New: Nike SB and Converse unveil their 2024 USA Skateboarding Collection
Earlier today, we featured the 2024 National and Federation Kits we’re sure to see during the Olympics. In line with this, Nike SB has partnered with Converse CONS team rider Alexis Sablone to design the skateboarding kits for United States and Japan.
Aside from the national team kits, the collection also includes two sneakers – an updated take on Alexis’ Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and a Nike SB Dunk Low.
Unlike other federation kits, the skateboarding ones definitely go against the grain. This creative take brings that skateboarding lifestyle to life, that freedom you associate with the sport.
Drawing on Alexis’ design acumen and decades engrained in skateboarding culture, the collections feature three key pieces tied to the greater story of sport and skateboarding: a bowler shirt, Parisian-inspired chore coat and relaxed-fit denim pant.
The architect, multidisciplinary creator and former Olympian designed distinct crests for the USA and Japanese kits by combining the countries’ iconography, colors and skateboarding spirit with her signature postmodern style.
The USA crest, for example, harks back to skateboarding’s genesis on the sun-soaked streets of California by celebrating the freeform experimentation and improvisation that continue shaping the sport’s culture today. Alexis juxtaposes timeless American symbols — a rose, an eagle, red and white stripes — with playful characters that evoke the synergy between skateboarding’s impulse-driven energy and its expressive, jazz-like flow.
Alexis also blends skateboarding and culture in another crest designed for athletes across the globe. The design features a pair of chameleons connected by a wavy illustration of Earth and centered with four unique species of orchids — one of the most diverse and unpredictable plants on the planet.
The chameleon motif can be seen throughout the footwear as well. Both silhouettes feature that bumpy, reptillian texture. But what’s even cooler is that the shoes have that color-changing, wear-away leather. The Swoosh on the Dunk Lows also resemble a chameleon’s tongue.
The Nike SB 2024 federation kits and apparel collection will be available July 18 at select skate shops. The two pears will be sold as a twin pack on August 22. Both pairs will go on sale individually on the 29th of August through SNKRS, converse.com and select skate shops. Details on the Japanese skateboarding federation kit will also drop in the coming months.