Nike SB

Nike SB is NIKE, Inc.’s skateboarding subdivision. Founded in March 2002 and formerly led by the late Sandy Bodecker, Nike SB is often credited for modern-day sneaker collecting because of its limited, concept-driven releases.

While Nike SB as it’s known today began in the early-2000s, The Swoosh’s earliest attempt to enter the skateboarding space took place in the 1990s. With the help of a young Brandon Cole “Bam” Margera, Nike launched the Choad, Snak, and Schimp to little commercial success and interest from skaters. (Margera notoriously skated in non-Nike shoes and taped swooshes on them.) The late Bodecker, who began working at the brand in 1982, recognized that die-hard skaters had already been using Nike silhouettes like the Air Jordan 1 and Blazer Mid.

Under Bodecker’s guidance, the imprint officially launched its first and most popular silhouette, the SB Dunk, as a skate-ready take of the Dunk High for basketball. The re-engineered sneaker featured a fat, padded tongue, Air Zoom insole, raised, exaggerated profile logo on ollie areas, and modified rubber sole for traction. While appreciated by skaters, these details arguably came second to Nike SB’s revisited marketing strategy. Unlike the brand’s previous corporate-style strategy (which directly opposed common anti-establishment sentiments among skaters), Bodecker’s approach was grass-roots-oriented: releases would not be mass-produced and distributed through big-box sportswear retailers. Instead, pairs would be available directly through select, independent skate shops.

Over the years, Nike SB has hosted professional skaters the likes of Lance Mountain, Paul Rodriguez, Stefan Janoski and Shane O’Neill. Nike SB’s earliest team included Richard Mulder, Reese Forbes, Gino Iannucci and Danny Supa, all of whom received the first four SB Dunk Lows.

Collaborations with Diamond Supply Co., Supreme and Jeff Staple, just to scratch the surface. Some Nike SB releases, like “Paris,” “Raygun” and “What The Dunk” versions of the SB Dunk Low, have garnered grail-status among many collectors, fetching six-figure buyouts on the after-market.

Although the skateboarding-division experienced mainstream lull throughout the latter 2010s, it’s regained widespread attention from casual consumers this decade, thanks in large part to Travis Scott and Virgil Abloh. Enthusiasts of both the sport and imprint have been enjoying and skating in models like the SB Blazer Low and SB GTS Return, among others.

Shopping Links

Nike SB

Supreme’s Unreleased Purple Nike SB Dunk Low Is Up For Auction

Samples aren’t rare within the world of sneakers, but few warrant the response as Supreme‘s discarded, unreleased products. Recently, luxury auction house Sotheby’s revealed that...

By Jovani Hernandez December 6, 2023
7772

2024’s Nike SB Vertebrae Appears In Black/Gum

Updated January 2nd, 2024: A new Black/Gum colorway of the Nike SB Vertebrae has surfaced. Currently, official release date information for this new model has...

By Jared Ebanks November 18, 2023
5133

Buttery Suedes Appear On The Nike SB Dunk Low In Royal And Green

All-suede SB Dunks? Sign us up. Nike’s Skateboarding division isn’t letting up with their SB Dunk drops in 2024, and here we have a first...

By Sneaker News November 15, 2023
5513

The Rayssa Leal x Nike SB Dunk Low Hits SNKRS On March 20th

Updated March 7th, 2024: The Rayssa Leal x Nike SB Dunk Low will release on SNKRS on March 20th. A skateshop-only release is scheduled for...

By Jared Ebanks November 12, 2023
12310

Di’orr Greenwood Celebrates The Navajo Arts With Her Nike SB Dunk High Collaboration

Di’orr Greenwood’s love of skateboarding goes well beyond the sport itself. It’s since become a vehicle for her personal expression, as every one of her...

By Sneaker News October 23, 2023
3336

Madrid’s Welcome Skateboarding Receives Its Own Nike SB Blazer Mid

Welcome Skateboarding has been delivering products and community around the sport to Madrid since 2005. Although the Spanish institution has collaborated with dozens of partners...

By Jovani Hernandez October 20, 2023
1507

This Nike SB Leo Is Ostensibly Inspired By The Infamous “Trail End Brown” Dunks

Ever since Travis Scott took a liking to a random brown pair of SB Dunks from 2007, the coffee-colored shade has become one of the...

By Sneaker News October 19, 2023
976

“Thunder Blue” And “Saturn Gold” Are Offset On The Latest Nike SB Leo Baker

As the most recent signature rider to join Nike’s skateboarding roster, Leo Baker introduces a number of archival elements within his mid-top model. Mirroring the...

By Jared Ebanks October 17, 2023
456

Supreme Transforms The Nike Air Darwin Low Into A Skate Shoe

UPDATE November 7th, 2023: Photos of the “Volt” colorway have been added. — Supreme and the Nike SB banner are more than familiar with one...

By Jared Ebanks October 14, 2023
7547