DIAMOND DUNK
BEHIND THE DESIGN
In 1998, Diamond Supply Co, was born as a skateboarding hardware line that would become one of the most revered skate and lifestyle brands two decades later. Led by founder Nicholas Tershay, Diamond Supply Co. has since stretched into multiple subcultures, including the sneaker world, with their 2005 take on the Nike SB Dunk Low, known as the “Diamond Dunk.” Now in 2018, the brand celebrates its 20th anniversary with three new iterations of the famed sneaker.
The idea behind the new designs was born last year during an appearance at ComplexCon where Diamond Supply Co. paid homage to the Diamond Dunk that started it all. “We built a mini ramp, a plexiglass mini ramp, and actually put shoes inside to pay homage to Nike SB and our original Diamond Dunk from 2005, and the Diamond Dunk 2013 high top” Tershay explained.
The insane display would quickly lead the Nike SB team and Tershay to extend the story as part of Diamond’s 20th anniversary. For Tershay, the idea was simple; “Because we already did the Diamond Blue colorway, I wanted to do a white Diamond, a canary yellow Diamond, and a black Diamond” he shared. “I used the same material, the crocodile, the leather, and included the silver platinum swoosh.”
The Swoosh would eventually become a removable Swoosh, with the underlaying material arriving in the brand’s famed Diamond Blue. “I thought it would be a sick idea because none of them had the Diamond blue original colorway on them.” The design would also feature another point of discovery at the heel, with Diamond branding included beneath each shoe’s heel tab as an additional nod to the brand.
Reflecting on the celebratory moment, Tershay still views it from the perspective of a fan. “For me it's amazing because Nike's my favorite shoe company. I'm a Nike collector.”
While mostly limited to friends & family, the Canary Yellow Diamond Dunk was the first to release, landing in extremely limited quantities at ComplexCon. Additionally, the White Diamond is exclusive to skateshops, while the Black Diamond will release November 10th on SNKRS.