Original Story (12/22/20): After some early leaks, we now have official info on the Nike SB Dunk Low “Street Hawker,” a shoe inspired by the bonding effect food culture has in China.
The “Street Hawker” (another word for Chinese food vendors) is designed by Guangzhou artist Jason Deng. A watercolor painting by Deng of six different regional dishes from six cities in Greater China serve as the main design inspiration, incorporating spicy hotpot from Chengdu, roast goose from Guangzhou, pita bread soaked in mutton soup from Xi’an, shaved ice from Taipei, plain noodle from Shanghai, and the Beijing donut.
The mismatched pair packs in so many details into its design, that Nike made a list of 22 different design details. See the list below:
Left Shoe
1. The left shoe uses a lighter beige for three flour-based dishes.
2. The suede toebox mimics the color and texture of green bean soup (Douzhi) from Beijing.
3. Donut (Jiaoquan) patterns on the forefoot pair with the green bean soup.
4. Embossed suede on the lateral side shows shredded pita bread pieces for a traditional Xi’an dish: pita bread soaked in mutton soup.
5. That mutton soup is represented in water-color patterns across the lateral side.
6. The Swoosh is depicted in a wood-grain texture to represent chopsticks.
7. On the lateral heel, water-color fading looks like Shanghai plain noodles, also called Yangchun noodles.
8. An embroidered 10-cent copper coin appears on the lateral heel, hinting at Yangchun noodles.
9. The left insole resembles a blue sky, inspired by traditional Chinese slang implying that people treat food as their heaven.
10. The blue lining of the left midsole mimics the blue-and-white of fine porcelain bowls.
Right Shoe
11. The right shoe features hotter colors to represent different heats, from spicy to sweet.
12. The metallic color on the right toebox is pulled from Chengdu hotpots in which dishes are cooked.
13. Boiling chili-oil treatments bubble around the toebox.
14. Ostrich leather on the lateral side is inspired by the crispy roasted goose skin that’s famous in Guangzhou.
15. The silver Swoosh resembles the metal hook used to hang the roast goose.
16. The flame and Lychee wood used to roast the goose appears in a watercolor pattern around the eyelets.
17. Shaved ice and taro balls — a common Taipei dessert — can be found on the heel counter.
18. The insole paints the scene of a bench terrace, a landscaping method used to grow rice paddies.
19. The collar lining reflects the color of meat dishes.
20. The yellow outsole represents cooking oils.
Both Shoes
21. Heel tabs feature Chinese calligraphy for “food” in black and white thread.
22. Four colors of laces are inspired by four essential seasonings in Chinese cuisine: green (shallots), yellow (ginger), white (garlic) and black (black pepper).
The Nike SB Dunk Low “Street Hawker” is set to drop at local skate shops on January 9th, followed by a SNKRS release in most countries on January 13th.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Street Hawker”
Color: Metallic Copper/Light Silver-Pueblo Brown-Metallic Silver
Style Code: CV1628-800
Release Date: January 15, 2021 (US Skate Shops)
Release Date: January 22, 2021 (SNKRS US)
Release Date: January 30, 2021 (SNKRS EU)
Update (01/08/21): Due to shipping delays, some release dates for the “Street Hawker” SB Dunk Low have been pushed back. Pairs are slated to drop at skate shops in the US on January 15th, while the US SNKRS drop has been moved to January 22nd. European SNKRS drop is also now slated for January 30th.
Additionally, six special boxes for the “Street Hawker” have surfaced, one for each of the foods that inspired the design. Check out the images below, via Stone/Hypebeast:
Update (01/05/21): If all the jam-packed details listed above weren’t enough, the Nike SB Dunk Low “Street Hawker” also comes with special box paper that is made to look like a Chinese street food menu. Check it out in the images below, courtesy of wang_dizzle/IG.
Original Story photos:
