Ten years ago, Vacaville-born skater Stefan Janoski partnered up with Nike SB to create his own signature sneaker. He demanded an ultra-thin, ultra-low shoe for maximum board feel. This proved a challenge for James Arizumi, Kevin Imamura, and the whole Nike SB team.
Before 2009, all skateboarding sneakers were fat and bulky to provide cushioning for impact. Stefan wanted none of that. “I want my foot to bleed” were his exact words, according to Arizumi.
The shoe went on to become one of Nike’s top selling silhouettes. Over 1,500 colorways and variations with different materials were produced over the past 10 years. Nike SB has released a video to recount the creation of the Janoski, with accounts from Stefan, Arizumi, and Imamura.
For the sneaker’s tenth anniversary, a range of Janoski shoes will be released throughout 2019, many of which are remastered versions. This includes the Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski RM shown below, available now. According to Arizumi, they feature an outsole that’s lighter and more flexible, and have a lower, sleeker toe box, among other updates.
