Stüssy's Next Nike Is for Vandals
Brand: Stüssy x Nike
Model: Vandal
Colorway: "Deep Royal Blue," "White," and "Black"
Release Date: June 9 (Stüssy, DSM) and June 15, 2023 (Nike SNKRS)
Price: $130
Style Code: DX5425-400
Buy: Stüssy's website and stores, select Dover Street Markets, Nike's SNKRS app
Stüssy and Nike simply cannot be stopped. Their sneaker collaborations are no longer a surprise but a seasonal expectation, what with the deluge of limited basketball shoes and studded Chuck Taylors they've dished in recent months.
Next up, presumably tired of designing both dyed low-top and minimalist mid-top AF1s, Stüssy has developed its own Nike Vandal, revising an early '80s basketball shoe arguably rendered obsolete by the Air Force 1.
Perhaps Stüssy sees this Vandal collab as an opportunity to refresh a forgotten classic of Nike's basketball repertoire.
Well, at least, the Vandal used to be forgotten. Like the Nike Terminator, another recently revived shoe, the Vandal quietly returned from the bench in the early 2000s with a handful of occasional colorways and updates.
Its last high-profile moment came from Supreme, which rebirthed the Vandal in metallic hues back in 2017.
Stüssy, meanwhile, is opting for a more textural take that again draws parallels to the standout Nike Air Force 1 sneakers it delivered in 2021.
The first leaked images of the Stüssy x Nike Vandal showcased a mid-top blue and black sneaker with a knitted hemp upper and Swoosh to match. The result doesn't hit quite as hard as those incredibly handsome beige AF1 lows — another hemp shoe — but, then, what would?
There are two additional Stüssy x Nike Vandal colorways, which mostly utilize neutral black and white shades, aside from the silver Swoosh on the former. These new colorways can't quite affect the vibe of Stüssy's beautiful beige AF1 sneakers but they're appreciated.
The Nike collab's reveal is just part of another strong season from Stüssy, one that could yet invite further collaborations on underrated Nike sneakers if the on-feets are to be taken as anything beyond styling cue.
Not that it needs to be said but Stüssy is very much on top of the streetwear world right now, its seasonal drops coveted and its collaborative shoes coveted.
The Nike Vandal collab likely won't be a showstopper but it's another feather in Stüssy's already well-decorated hat. Nothing to complain about here.
This article was published on May 24, 2023 and updated on June 6
