Supreme x Nike: A Full History of Collaborations

Highsnobiety’s longtime Supreme expert, Ross Wilson, looks back at every single collaboration between Supreme and the brand with the Swoosh – Nike.

Over the past two decades, New York’s Supreme has collaborated with many names ranging between skateboarding and apparel brands, as well as technology, sporting goods, toy manufacturers and luxury fashion houses. When it comes to footwear collaborations, Supreme keeps ongoing partnerships with the likes of Vans and Timberland, but by far the most hyped and desired are their ongoing sneaker releases with Nike. For this article, we look back through the past 15 years to revisit the entire Nike x Supreme timeline.

2002: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Supreme

Back in 2002, in an era before YEEZYs and NMDs, by far the most sought-after sneakers on the planet were Nike SB’s reworks of the old ’80s basketball shoe, the Dunk. The previous year, Supreme had already worked with Nike by stocking a limited run of Japanese Co.Jp Dunks alongside the precursor to the SB line – the Dunk Low Pro B. These sneakers were put on the shoe shelves of the Lafayette Street store, with no prior announcement or fanfare, and slowly sold through to local sneaker connoisseurs.

The Dunk had been in the wilderness for years but had built up a devoted following within Otaku culture in Japan, where Supreme was gaining something of a cult following through their small retail stores in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. The NY Supreme crew were fans of the Dunk, so sneaking a few pairs of Japanese edition sneakers into the Manhattan store was a clever way of both parties testing the water for the Dunk’s future launch to the skate/style communities.

Launching Spring 2002 in limited colorways and with tight distribution, the Nike Dunk SB line was an instant hit with sneakerheads, but later that year when the most hyped sneaker teamed up with the most respected skate store, shit got crazy!

These days the iconic Jordan “Elephant” print has been rinsed to death, appearing on everything from Air Maxes to Foamposites, but back then, Tinker Hatfield’s signature pattern had only appeared on the classic Air Jordan III. For their first official collaboration with the Swoosh, Supreme paid homage to New York’s love of skateboarding in Jordans by flipping the legendary AJ IIIs onto the Dunk Low SB.

Despite no online presence, word-of-mouth soon helped spread the news throughout the sneaker community, revealing that the low-key release would land at Supreme’s Manhattan and Tokyo locations sometime in October 2002 and would be restricted to one pair per customer. With a small production run of 750 pairs in black and only 500 of the white, several pairs were released every day for a whole week, exclusively in the four Supreme retail stores. Each day a line of sneakerheads would arrive at the store around 9am (for a 12pm store opening) and patiently wait along the street to the right of the shop’s doorway.

This particular collaboration changed the game for Supreme, Nike SB and the sneaker landscape in general. Supreme was introduced to an entirely new demographic (outside the downtown skate community), proving Nike SB could work with the coolest independent brands, and showing what could be possible when creatives from different worlds work together.

Accompanying products: Supreme camp caps (x2) and cement print track jacket

2003: Nike Dunk High Pro SB Supreme

The follow up on such a striking debut was always going to be tough, and the last thing Supreme wanted was a sophomore slump, but still the next Supreme x Nike project was under full scrutiny from the sneaker community via the hugely popular NikeTalk forum.

Supreme were still vibing off the Dunk Low and planned to revisit the silhouette for their second collaboration with the Swoosh. Once again digging into Nike’s archive, they looked to the original “Be True To Your School” campaign of college Dunks from 1985, and selected a trio of OG colorways – “University Blue,” “College Orange” and “Varsity Red.”

The first sample pairs featured a monogram pattern of gold Nike logos that covered the panel behind the Swoosh. As this was an SB shoe (rather than a mainline Nike shoe), internal politics with regards to branding resulted in the first attempt being rejected by Nike in March 2003.

A slight remix resulted in an upgrade to the Dunk SB High, with Nike logos replaced in favour of a golden stars pattern. An oversized padded tongue, faux croc-skin upper, a choice of three shoe laces and a gold Supreme lace jewel completed the design.

As before, the shoes were released exclusively in Supreme stores over an entire week, with different colours released each day – one pair, per customer, per day.

Accompanying products: Supreme bobble beanies (x3) and star print college hooded sweats

2004: Nike Delta Force 3/4 SB Supreme

Having killed it with the Dunks, the third chapter in the Supreme x SB saga had a far more low-key vibe. Nike SB wanted to inject the Delta Force (another ’80s basketball shoe) into the skateboard line, and teamed up with Supreme to re-introduce the updated model.

With it’s muted tonal colorways, padded uppers and a gum sole, the result was actually a pretty functional skate shoe. Without any visible Supreme branding, the slightly bulky shape and overall lack of interest in the model, didn’t garner a great deal of interest and the shoes were easily available to purchase at the store for a few weeks.

