20 Years of Nike SB

12.19.22

Twenty years ago skateboarding was hitting a generational boom. More than a single trick, event, or moment, the culture of skateboarding was resonating past its roots. Nike saw a way to push that progression further.

The goals were clear but skateboarding’s always skeptical of anyone on the “outside.” The specter of the Schimp, Snak, and Choad from a short-lived program in the mid-’90s lingered. If it wasn’t different, it wasn’t going to work.

Nike SB was formed in 2002. Rather than making the best possible shoes for skateboarding, SB and Sandy Bodecker sought to understand the landscape, the ecosystem, and the personalities driving it. The shops, the spots, the diehards, the sessions, the collaborations, the collectors, and the creatives that made it unique.

SB’s mission began with a tight-knit team of skateboarders and creatives led by innovation, a lot of listening, and thinking outside the box. From tech, inspiration, or homage, any idea was fair game and over-the-top. For the first time, skateboarders were given the keys and the tools to make their version of skateboarding. The result was two middle fingers up, and hundreds of products that became sought after, essential, and iconic.

“20 Years of SB” is a capsule of that journey. From concept to execution, the exhibit chronicles the stories, personalities, and milestones of Nike SB as we look to the future of skateboarding.

Dunk

If there’s one touchpoint that illustrates Nike SB’s approach to skateboarding, it’s the reintroduction of the Dunk.

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Celebration Day

Embracing the ethos that any day is worth celebrating, SB flipped that idea and started timing releases around major and sometimes, invented holidays.

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Football

Skaters have always flirted with football shoes for their low profile and slim design. Learn more about this new dynamic to SB's core.

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Art

Working with artists central to skateboarding’s graphic identity to not only use shoes as a canvas but to recreate iconic ideas in completely new and unexpected ways.

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Music

During the advent of video in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the soundtrack to skateboarding became even more essential, often turning a video part into a watershed moment by stitching the right tricks with the right songs together.

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Stories

Using shoes as a way to canonize skateboarding stores in the most imaginative ways possible to honor and elevate skateboarding’s roots.

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Origins

Unlike any other category, the development of Nike SB shoes has become a unique conversation between the design team and riders. Take a look back at the beginning.

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The New Wave

Learn more about the contributions women and the LGBTQ+ community have made to shape skateboarding’s history.

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Cities

Check out some of the essential hub cities that have helped skateboarding grow, while continuing to showcase its diversity, culture, and personality.

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Signature Footwear

Explore the history of SB Signature footwear. From the Zoom Janoski to the iconic Ishod.

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Collaborations

Check out some of the collaborations with skateboarding's most influential brands, artists, and more.

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Skate Shops

Skate shops are the epicenter of the skateboarding community. We tell the shop's stories through the product.

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