Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk

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Nike and the influential hip-hop group have teamed up to release the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk 25 years after the original collaboration.

Last updated: November 8, 2024
4 min read
Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk
  • Nike and groundbreaking hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan are releasing a modern update of their treasured sneaker collaboration.
  • With its all-over black and pollen yellow design, the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk mirrors the original Dunk Hi from its limited 1999 release.
  • The Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk launched worldwide on November 9, 2024, on SNKRS and at select retail locations.

Nike and the Wu-Tang Clan are bringing back their iconic sneaker collaboration with the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk. This allows fans to get their hands on a pair 25 years after the sneaker’s original limited release.

“The shoe has already carved out a legacy as a silhouette people were striving to possess, and now thousands of people will have a chance to own a pair,” says Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA. “These sneakers are a trophy.”

The modern Dunk Hi silhouette is outfitted in black and pollen yellow – the Clan’s official colors – mirroring the original, with its “Killa Beez” color blocking, premium leather and the group’s distinctive W logo embroidered on the tongue label and outer heel.

Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk
Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk

Helping to fuel the buzz is a new film campaign featuring RZA with Nike basketball athletes Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks.

Emerging in the early 1990s, the Staten Island, New York-based hip-hop group known for its gritty lyrics, kung-fu references and innovative production became a cultural phenomenon, reaching far beyond music to influence fashion, film and art. This influence is apparent today both in New York and in communities around the world.

The mid-1980s saw the launch of the Nike Dunk as a classic basketball shoe, drawing design inspiration from popular Nike basketball shoes of the time, including the ‘84 Legend, the ‘85 Terminator and the ‘85 Jordan. In the ‘90s, the skateboarding community discovered the Nike Dunk, which led to its adoption as a versatile streetwear style with widespread influence across contemporary sneaker culture.

Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk
Hip-Hop and Sneaker Fans Are Abuzz Over the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk

Recognizing the hip-hop group and the shoe’s influence on pop culture and design, Nike and the Wu-Tang Clan joined forces in 1999 to create the Nike Dunk Hi. More than two decades later, the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk of 2024 reinforces both the brand and the group’s longstanding history and influence in hip-hop culture, adding a new chapter in honoring the history of the collaboration.

“These Dunks are important to me and the Wu-Tang legacy because of the cultural impact they’ve had since their original release,” RZA says. “For many years, the sneaker world was reserved for athletes and some entertainers, and Nike recognizing us in this way is a testament to hip-hop and our contribution to culture.”

Following its November 9, 2024, worldwide release date, the Nike x Wu-Tang Clan Dunk is available on SNKRS and at select retail locations.

Originally published: November 8, 2024

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