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7 cool Nike collabs prove the German Football Association’s in good company

26/3/2024

Translation: Katherine Martin

Adidas 0: Nike 1. After more than half a century, US brand Nike has scored Adidas’s position as the German Football Association’s (DFB) official kit supplier. It’s not the first time a collab has seen Nike climb to the top of the league table.

Well, I’ll be damned. Who would’ve thought this era would ever come to a close? On 22 March 2024, the German Football Association (DFB) announced the end of its long-time love for and loyalty to Adidas, a fellow German organisation. Triple-striped jerseys and shoes will be a thing of the past. Instead, from 2027, both the men’s and women’s national football teams will be wearing another distinctive logo: the swoosh. Considering the DFB had proudly presented its new Adidas jerseys for the upcoming Men’s European Championship just eight days beforehand, the timing of the announcement was just a tad provocative.

To some, the decision represents an affront to patriotism and a loss of identity. To others, it’s business sense – a lucrative deal. As for Nike, it’s another impressive addition to its too-good-to-be-true portfolio. The company abandoned any sense of modesty years ago. Thanks to a series of clever moves, the US-based brand has rocketed ahead of competitors such as Puma and, as we’ve already established, Adidas. I’ve picked out seven random examples from Nike’s nearly endless list of collaborations.

1. Nike × Jordan

If we’re talking about Nike’s best strategic moves, the Jordan brand can’t go unmentioned. Although Nike’s deal with iconic basketball player Michael Jordan was signed almost 40 years ago, the sneaker range resulting from it is still one of the most coveted ever. If you’re interested in the now 38-strong(!) Air Jordan range, you can find a pretty cool visual history of it here.

2. Nike × Dior

Resting on its laurels after producing one of the most successful sneakers of all time wasn’t an option for Nike. Instead, it opted to create a fad on top of a fad. Literally. In 2020, it branded the Nike logo on the Air Jordan 1 with the Dior logo. Is your brain tying itself in knots right now? Wait until you see the price. The low-top version costs 2,000 US dollars, with the high-tops totting up to 2,200 US dollars. The collector’s items, which have long since sold out, are now being sold for up to 20,000 francs.

The Dior logo on the Nike logo.
Source: Dior

3. Nike × Martine Rose

Nike hasn’t quite enjoyed the same presence in football as it has in basketball. Its collaboration with British-Jamaican designer Martine Rose, however, was a very media-savvy exception. In 2023, the designers kitted out the US women’s World Cup team. The Shox MR4 launched by the duo have been making sneaker fans’ eyes light up and burning through credit cards since 2022.

Unusual, but highly coveted: the Shox MR4.
Source: Nike

4. Nike × Jacquemus

What does Nike have in common with French luxury label Jacquemus? At first glance, nothing at all. However, their surprising collaboration in 2022 seems to have been a match made in heaven. The women’s collection comprises 15 pieces, including tennis skirts, Air Humara sneakers and countless swoosh-adorned straps. Delighting customers who were awaiting its launch, the second drop of the collaboration included the already legendary (and sell-out) Swoosh Bag.

2022: designer Simon Porte Jacquemus demonstrates attention to detail.
Source: Nike

2024: the swoosh as a bag. — 2022: designer Simon Porte Jacquemus demonstrates attention to detail.
Source: Nike

5. Nike × Billie Eilish

This liaison began quite innocently when the singer put a new spin on the Air Jordan 1 KO in 2021. What followed were Eilish versions of the Air Jordan 15 and Air Force 1, the latter paired with a mini-collection comprising a hoodie, T-shirt and sweatpants. 2023 saw the release of the Air Alpha Force 88 SP, the last Eilish Nike model to date. Incidentally, all of them are made from vegan, recycled, sustainable materials.

Billie Eilish wearing her own designs.
Source: Instagram @billieeilish

Her Air Force 1 in «mushroom». — Billie Eilish wearing her own designs.
Source: Instagram @billieeilish

6. Nike × Travis Scott

While we’re on the topic of the music industry, rapper Travis Scott (one of the first to wear the Dior-branded Jordans) is another official Nike collaborator. And has been since 2017. Since teaming up with the sportswear brand, he’s redesigned the Air Force 1 several times, had it made from canvas instead of leather, added patches to the laces and turned the swoosh into a removable metal accessory. Or simply flipped the symbol. Then came the release of Scott’s versions of the SB Dunk Low and Air Jordan 6. It’s a lucrative love story – and it’s definitely far from over.

Travis Scott’s alternative take on the swoosh.
Source: Nike

7. Nike × Ben & Jerry’s

The Chunky Dunky Nike SB Dunk Low has zero connection to high fashion or music. Instead, the route these shoes have taken to sneaker lovers’ hearts is through their stomachs. No, even the ice-cream industry isn’t safe from the Nike onslaught. In 2020, the brand teamed up with self-proclaimed super-premium ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s. With cow spots, batik patterns and a melting swoosh, the limited special edition had sneakerheads around the world licking their lips.

Delectable: the Chunky Dunky Nike SB Dunk Low.
Source: Nike

Patriotism aside, the DFB has clearly made the right deal by choosing Nike. Or do you have a different take on things? Let me know in the comments.

Header image: Nima Sarram via Unsplash

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Laura Scholz

Senior Editor

Laura.Scholz@digitecgalaxus.ch

Always in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.

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