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.

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Nike SB

Sneaker News Blogs: Best of WDYWT – 10/25 – 10/31

Happy Halloween, folks! There have been countless Halloween-themed sneakers over the years, but how many of our readers actually decided to wear them during the...

By John Kim October 31, 2011
1042

Nike SB Zoom Koston 1 ‘Granite’ – New Images

Given that we’ve already seen a trio slated for spring 2012 and that the November Nike SB shipment included another pair in Dark Obsidian, it’s...

By Aaron Hope October 31, 2011
213

Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Blackout’ – Available

For many sneakerheads, the initial draw of the Nike SB line was the crazy eye-catching colorways. Those days have died down considerably, and we’ve seen...

By Brendan Dunne October 31, 2011
453

Nike SB Zoom FP – Black – White – Metallic Gold

Just as is the case with Omar Salazar’s long-lost signature, there’s another former regular in the Nike SB rotation that had been away for several...

By Aaron Hope October 30, 2011
1425

Nike SB Zoom Koston 1 – Dark Obsidian

Outside of the Zoom Kobe VI mashup edition that came out around the time of its debut this summer, the Nike SB Zoom Koston 1 very well...

By Aaron Hope October 29, 2011
199

Nike SB Dunk High ‘Tauntaun’ – Detailed Images

Over the years, Nike SB has taken their ‘inspirations’ a bit further, moving beyond the visual aspect of colorways and making the proper applications to...

By John Kim October 28, 2011
456

Nike SB Dunk High ‘Tauntaun’ – New Photos

Perhaps the single best thing about the Star Wars x adidas Originals ongoing collaboration is that the designs have reached a point where they refer...

By Aaron Hope October 27, 2011
103

Nike SB Blazer ‘Rift Blue’ – Available

If there’s one material that just looks right on a Nike SB Blazer High, it’s suede. Something about that high-top silhouette that first hit as...

By Brendan Dunne October 27, 2011
804

Nike SB Blazer Low – Team Brown – Birch

The Nike SB Blazer Low is a model that too often gets overshadowed by its big brother, the Nike SB Blazer High. Sure the high...

By Brendan Dunne October 27, 2011
432