Accompanying products: None

2006: Nike Blazer SB Supreme

The Nike Blazer has long had a place in skateboarding history with the likes of Tony Alva carving California’s backyard pools in the old school basketball shoes way back in the 1970s.

When Supreme chose to transform the Blazer SB from a basic skate sneaker into a luxurious dress shoe, the result was jaw dropping. With a nod towards Harlem’s customiser king Dapper Dan, the shoe featured premium quilted leather uppers, a faux snakeskin Swoosh, gold lace tips, a Supreme branded ankle ring and a cheeky Gucci-inspired heel strip. The detailing and quality of these sneakers was another level and an instant hit with streetwear collectors, sneakerheads and fashionistas alike.

Accompanying products: Supreme track jacket & shorts (x3)

2007: Nike Air Trainer 2 TW SB Supreme

For their 2007 Nike SB collaboration, Supreme introduced the long forgotten Trainer 2 “Totally Washable” into the SB roster and, once again, revisited the iconic Air Jordan line for inspiration. Taking a more subtle approach in comparison to the elephant print used on their Dunk Low, the clean shoe featured a netted side panel as a nod to the classic Air Jordan IV from 1989.

The AT2 TW brought in a trio of firsts for the Supreme x Nike timeline. It was the first shoe to feature Supreme’s actual logo (with the large branding placed under the transparent soles), the first capsule to feature four colourways and the first of their Nike collaborations with an official release date announced on the newly launched Supreme website.

This announcement caused fans to fill the streets around the Lafayette Street store and subsequently the NYPD ordered that Supreme sell through their entire stock in just one day to avoid disruption to local businesses.

Accompanying products: Supreme x Nike baseball jacket (x3)

2009: Nike Bruin Low SB Supreme

Much like it’s counterpart the Blazer, Nike debuted the Bruin in 1972 as a low-top basketball alternative, and was quickly adopted by the new breed of Southern Californian skaters.

The Bruin is quite a simple shoe, so Supreme added a touch of New York finesse to highlight the quartet of suede classics. The design was rounded out by bold metallic Swoosh and innersoles, the “World Famous” slogan across the heel tabs, an embossed box logo adorning the midsole and a dual-branded swing tag.

Accompanying products: Supreme x Nike ‘World Famous’ twill pullover jackets (x3)

2010: Nike SB Supreme 94

For their Fall/Winter 2010 season, the New York skate brand defied regular collaboration conventions when they unveiled a brand new sneaker model designed exclusively by Supreme and engineered by Nike.

The Supreme Nike SB 94 was both a tribute to the past and a nod to the future. With the styling of the pre-skate shoe era (where many skaters would wear Nike basketball sneakers due to their price and durability) and the Foamposite/Zoom Air technology of Nike’s latest court shoes, the Supreme SB 94 was a homage to the brand’s hometown sneaker culture.

The 94 arrived in four colorways – “Black,” “Team Green,” “Cherrywood Red” and “Midnight Navy,” with two other purple and white versions not making it past the sample stage.

Accompanying products: None

2011: Supreme X fragment design Air Zoom All Court

This particular project is something of an anomaly in the Nike x Supreme back catalog for numerous reasons – it was the first shoe to step away from Nike’s SB division, the first to be co-branded with a third party and the first Japanese-exclusive release.

The Swoosh-less canvas tennis shoe was presented in three simple black/ white/red variations and featured uppers adorned with a repetition of logos from both Supreme and Hiroshi Fujiwara’s brand fragment.

Leaked images of the sneakers appeared online during the summer of 2011 but no further information was ever officially published by any of the three parties involved. Rumour has it that it was Supreme who pulled the plug on the shoe’s final release, but a few pairs managed to find their way onto the Japanese market.

Accompanying products: None

2011: Nike SB Supreme 94

Following some mixed opinions from skaters regarding the comfort of the previous year’s SB 94, Supreme reworked the shoe’s shape slightly to incorporate a softer back heel and a sturdier toe box, which made the sneaker more comfortable for skating.

The Fall/Winter 2011 version of the SB Supreme 94 was available in two staple New York colorways – “Wheat/Copper” and “Black/Black,” which presented the previously controversial silhouette in a timeless look.

Accompanying products: None

2012: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Supreme

2012 saw Nike SB celebrate 10 years of collaborations by reinterpreting some of the most desired Dunks from their back catalog.

Supreme’s contribution to the series was fairly straightforward, and fans received updated version of the classic 2002 SB Dunk Low with signature red side panels in place of the previous white and black of its predecessor. A Supreme logo on the inner soles and a dual-branded hang tag completed the package.

Although the thirst for Dunk SBs was definitely not what it was then, compared to one decade earlier, it was a nice tribute to a ten-year relationship between the sports shoe giants and the downtown skate rats.

