NIKE IS UNLOCKING THE VAULT

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

Undefeated Jordan 4s, Wu-Tang Dunks, HUF Air Max 1, PlayStation Air Force 1s, and Shattered Backboard Jordan 1s are just a few of the iconic sneakers that Nike has either already pulled from the vault, announced or are rumoured to be re-released. With these and many others, questions arise about the good, the bad, and the ugly surrounding Nike’s decision to bring back these grail colourways with deep and rich histories.

It’s no surprise that Nike is doing this. It’s also no coincidence. Nike has introduced a “Cult Classics collection,” which they describe as "a carefully curated lineup of iconic releases that transcend time and style. Each pair carries a story of cultural significance, whether from the past or the future." As many sneakers from this collection have already been released this year, with more to come and no grail being safe, the question now isn’t whether Nike should be doing this, but rather why they are doing it and what will come of these retros.

THE GOOD

I wanted to start with the good, first because that is the order of the movie title that inspired this subtitle, and second, because, after the good, it starts heading downhill.

With Nike bringing back iconic grails, it’s a toss-up between whether it will hinder or flourish the community. My own experience with the Cult Classics collection, it has shown me the good that can come from Nike releasing these pairs. Many of these sneakers have become cult favourites due to their deep history. Take the Air Force 1 Linen, for example. Originally released in 2001 as a Japan-exclusive under the Co.JP series, and then exclusively re-released at the opening of Kith Miami, this elusive sneaker has become your favourite sneaker collector’s favourite sneaker. With the creation of the Cult Classics collection, this colourway has now been mass-produced and made more accessible to the public.

If you were holding onto a pair from one of the more exclusive drops to appreciate its value, you took a massive loss as the market was flooded and the demand was met. But as a relatively newer sneakerhead (with the span of the sneaker world), I had never seen or heard of this colourway. Due to it being brought back, when various sneaker publications published their articles surrounding the product, the history was retold, and I fell in love with the colourway and history. Now, a pair sits in my collection and turns heads whenever I wear them.

This is the positive side of these shoes coming back, many moments and deep histories don’t get retold as they get overshadowed by the newest or most captivating thing. If it weren’t for Nike creating this collection, there would be no incentive for publications to talk about these shoes. This shoe was the rabbit that I chased, leading me to Wonderland, where I also learned more about Co.JP and its importance concerning the sneaker culture as we know it.

THE BAD

The Wu-Tang Dunk should not be touched. On 1 July, the Nike Sportswear Instagram account, in collaboration with the Wu-Tang Clan account, posted a reel of a yellow and black Dunk High covered in bees, with the Wu-Tang Clan logo peeking out. As the 25th anniversary of the Wu-Tang Dunk approaches, this post has practically confirmed that this shoe is getting a re-release.

The Wu-Tang Nike Dunk High was originally created in 1999, with only 36 pairs (a homage to Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)) believed to exist. Over the years, this sneaker has become one of the most sought-after pairs, with some original pairs selling for over $10,000+.

So, why is this sneaker so coveted, and why should Nike avoid bringing them back as a straight re-release? This sneaker, created by Nike employee Drew Greer, went behind the backs of Nike’s entertainment marketing department. He explained in an interview with Complex on the Nike Sneaker Show that Nike didn’t want to take on the responsibility of creating specific products for artists. Greer pushed this into production, and he received a warning from Nike. This adds to the sneaker’s lore and importance to the industry, as it’s due to this and other sneakers that Greer produced, such as the Roc-A-Fella Air Force 1, that the limited and collaborative sneaker space as we know it was built.

For this reason, the sneaker at its core should be held sacred. I’m not against Nike celebrating 25 years of the Wu-Tang Dunk’s existence, but bringing out a direct re-release will ruin the hype. Nike could pull off a collab with Wu-Tang on any Nike silhouette, which would be a hit. With how popular the Dunk Low has become, a way to both celebrate and keep it sacred is to re-release the colourway and design elements on a Dunk Low.

THE UGLY

The Undefeated Jordan 4s might be at risk of losing their legendary status. With rumours of their re-release next year, consumers will have the chance to obtain a grail-level sneaker at retail, breathing new life into this colourway. With only 72 pairs in existence from the original 2005 release and its 20th anniversary next year, there are murmurs that Nike is going to mass-produce this sneaker. Overproduction of this grail could lead to an ugly scenario where a holy grail becomes a bronze chalice overnight.

It can be assumed that the Undefeated Jordan 4s are bound to be a hit and will shake the industry if they don’t sell out. However, there are a few factors that could make or break this re-release. Jordan 4s are one of the most popular Jordan silhouettes, and in recent years, their popularity has exploded, especially with the newer generation of sneakerheads. The colourway is S+++ tier, inspired by a military flight jacket—the olive suede and orange liner are a thing of beauty. With only 72 pairs originally released, this shoe has ascended beyond footwear and become an enigma. With this, the shoe is bound to succeed and will likely be a knockout for Nike and Undefeated.

Listening to industry personalities such as Brendan Dunne on the Complex Sneaker Show, there are talks that this sneaker could face a release of 100,000+ pairs. Nike is playing a risky game by producing this many pairs. If the shoe somehow ends up sitting on shelves, the hype dies. With the global economy in its current state, unnecessary spending is down, making luxuries like another pair of kicks a lower priority for most. The economy has also shifted Nike’s pricing, with Jordan’s retail prices gradually rising. These multiple factors could be the dominoes that lead to this re-release becoming a failure.

THE WHY

The Instagram post by Nike teasing the re-release of the Wu-Tang Dunk was posted on 1 July. Just four days before, Nike had announced one of their worst earnings calls, causing their stock to plummet.

It’s understood that the development of sneakers can’t happen overnight, so this sneaker would have been planned internally with Wu-Tang. But with the anniversary occurring next year, isn’t it a strange coincidence that they would post this so close to the negative earnings call? No, it isn’t. Nike announced the re-release of this shoe, or leaked information about other retro sneakers (such as the Undefeated 4s), to sources that would discuss the leak on large platforms around this time to save the stock from free fall.

I also have a working theory that the Cult Classics collection was Nike’s litmus test to see how the market would react to them retro-ing highly coveted sneakers on a smaller scale. By gauging how all audiences react to a once-limited sneaker now being mass-produced, Nike found that there was hardly any negative reaction to this collection. This gave them the green light to announce these other retros, knowing it wouldn’t negatively impact their stock further.

Love it or hate it, Nike is bringing back your favourite sneakerhead’s favourite sneakers, and the outcome could be good, bad, or ugly.