Nike’s got a busy year ahead with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris — but before the ceremonial torch is lit, the mega sportswear brand is introducing another designer collaboration to its esteemed roster, which already includes fashion powerhouses Sacai, Undercover and Jacquemus.
On April 18, Nike launched Bode Rec., an apparel and footwear capsule with the celebrated New York label Bode that honors and progresses sports and recreation traditions, bringing the vintage Americana sportswear aesthetic to present-day.
The Bode Rec. design ethos explores the evolution of athletic wear and character building through the lens of American institutional sport and competition, with the aim to reshape how we understand our collective cultural heritage. “That intent shines through in this first Bode Rec. line and Nike collaboration”, says Emily Bode Aujla, designer and Bode founder. Bode Aujla says the collection was inspired by her father’s strong connection to team sports, student-athlete pride and its influence on community, and Nike’s commitment to constant innovation and listening to athletes as well as the storied coach-athlete relationship between Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.
“Through Bode Rec. and our inaugural partnership with Nike, I hope to reintroduce a spirit of playfulness into athletic wear and inspire others to examine their own family histories and the core values of both competitive and recreational sports, which are integral to national identity”, she says.
The Bode Rec. and Nike capsule collection features eight apparel styles, including tracksuit jackets, thermals, training bibs, jerseys, woven shorts, trousers and a singular footwear style: the Nike Astrograbber, in black and cream colorways.
“When we visited the Department of Nike Archives in the early days of this partnership, I was interested in exploring silhouettes that had been transformational to sport, and I was especially drawn to the Astrograbber”, says Bode Aujla, commenting on one of Nike’s first turf shoes, which featured an innovative Waffle sole that was developed in response to the introduction of synthetic turf. Bode Aujla noted that the shoe held a special place in the early trajectory of Nike but had never been reintroduced. “The Astrograbber seemed a perfect fit for this collaboration, as it marks a moment in the 1970s that was pivotal in the history of both Nike and American sport”, she says.
With that in mind, Bode Aujla developed a collage-style campaign featuring original, contemporary photography and archive images, the latter in partnership with Nike’s first employee, Jeff Johnson.
The Bode Rec. and Nike collection is available on bode.com and in selected Bode shops from April 18, and on SNKRS and in selected Nike retailers starting May 1.
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Photo Credit: 8th.creator / Shutterstock.com