The Women’s Dunk, Disrupted

August 21, 2020 – Reflecting the collaborative endeavors that energize projects like the 1 Reimagined, the women’s Dunk Low Disrupt expands upon the wide-open creative canvas that is the Nike Dunk.

While there’s been a history of women’s-specific Dunks, including the Dunk Sky Hi and Sacai Dunk Lux, the Dunk Low Disrupt builds off of a premise of non-conformed distortion. The exaggerated tooling takes inspiration from Nike’s mid-’80s basketball catalog. Of course, there are elements from the Dunk, and also cues pulled from an obscure precursor, the 1984 Nike Air Train.

The resulting platform stance and slimmed shape combine to make an edgy new statement. Overlays, floating pieces and an exposed foam tongue further augment the Dunk Low Disrupt design.

The women’s Dunk Low Disrupt releases September 4 on nike.com, select retailers and SNKRS.

To download hi-res images, click here.

converse

Converse Debuts Wholehearted Collection

August 14, 2020

August 14, 2020 – The red hot hues of the Converse Wholehearted collection reference the inner fire within basketball’s fiercest competitors. That passion manifests through the Converse All Star BB Evo, designed for those who play with fluid creativity, and the Converse G4, which is engineered for explosive play. 

The collection releases September 3 on converse.com. 

August 13, 2020 – Comfort is king for the Nike Offline. Inspired by the mental health benefit of taking time to unplug and disconnect, the Nike Offline aims to do the same for your feet. The new mule, anti-sneaker silhouette is designed for the moments when “doing nothing” is the most important thing for you to recharge.

Emerging from Nike Sportswear’s N. 354 footwear line, this latest style embodies experimental design aesthetic and raw ingenuity. The Offline includes two unique sensory drop-in midsoles, interchangeable based on mood and overall feeling. Sensation 001, with strategically placed nubs, offers a massage-like experience for the wearer. Sensation 002 has a greater volume nub pattern for a comfortable prolonged wear time throughout the day. The shoe features exaggerated, exposed-foam padding in the tongue and an adjustable, cushioned strap to optimize comfort for the wearer. 

The Nike Offline releases August 28 on SNKRS, SNEAKERS and at select retailers.

View hi-res images here.

nike sportswear

The Latest Collection of Nike Classics is Made from Recycled Uppers

August 10, 2020

August 10, 2020 – Made with at least 20 percent recycled materials, the Nike Sportswear Recycled Canvas pack takes a sustainable design approach to classic Swoosh silhouettes. Specifically, recycled canvas uppers, with yarn derived of post-industrial Nike textile waste, bring sustainable craft to a men’s and women’s take on the Nike Air Force 1 ’07, Nike Air Max 90, Nike Air Max 95, Nike Daybreak-Type and Nike Cortez. In addition, Flyleather swooshes and backtabs — made from at least 50 percent leather fibers, recycled foam tongues and laces are used across the pack, while the Cortez and Daybreak-Type employ Crater foam in their midsoles.

The pack is the latest installation to NIKE, Inc.’s ever-growing Move to Zero journey toward zero carbon and zero waste to help protect the future of sport, highlighted most recently by Nike’s Air VaporMax 2020 Flyknit, Space Hippie and Revival lines, the Jordan Brand Crater collection and Converse Crater and Renew footwear. 

The Nike Sportswear Recycled Canvas pack releases August 20 on nike.com and the Nike App.

View hi-res images here. 

converse

Shaniqwa Jarvis’ Converse Collaboration Captures Emotional Portraiture on Canvas

August 10, 2020

August 10, 2020 – Converse’s first capsule collaboration with photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis is teeming with florals, inspired by a double-exposed image taken on a trip to Mexico that reminded the artist of her late father. Jarvis, known for combining a modern fashion aesthetic with sensitive and emotional portraiture, uses the image to transform the Chuck Taylor All Star CX, as well as the sneaker’s secondary laces, dust bag, shoebox and an accompanying cotton jersey pullover hoodie, into a floral fantasy. 

Incorporating the floral photograph is a means to pay respect or “give the man his flowers.” Giving flowers, a ritual meant for both celebrating and paying tribute to life, is an homage to Jarvis’ father’s sharp sartorial aesthetic and to how he helped inspire her identity as a photographer. “He had such great style, and I can remember his outfit choices always had something extra; some bit of unexpected flare,” she says. “These pieces I’ve made are something extra — with an unexpected flare.”