Accompanying products: None

2012: Nike Air Force 1 Low Supreme

By now Supreme was far more than just a skate store, it had become a cultural phenomenon, celebrated on a global level. Now a fully fledged lifestyle brand, select collaborations outside of skateboarding with the likes of COMME des GARÇONS, Levi’s, The North Face and visvim allowed the brand to step outside Nike’s SB line and into a less niche choice from Beaverton’s footwear categories.

For their first official non-skate Nike collaboration, the Air Force 1 was the obvious choice having long been considered the staple sneaker of choice across the five boroughs of New York City.

Releasing in November 2012, the AF1 Lows were built for the Big Apple’s harsh winters, with water-resistant military fabric NYCO uppers, white midsoles and gum bottoms. Branding-wise, a Supreme logo on the tongue tab and a small box logo label hanging from the back of the Swoosh were also added.

Strangely, pictures of the shoe have been removed from the shoe gallery on the “Random” section of Supreme’s website, and no one knows why.

Accompanying products: None

2013: Nike SB Tennis Classic Supreme

The following Spring season saw Supreme return to the SB line with a skate-friendly update of the Tennis Classic from the mid-1980s. The Tennis Classic was itself an updated version of the 1975 court sneaker named after the world’s most famous lawn tennis tournament – Wimbledon.

Now with added Zoom Air technology, Supreme offered their version of the Tennis Classic in four exclusive colorways – white, black, blue and a banging tennis ball-style in “Volt” yellow.

Accompanying products: None

2013: Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+ Supreme

A mere five months on from the Tennis Classic SB, Supreme and Nike were back at it again for a Fall/Winter collaboration. For the September release, Supreme once again departed from Nike’s skateboarding line, choosing to add their magic to a lifestyle/running sneaker.

Having dominated the podiums at the London Olympics the previous summer, Nike’s Flyknit sneakers were everywhere from the running tracks to the runways. Supreme often likes to veer away from the obvious, so despite the most popular styles of Flyknit being the Trainer and the Racer, they chose the Lunar 1+ as the shoe to work with.

Brightly colored running shoes were a huge trend at the time, so of course Supreme did completely the opposite by presenting their lightweight runner in a simple black/dark grey makeup. Available in just one colorway, the shoe featured a Supreme logo incorporated into the knitted upper, a tiny box logo on the tongue, and a speckled grey midsole.

The official press release credited the Supreme Flyknit as a joint production by both Nike Running and Nike SB with the sneakers actually packaged in a Nike SB shoebox.

Accompanying products: None

2014: Nike Foamposite 1 Supreme

Since it’s debut in 1997 as Penny Hardaway’s signature court shoe, the unorthodox looking Foamposite has become a cult favourite amongst sneakerheads, so when Supreme took on the silhouette as their latest Nike project in 2014, the online sneaker community went into meltdown.

The duo of Foamposites saw Supreme dip the EVA foam shell in an ostentatious baroque pattern, which wouldn’t look out of place in a 1980s Versace campaign, then complemented the shoes with a matching jersey and shorts suit.

Unfortunately the thirst for Supreme Foams was just too much, and the chaos surrounding Lafayette Street in New York several days before the April 3 release prompted the NYPD to order Supreme’s cancellation of their in-store release.

Accompanying products: Supreme x Nike basketball jersey & shorts (x2)

2014: Nike Air Force 1 High Supreme

Now fully into their seasonal rotation of Nike collaborations, Supreme once again revisited Nike’s Sportswear division and the iconic Air Force 1. Having previously reworked the Low, the AF1 High was the model of choice set for an October release.

Premium leather uppers, a contrasting pebbled leather Swoosh, embossed Supreme heel branding and “World Famous” ankle straps all complemented the triplet of classic colors – black, white and Supreme red. Spare shoelaces and a set of unbranded ankle straps were included in the package to offer an alternative, more toned-down, look.

Considering the “Uptown” silhouette is NYC’s most loved shoe, the decision not to sell the AF1 High in Supreme’s hometown store was a harsh blow for East Coast fans unfortunate enough strike out during the online release. The red version of this sneaker was also released on the NikeLab web store – a first for a Supreme shoe.

Accompanying products: None

2015: Nike GTS SB Supreme

Having abstained from the SB line for two whole years, Supreme were back working with Nike on another skate shoe. Much like the previously updated Tennis Classic, the Nike GTS (“Great Tennis Shoe”) was a budget off-court tennis shoe previously appropriated for skating by the likes of Guy Mariano and Pepe Martinez.

Supreme’s take on the GTS featured a herringbone canvas upper with a vulcanised rubber sole and was available in an extended five color palette option.

