Finally, South Korea’s Got Sole

Let’s be clear – South Korea is not new to the game. Period. Long before Travis Scott coined “Nikeboyz” and coerced his legion of fans to drive up prices of Dunks, the term was regularly dispersed through the peninsular country – and not just in its “fashion hubs”. Korea’s rabid devotion to sports has been going on for decades, long before Seoul hosted an Olympic Games in ’88. Dressing head to toe like a pro athlete in full training gear was an OG hypebeast movement so much so that it was literally called “Nikeboy”. I first learned the term way back in 1999 at the age of 16 when my older cousin knighted me with the nickname; I don’t remember what sneakers I was wearing – most likely a turf shoe – but I was in UNC Tar Heel shorts for like a week straight. The memory of that moniker never left me and I took it to heart because in Korean culture, anyone older than you is wiser, smarter, and far superior in every way shape or form, an allegory of student-and-master which for some reason always ends up in both parties getting drunk and the older head covering the bill.
 
 
There’s no question that Asia as a whole gets a lot attention and credit for sneaker culture. Japan is regularly referenced as a father of sneaker culture, and rightfully so. But it’s done so often and generically to the point where it’s just an empty descriptive. Yes, the Japanese are different when it comes to craft and consuming. But the hard data says that the Japanese market is one of the weakest in terms of sneaker sales, which suggests that the mainstream cares more about Japan’s place in sneaker culture more than the actual Japanese do.
 
 
China’s sheer size makes them one of the most important countries in the world. And when it comes to sneakers, there is no exception. But every sneaker brand has shown love for decades as they need to understandably appease the market. There’s a reason why all the signature basketball stars make annual trips there every summer. The zodiac calendar and its animals have been lapped twice, right?
 
 
What i’m saying is that Asia’s a crowded place, and not everyone gets a seat. And that’s fine – seats are reserved for those who bring something to the table. But what Korea’s been cooking, you’ve been smelling for decades (not the kimchi). It’s place as a tastemaker in fashion, food, gaming, and more is unrivaled. Even the semi-cringe pop-culture staples that you love to hate, from YouTube videos of people shoving ghastly amounts of food into their mouths to the boybands the size of batting line-ups, is from Korea. I recently saw a nationwide television ad from Jinro, which unbeknownst to me was the number one selling spirit brand in the world. The WORLD. Have you had soju, let alone JINRO soju? Forget the sole protectors and restoration products and whatnot – I’m convinced that the infamous Korean alcohol will remove the yellow on your Air Jordan 11 soles. Did you know that restaurants use soju in spray bottles to wipe down tables?
 
 
In no way am I establishing that Korea is a come outta nowhere story. They been around and the world is aware. But the fact that the first true Korean sneaker collaboration with Nike came in 2019 is kinda mind-boggling. That was G-Dragon’s PEACEMINUSONE x Air Force 1, which was regarded as one of the best shoes of that year. Prior to that was the Air Jordan 3 “Seoul”, which simply might not have happened if the employee behind the project, Dan Sunwoo, wasn’t of South Korean descent. And even before that, you gotta trace back to 2006 when Nike executed an in-line Air Force 1 “World Cup” Pack. That had to be done after Korea’s incredible run to the Final Four in 2002. I’m still recovering from hangovers that summer. And even before that, the only official connection Korea had to the sneaker game…was the fact that the shoes were manufactured there since the 80s.
 
 
In the grand scheme of things, it may mean nothing that the first Dunk collaboration of this crazy revival is with Kasina, a Korean retailer. They’ve been doing brand projects for the last decade, but all of them pretty much got lost in the mix because shoe collaborations for the last half decade act like confetti. To me, though, this Kasina x Nike Dunk Low means a lot. They deserve to have their name among the best Asia-based sneaker shops, and as we all know Nike has the power to shift attention to a person, place, or a thing like no other brand can. No disrespect to the good work done by adidas, Puma, Vans, and especially New Balance (if anyone has a new NB x Heritage Floss hoodie in any color, DM me at @johnbeejkim), but Nike controls the tectonic plates of this game – and we’re finally beginning to feel the ground rumble.