The History of Supreme x Nike Dunks Started Out Rough
They might be two of the most world famous brands on the planet today, but before Supreme and Nike were dropping new collabs every season, the brands got off to a really rough start. As the story goes, Nike wanted to get into skateboarding. They had tried a few times and failed due to the anti-establishment, anti-big business mentality of skateboarders. Realizing the business opportunity, they decided to go harder, spending more money, and partnering with the biggest skaters in the world at the time. One of the skate shops that was the center of skate culture back then was Supreme, a small store started by James Jebbia in New York City's Lower East Side neighborhood.
Unfortunately, Nike decided to not include Supreme in the plans for the launch of their Nike SB team. Jebbia felt used by Nike and true Supreme fashion in 2001, dropped the "F*ck Nike" Supreme t-shirt. Thankfully, Jebbia and Nike made amends and the History of the Supreme x Nike Dunk kicked off just a year later.
Supreme's First Collab With Nike
2002
After getting off to a rocky start, Supreme and the newly formed "Nike SB" group at Nike dropped what many people would consider the most famous of all the Nike Dunks. Inspired by the Elephant Print of Air Jordan 3, Supreme took the famous Jordan shoe and flipped it into Dunk colorways that are still copied today. If you're lucky enough to have a pair of these, they're worth well above $10,000 in the right size.
The Switch to Highs For Supreme
2003
To coincide with the opening of their first store on the west coast, Supreme dropped three SB Dunk Highs with a new Gold Star aesthetic. Going on 20 years later it's hard to imagine a time when Supreme wasn't a huge part of Los Angeles' Fairfax District, but for those that can remember, these Supreme Dunks tell that story. For the rest, a resale value upwards of $5-10k isn't a bad reminder.
10th Anniversary Elephant Print
2012
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their iconic first partnership with Nike SB, Supreme dropped the "World Famous" Elephant Print Dunks in a new red and cement colorway. Needless to say, these were nearly impossible to get for retail and remain one of the most sought after of Supreme collabs.
The Jewel Swoosh Supreme Dunks
2019
The only Supreme x Nike SB Dunk that wasn't a massive success released in 2019. Although, it sold out within hours but when you expect resale prices to be 4-5 times the original price, these seemed to have missed the mark. Nonetheless, the Jewel Swoosh Supreme Dunks are still worth double or triple the original retail price.
The Return of the Stars
2021
In 2021, Supreme brought back the look and feel of their 2003 release with a new 4-pack of Dunk Lows. The gold stars returned on blue, black, green, and brown versions of the Dunk and the combination of nostalgia and hype took resale prices of these back to levels you would expect from a Supreme x Nike collab.
"By Any Means Necessary" Supreme Dunks
March, 3rd 2022
Sticking with classic color-blocking, Supreme's latest Nike Dunk comes in three familiar colorways. On the heel reads "By Any Means Necessary" with the "NY" coming in the form of the iconic Nike New York logo that has been a staple for The Swoosh. As always, it's the details that keep Supreme closely connected to their NYC roots.
Supreme Dunk Samples
2003
For the opening of the LA store, Supreme ended up releasing the highs with the stars on the side but this is a look at what might have been. These samples were scrapped in favor of the released pairs but the gold Nike logos on the mid-panel is an interesting look compared to the stars.