Leaked images of the sneakers had surfaced online back in 2013 with the shoes finally releasing on July 16 2015, right at the tail end of Supreme’s Spring/Summer season. The launch was accompanied by a Bill Strobeck-filmed promotional video starring Kevin Bradley, Brian Anderson and Alex Olson, simply entitled Swoosh.

Accompanying products: None

2015: Nike Air Jordan V Supreme

The official Supreme x Jordan announcement was another example of how far Supreme had come since their humble beginnings as a neighborhood skate outpost. Everyone who worked at Supreme wore Jordans, so the collaboration wasn’t as indiscriminate as some may have initially thought.

From the Air Jordan back catalogue, most would have expected either an AJ1 or an AJ3, as both those shoes have such a strong past ties to skateboarding, but the retro model chosen was the 1990 AJ5.

Simple black nubuck and white leather options were accompanied by a desert camo canvas version to complete the trio. The Supreme box logo could be found on the shoe soles, lace lock, back of the tongue and hangtag, while a large “Sup” logo blazed under the shoe’s side netting, much like the 2013 Supreme Flyknit. Astonishingly, Jordan Brand allowed Supreme to replace MJ’s infamous team number 23, with their founding year of ’94, on the side heel as a neat finishing touch.”

Due to overcrowding safety concerns, the Supreme x Air Jordan 5 didn’t receive a physical release in North America and was restricted to an online only drop via both the Supreme and Nike websites in the US.

Accompanying products: Supreme x Jordan T-Shirt, Hooded Sweatshirt, Hooded Varsity
Jacket, Coach Jacket, Sweatpants and Snapback Hat

2016: Nike Air Max 98 Supreme

Supreme has an interesting habit of working with products you’d least expect, so when it came the Air Max range, many would presume a collaboration would take the form of the popular models such as the 1, 90, 95 or 97. As always, the brand subverted expectations with their choice and chose to resurrect the long-forgotten Air Max 98 for their April 2016 Nike collaboration.

UK Grime has experienced a huge resurgence over the past couple of years with the scene adopting brands such as Stone Island, Lacoste, Polo Sport and Air Max as staples. Supreme tapped into the “roadman” aesthetic perfectly with their rendition of the Air Max 98, especially with the all black patent leather pair.

Having experienced some issues with overzealous shoppers at their Western store locations for the Air Jordan release, Supreme took the decision to release the Air Max 98 exclusively online outside of Asia with Nike once again sharing the limited release.

Accompanying products: Supreme x Nike Dri-FIT Running Hat (x5)

2016: Nike SB Blazer Low GT Supreme

For their Fall/Winter edition of the Supreme x Nike project, the New Yorkers revisited their skateboarding heritage with another understated skate sneaker.

Supreme’s version of the SB Blazer Low GT was about as far removed from their 2006 take on it’s high-top counterpart – no luxury materials and fancy trimmings, just a clean suede upper and leather Swoosh to complement the basic skate shoe.

The Blazer Low was offered in three exclusive colorways and was accompanied by King Puppy, another Strobeck clip, this time featuring the pool-shredding badass himself – Grant Taylor.

Accompanying products: None

2017: Nike Air More Uptempo Supreme

Much like the Foamposite, the Uptempo divides opinion and is pretty much a love/hate shoe. When it debuted back in 1996 Wilson Smith’s huge “AIR” lettering, that covered the majority of the shoe’s upper, divided opinion and was considered both too garish and an instant classic in equal numbers.

Made famous by Scottie Pippen during the Chicago Bulls historic NBA championship winning season of ’96, the Air More Uptempo’s legacy was sealed during Pip’s turn at that year’s Atlanta Olympics, and went on to be a cult favourite in the sneaker community.

This season, Supreme add a new spin to the 90s classic by supplementing the infamous “Air” branding with their own “Supreme” lettering wrapping the shoe. It’s not too often that Nike allows other brands to alter the actual foundation of their shoes, so for Supreme to switch up the design (so dramatically) shows the respect the global footwear company gives the New Yorkers.

The Nike Air More Uptempo Supreme will be available in a trilogy of exclusive colorways – Red, Black and Gold.

Accompanying products: None

2017: Nike Air Force 1 Low Supreme x COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT

Supreme’s ongoing collaboration with COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT has included a variety of interesting footwear releases, since the partnership began five years ago. This season, Supreme and SHIRT got involved with Nike to release their version of the iconic all-white Air Force 1 Low.

The standard white-on-white Uptown is given a stylish Japanese makeover with “Eyes” graphics across the rear of the shoe’s upper and midsole. Dual branding complements the sneaker’s outside panel below the Swoosh.

Accompanying products: Supreme x COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT Parka, Rayon Shirt, Suit, Wallet, Box Logo Hoodie, Box Logo T-Shirt (all released a month prior to the AF1)