Concepts x Nike SB: Ugly Sweaters For Your Feet

In most regards, the sneaker game takes itself pretty seriously, but there are still some segments of the industry where you can have some unapologetic fun. For years, Nike’s SB division has been home to some of the wackiest and most creative themes, colors, and materials to ever make their way onto a pair of sneakers. The Nike Skateboarding division has noticeably scaled back the pageantry on their in-house Dunk efforts in recent years, but through regular collaborations with a strong network of their core retail partners, they’ve been able to keep that fun-loving vibe alive and well.

As one of the very first Nike SB accounts in the U.S., Cambridge collab wizards, Concepts, undoubtedly know their way around an SB Dunk at this point. They’ve spent over a decade carrying them in their shop, and of course, have contributed a few of their own co-branded versions along the way. It started with their infamous “Red Lobster” Dunk Lows back in 2008, followed by the equally-coveted “Blue Lobster” edition the next summer. A few years passed before their next offering, the pink suede Porky’s-inspired, “When Pigs Fly” Dunk High, but it was clear that the Concepts crew hadn’t lost their sense of humor.

Now for Holiday 2013, they’re back at it again with one of the most deliciously ridiculous themes to ever grace the Dunk. Billed as the “Ugly Sweater” pack, Concepts plays off our inexplicable soft spot for super-busy illustrated Christmas sweaters. The moose and snowflake-laden knitted nightmares that Grandma used to give you as a kid are now a beloved holiday staple for some, and these Dunks pay a fitting tribute to that good-natured goofiness.

Working off somewhat of a naughty/nice tandem, the Grey pair is a nod to the good boys and girls out there, while the Black throws a bone to the mischief-making kids who might have a dreaded sack of coal coming their way. Both colorways will be launching in-store and online at Concepts this Saturday, December 7th, and while the Grey will see a wider release at other shops, the Black pair will be a Concepts exclusive, complete with a special tin box and a branded tree ornament and drink coozie. There will also be an accompanying apparel capsule featuring two tees and a crewneck sweatshirt, so keep an eye out this weekend. For now, keep reading for a closer look at both pairs and an interview with the creators of this outlandishly clever contribution to the ever-growing SB Dunk family tree.

Sneaker News:  The ugly Christmas sweater has become sort of a cultural phenomenon in recent years. What made you guys want to transfer it over to a shoe?

Concepts:  When we were first approached to a Holiday drop around December, we knew that going with a Christmas theme would be played out. While there is some red and green, we took the overall theme to a new level than what we have seen offered in the past.

SN:  This project is somewhat of a departure from most of your other collab shoes – going for loud and bold rather than the more clean and sophisticated approach that we’re used to seeing from Concepts. How important is it to you guys to switch it up once in a while and keep people guessing?

Concepts:  Given this particular project, it’s tough to take a clean simple approach. It never crossed our mind to be subtle, we wanted to pull out all the stops. What would a clean Holiday theme shoe be? Just red and green.

SN:  Aside from the printed Christmas graphics, please give us a rundown of some of the materials and how they relate to the theme.

Concepts:  Actual sweater material and embroidery wasn’t available at the time. We went with a printed fleece to give an update to the classic ugly sweater creating the “ugly sweatshirt”.  We used black fleece and a heather grey both featuring an all-over print. We used a Nylon tongue, patent leather swoosh on the black, and green nylon swoosh on the heather grey. The black sits on a transparent gum sole with gold flakes.

SN: How did you end up with two different versions of the shoe?

Concepts:  We actually asked to do this shoe a couple years ago. This has potential to cross lines from the core customer to the guy that throws up on himself at your work party. We wanted one to keep for the homies and the other for the masses.

SN:  Images of the Ugly Sweater Dunks leaked way ahead of their December release. How frustrating was it when that happened and how did it affect the plans that you had in place for the rollout?

Concepts:  It’s part of the social media world now…it used to mean something to have a sneaker before it dropped, but now its just a high five from people on Instagram. It’s frustrating in some ways and forced us to abandon the way we planned on launching the Ugly Sweaters, but overall, no harm no foul.

SN:  What was Nike’s initial reaction to your Ugly Christmas Sweater idea? Were they ever skeptical or did they just let you do your thing with it?

Concepts:  We have a great relationship with Nike and creatively we work well together. They were receptive to the idea. We just had to tone it down a bit… actually a lot.

SN:  In general, SB Dunks aren’t causing the same kind of frenzy that they were a few years back. Do you find that there’s still a strong core of your customers loyal to the Dunk and hungry for creative new versions?

Concepts:  There is energy around Dunks. We still get lines for Quickstrikes and the inline product sells through. The distribution is not as tight as it once was, but it’s a growing business and that’s to be expected. I think we do our best to execute at the highest level possible when it comes to SB projects and our consumers have come to appreciate that.

SN:  Do you think people will be able to pull off wearing the Christmas Sweater Dunks all year round, or will it be a holiday season only thing?

Concepts:  We have seen it all over the past few years. Nothing is out of the question at this point.

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A big thank you to the Concepts team. Look for the “Ugly Sweater” Dunks to hit their shop this Saturday, December 7th both in-store and online. If you miss out, the Heather Grey pair will be at additional retailers at a later date, but take note that the Black and its special packaging will only be available through Concepts.