs to life. Like they did on record, the crew created a Dunk that brought you into another dimension with bold pink overlays, and contrasted color washes featuring art by Futura.

For Love or Money Dunk High

Money can’t buy you happiness and unless you’ve got serious bank, it wouldn’t net you a pair of Nike SB FOLMs. Another collaboration with Futura, the FOLM SB Dunk High was a friends and family only situation that was released in 2005, with only three pairs being available to civilians via a raffle. Rather than leaning on his signature graphic style, Futura opted to create a collage using various paper currencies from around the world, paying homage to the shoe’s acronym, For Love or Money, embroidered on the heel.

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20 Years of Nike SB – Los Angeles

The 20 Years of Nike SB euro tour punched its ticket to Los Angeles for a final 2022 send off.

Explore Art

Gundam

Dunk High

The Vault

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