Supreme x Nike. 20 Of Our Favorites.
Stylish sneakers have been universal in modern culture for generations, and no one can doubt the strength of Nike. Their Jordan series has caused longer lines than fuel pumps during a fuel shortage, and more envy that someone eating an In-n-Out burger in a 3rd world country. ‘Supreme’ on the same hand, has dominated streetwear culture to the point where they sell ‘Supreme’ crow bars (thats not a joke). Below is a BRILLIANT assessment of ‘Supreme’ by Hasan Minaj on his show “Patriot Act” (which we highly recommend watching if you have Netflix). After that though, we’ll get into some of the greatest collaborations between Nike and Supreme that feet have ever been in.
So now that we know the power of ‘Supreme’ (if you watched the entire episode), its important to know what a collaborative effort with Nike would do to consumers. Non-experts in streetwear and sneaker-heads alike would have no choice but to fawn over some of the 20 sneakers in the list below. Let us know which ones YOU think are the dopest, and, if your picks aren’t on the list (curated by Complex), let us know which ones are to your highest of likings.
For its 2009 collaboration with Nike SB, Supreme offered up four colorways of the Bruin. Metallic Swooshes and “World Famous” branding on the heel made the pairs stand out from the average release of the low-top skate shoe. Some color schemes were better than others, but the project doesn’t necessarily do anything wrong either. For a Supreme collab that’s a little more under the radar, this might be the one to go with.
Back in 2006, Supreme released three colorways of the Nike SB Blazer with a luxurious twist. Black, red, and white options were all available that each featured premium details like quilted leather uppers, python skin Swooshes, and gold metal detailing. But the highlight has to be the Gucci-inspired, red and green-striped heel tab. Over a decade later and these still hold up perfectly. Good luck finding a pair in good condition for a fair price though.
What a disappointment. Supreme’s past work on the SB Dunk Low has been the stuff of legend, but this trio is FAR from that. I mean a Jewel Swoosh on a Dunk, it’s just not natural. Throw that Dallas Cowboys looking star onto the side of each pair and some wonky color blocking and what you’re left with is a mess.
There was a chance this sneaker would come in second on this list, but got narrowly edged out. Three colorways—orange, red, blue—all good. The stars on the side panel and the lacelocks both added to the sneaker. Loud? Sure, but it was perfect for Supreme and the era that the shoe gained life in.
Whether you want to admit it or not, part of the allure of any Supreme collab has always been its limited nature. If you miss out on Thursday morning then it’s time to hit the aftermarket. That has always been the case, at least it was until 2020’s Air Force 1 drop. Initially met with some apprehension for its “lazy” design, it’s just some white and black Forces with a mini red Box Logo stamped on the lateral heel, customers warmed up to the idea once they’d been presented with all of the details. It was announced that both colorways would be sporadically replenished from season to season. Suddenly, Hanes T-shirts and boxers weren’t the only Supreme items you could re-up on. Make sure you add a fresh pair of Uptowns to the cart too.
The Supreme x Nike Air Foamposite One makes this list mainly because of the hype around it. Personally? Could care less for the shoe. But many were surprised 1) That this shoe was real and 2) That it caused a literal riot with police cars in New York City. Most memorably, this was the sneaker that forever had in-store Supreme x Nike releases canceled.
This is the first sneaker to release after the Foamposite caused Nike releases to be cancelled at the brand’s Manhattan shop. The formula was simple: An Air Force 1 Hi in white, red, and black with Supreme’s branding on the strap. Easy enough. And they were pretty good. Resale is quite high at the moment, too.
Following a lukewarm offering in 2019, Supreme decided to nod to one of its most celebrated projects for its latest Nike SB collab. The result is four colorways of the SB Dunk Low that share details with its 2003 SB Dunk High release like colorful croc leather overlays and gold stars covering the quarter panel. The source material helped define an era of sneakers. The 2021 project, while nostalgic, doesn’t hit quite the same despite being one of Supreme’s better offerings in recent years. The brown option feels very appropriate given current trends, but other options like a loud slime green don’t quite hit the mark like the originals did 18 years ago.
It’s hard to imagine a time when Supreme didn’t have its own Air Force 1, but it really wasn’t that long ago. The brand got its hands on the model for the first time in 2012, opting to work on the low-top variation of the sneaker. It came in gum-soled black, olive, and woodland camouflage colorways which were elevated through the use of authentic NYCO military fabric. The brand would later work on the Air Force 1 High and team with Comme des Garçons for various Air Force 1 Lows, but the OG still remains one of the best.
In Supreme’s illustrious collaborative footwear history, the iconic skate brand has only teamed up with the Jordan Brand twice. One of those times the product came out really good, the other time it simply came out really bad. Having featured the really bad one earlier on, it’s time to focus on the positives. Available in three colorways you have the option to make a statement with the bold Desert Camo or keep it nice and simple with White or Black.
Supreme followed its usual rule of thumb with this one by collaborating with Nike on a silhouette that nobody would expect them to. Sometimes that formula yields surprisngly good results. This two-pack of Cross Trainer Lows is not one of those times, though. This is simply just one of those shoes that looks like it would be more at home on the shoe wall of a Finish Line in the mall than it would coming from the biggest streetwear brand in the world. Neither colorway is particularly offensive, but they don’t feel all that special either. Couple that with the much better collabs sprinkled throughout Supreme’s extensive archive of Nike projects and it lands this one in the bottom tier.
Elephant print on the Nike SB Dunk Low just looks good. These don’t hold a candle to the original pairs, but it was still awesome to see Supreme bring back one of the biggest projects from its archive in a new way so many years later. If you still like bright red sneakers and want to shell out a little less money for a well-executed Supreme Dunk Low collab, this is the shoe for you.
Nike SB has a long history of using football shoes to make skate shoes. Look at the Zoom FC. The Gato is also a shoe that saw some play over the years. Supreme did the shoe, too. It’s not bad. But I’m from the school of thought where you don’t wear football shoes unless you’re playing football. So it misses the mark.
The first Supreme x Comme des Garcons Air Force 1 wasn’t good. This shoe, with its split design, is infinitely better.
Sneakers are an obvious staple of sports teams, so why not make the sports teams the focal point of the kicks?
People are going to like it because it’s a Comme des Garcons collab with Supreme on Air Force 1. What it really is: A white/white Air Force 1 with something screen printed on the side. Rushed and poor product. But the names sell it to hype fuck lords. And NBA players.
Any time you’re starting with an Air Force 2 instead of an Air Force 1 [Ed. note: I don’t agree with him at all], you’re already behind the 8 ball. Four colorways of this AF2 hit the market in 2017 including three jarring candy-pack looking creations that left a lot to be desired. The fourth and final “Baroque Brown” pair was a bit less offensive but is still considered a brick in the Supreme x Nike department if you ask me.
This is the only time Supreme has gotten to design its own Nike silhouette. The outcome? Not so hot.
This is one of the more slept-on Supreme x Nike releases. In fact, some could have the case that this should be ranked higher. The colorways aren’t hype, but solid. Same with the silhouette, the Delta Force SB ¾.
Although these may not be the most spectacular to round out the 20, they are some of the most unique concept kicks that Nike and Supreme have sprung.
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