To capture that flare, the floral hues are contrasted with a crisp white on the sneaker’s tongue, crafted in corduroy — a nod to her father’s favored fabric. 

Allowing for maximum exposure, a translucent foxing extends the floral print to the sole and exposes the shoe’s construction. The translucency also reveals Converse CX foam, an innovative pairing of a single-density PU insole and lightweight phylon midsole for long-lasting comfort. 

Converse x Shaniqwa Jarvis Chuck Taylor All Star CX and apparel will be available at converse.com August 13.

View hi-res images here. 

nike acg

This New ACG Silhouette Couples Style with Practicality

July 30, 2020

July 30, 2020 – The Nike ACG Air Nasu is stylistically inspired by the best of late ’90s and early 2000s ACG models (like the iconic Nike Air Humara), while also honing the outsole pattern of recent predecessors (think ACG Zoom Terra Zaherra).

Its namesake, Nasu, Japan, is known for hiking and natural springs.

The stylish summer hiker features Nike Air heel cushioning and a “no sew” rubberized mesh upper. Hard rubber in the toe, heel and outer edges help with protection and durability. Sticky rubber through the center of the shoe offer hikers firm footing on a variety of terrains. 

The Nike ACG Air Nasu releases August 8 on nike.com and the Nike App.

To view hi-res images click here.

converse

Feng Chen Wang Gets Conceptual with the Converse Jack Purcell

July 30, 2020

July 30, 2020 – Chinese-born, London-based designer Feng Chen Wang has gained a cult following for her emotional and multi-dimensional aesthetic. 

Season after season, her conceptual work relays a confident freedom — unreservedly creating a future vision through examination of the past.

Wang’s partnership with Converse is emblematic of this approach. And through a string of thrilling articulations of brand hallmarks — the Chuck 70, ERX and Pro Leather — she’s made a name for herself in footwear circles. Now, her sights are set on the iconic Jack Purcell.

Recognizable for its toe cap “smile,” the Jack Purcell arrived on badminton courts in 1935. Feng Chen Wang delivers a personal take, using the Chinese characters that form her Mandarin name to create a dynamic system of layering that produces an eye-catching exaggeration of the Jack Purcell Mid’s simple upper. 

In it, she pulls in leather and suede, allowing the textures to add another touch of subtle dimensionality. The design reflects her identity, where her heritage mixes seamlessly with the contemporary energy of Shanghai (where she still regularly shows) and London.  

Experiments in exaggeration extend to the collection’s apparel, including an assortment of asymmetrical pieces designed to form a singular, cohesive statement. The composition of each garment adds dimension to a traditional silhouette — jacket, vest, short, pant, short-sleeve tee — with an acute focus on material, structure and reflectivity.

Intended for mix-and-match styling, and available in two complementary color palettes, the collection is rounded out by a cap and a convertible cross-body bag.  

The Converse x Feng Chen Wang Jack Purcell Mid and apparel release August 6.

Download high-res images here.

nike training

Get Inside the Mind of Mat Fraser Through His Nike Metcon 6

July 28, 2020

July 28, 2020 – The Nike Metcon 6 Mat Fraser explores the competitive advantage that’s separated the Fittest Man on Earth from his peers for nearly half a decade: his mind.

The blacked-out upper, representing the “dark space” Fraser descends to in order to block out all distractions, is punctuated by a red base underneath and through a bold red stripe shooting across the lateral side, representing his focus. Iridescent blue elements in a bolt pattern beneath the mesh and surrounding the shoe throat channel the image of ice in his veins, enabling Fraser to calmly execute under pressure. The sockliner features phrasing inspired by the Serenity Prayer. The words encourage him to focus on what he can change, and to not get distracted by what he cannot control.

“In a lot of ways, I see myself as an engineer sees a machine. I’m always fine-tuning my body, and I see everything as graphs and numbers,” says Fraser. “I know the compounding effects of bringing the details together into one equation. That includes how I train, how I eat, how I sleep and who I surround myself with. All of that starts with my mental approach.”

