Grateful Dead have released their highly-anticipated sneaker collaboration with Nike SB, and they are already drawing some noteworthy fans.
The Nike SB Dunk Low shoes, officially sanctioned by the Dead, were released on Saturday after months of online speculation and leaked photos. While the shoes sold out almost instantly online, many pairs found their way into prominent hands.
In a new trailer for the sneakers, Nike recruited pro skaters from around the world to product test the new line of footwear. From the Dead’s San Francisco stomping grounds, to Barcelona, to Tokyo, various professional skateboarders are shown sporting the fuzzy shoes the bear the Dead’s iconic dancing bears in dayglow yellow, green, and orange colors.
Featured in the video are Elissa and Simon Jensen in San Francisco; Pedro Attenborough, Pierre Leze, and Jose “Sixas” Vivero in Barcelona; and Ryuhei Kitazume in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the video also features audio of the Grateful Dead performing “Cumberland Blues” on February 21st, 1971 at the Capitol Theatre. That previously-unreleased concert was included on the 50th anniversary deluxe edition of Workingman’s Dead, released last week.
Watch the full trailer for the Grateful Dead’s Nike SB collaboration below.
Grateful Dead x Nike SB
[Video: Grateful Dead]
While the skaters seem to approve of the shoes, the corporate crossover has drawn the ire of many fans as they feel the shoes’ exorbitant price goes against the values set forth by the iconic counterculture group. Add on top of that public figures like Kylie Jenner posting pictures of the rare shoes and you have the makings of a culture war. Then again, nobody is forcing you to trade in your Tevas.
What do you think is Kylie Jenner’s favorite Grateful Dead song?
Wrong answers only pic.twitter.com/yReUfxL0mR
— phat nat (@555natalie555) July 19, 2020