Other details highlight accolades from Fraser’s stellar career, such as the four circular symbols on the heel that recognize his four consecutive wins on the world stage. The acronym for his mantra, Hard Work Pays Off, also appears on the sockliner.

The Nike Metcon 6 Mat Fraser releases July 28.

To download hi-res images, click here.

nike basketball

Basketball is Back. Check Out the Footwear Hitting the Court.

July 24, 2020

July 24, 2020 – The return of the NBA and WNBA is set to begin in Florida, where Orlando and Bradenton will host condensed regular seasons before playoff basketball kicks off, eventually crowning a league champion. A number of Nike Basketball silhouettes will hit the court in fresh colorways, from special editions of the LEBRON 17 to new renditions of the KYRIE 3 Low to more Gatorade flavors of the PG4.

LEBRON 17 Graffiti, Cold Blue and Fire RedBlue and red variations of the LEBRON 17 Graffiti release July 28 on SNKRS in North America.

LEBRON 17 Low TitanThe collaborative colorway with the Manila-based basketball concept store, featuring symbols and logos that represent Titan’s 10-year history, releases August 8 in North America.

KYRIE 3 Low, Eclipse and Inner HarmonyThe KYRIE Low 3 Eclipse strikes a tonal balance between night and day, with intricate patterns on the toe and strap and a yellow emblem on the heel. The Inner Harmony colorway pairs a tranquil sunrise gradient with hieroglyphic symbols that speak to Irving’s fascination with the mysterious. The Eclipse colorway releases in North America in August; the Inner Harmony colorway releases in September.

KD13 Nike NationalsContinuing the KD line’s tradition of recognizing the summertime tournament, this KD13 features glossy gold detailing in the upper’s gridded pattern, the heel wings and the upper half of the Nike Swoosh, brought together through bright blue stitching. The KD Nike Nationals releases July 30 in North America.

PG4 GatoradeThe PG and GX logos cover the semi-translucent upper, arriving in both green and orange for additional takes on Gatorade drink flavors. Beneath the mesh overlays of the PG4 are more pops of orange, visible through the heel counter and on the laces. The orange colorway releases August 8 on SNKRS in North America. The green colorway releases July 31 in North America.

PG4 PCG2A cool-blue version of the outdoor-inspired colorway, the PG4 PCG2 releases in September. 

Zoom Freak 2, White CementThe Zoom Freak 2 colorway is inspired by the four-mile concrete trek that Antetokounmpo would regularly make as a youth from his Sepolia neighborhood in Athens to the gym for practice. The colorway releases October 1 in North America.

Zoom BB NXTThe non-signature performance silhouette from Nike Basketball arrives in a red mesh upper and a navy circular outsole pattern. The shoe releases in August.

converse

The Converse All Star BB Evo is Tuned for Fluid Creativity

July 23, 2020

July 23, 2020 – Since returning to performance basketball with the All Star Pro BB in 2019, Converse has locked in with its family of athletes (male and female, pro and amateur) to evolve its product. With the introduction of the Converse All Star BB Evo, that hard work is actualized. 

“The Converse All Star BB Evo has a low center of gravity; it allows me to be in control each and every moment,” says Kelly Oubre Jr. 

Specifically, the ASBB Evo helps keep players on their forefoot, positioning them for nimble moves and creative reactions to find space on the court. 

Oubre Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Natasha Cloud, along with other basketball players from around the world, provided consistent feedback to ensure a design that maximizes on-court control with a healthy dose of artistry. “You get a feeling from it,” says Oubre Jr. of the ASBB Evo’s aesthetic. 

“Athletes are, more than ever, dedicated to self-expression on and off the court,” says Richard Ward, Converse Design Director of Footwear. “We wanted to build the upper in a way that allowed for more expressive and bold paneling through a distinctive split. This also allowed us to solve for a performance need, through lockdown and stability.” 

The shoe carries some familiar details from its predecessor. Of note is the iconic Star Chevron logo — presented here with a blurred articulation evoking movement and speed. It also delivers new features, including a 5/8 collar height and the 50/50 split upper, which combine to calibrate the shoe for creative playmaking.

The Tuning of Converse All Star BB Evo:

The Converse All Star BB Evo releases August 1 on converse.com.