All images via Nike
Nike SB has partnered with Converse CONS team rider Alexis Sablone to design skateboarding federation kits for the United States and Japan, as well as a unique kit that represents everyone who rolls.
The collection also includes two limited-edition skateboarding footwear styles: a fresh take on Alexis’ signature Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and a complementary Nike SB Dunk Low.
Anything but uniform, the 2024 federation kits are the creative collision of skateboarding’s style, influence and inclusivity — fostering freedom of expression and personality to lead, on and off the board.
All images via Nike
“It never crossed my mind that I’d get to design federation kits. Then again, there was a point when I didn’t even think skate would be an Olympic sport,” says Alexis. “When I got the call to design the kits, I had a gut instinct that told me, ‘Of course. I’m a designer and a skater, and I competed in the Olympics. Why not? Who gets a chance to do that?’”
Merging classic workwear pieces, the collections reimagine traditional sportswear with skateboarding insights, allowing athletes to choose from a deep range of options and aesthetics to best represent their personal style.
Drawing on Alexis’ design acumen and decades ingrained 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.
“I knew I had to create enough of a range where there’s a style for everyone, whether that was something louder and more graphic-heavy or something more subtle and subdued but still with some character,” says Alexis.
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.
All images via Nike
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.
“Sometimes when you begin a design, coming up with a narrative is helpful,” says Alexis. “For example, I thought about skateboarding’s roots in the United States. What’s that story? The crest is a simple way through graphic elements to express pride in a place.”
All images via Nike
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.
A balance of boundless originality and colorful diversity, the crest represents the transcendence of skateboarding and the creative connectivity that binds skateboarders around the world. Alexis chose the color-changing lizard, she says, “for the simple reason that skateboarders can look any number of ways.”
She incorporated similar themes throughout the footwear collection, manifesting chameleons and their vibrant, unpredictable color patterns in both footwear styles.
The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and iconic Nike SB Dunk Low are bound by bumpy, reptilian textures and color-changing, wear-away leather, as well as chameleon camo liners. In a touch distinct to the federation collection, the Swoosh on the Dunk Low is also fashioned to resemble a chameleon’s characteristic curving tongue.
The Nike SB 2024 federation kits and apparel collection will be available July 18 at select skate shops. The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and Nike SB Dunk Low will be sold in an exclusive twin pack featuring both silhouettes Aug ust 22. Both styles will also go on sale individually August 29 through SNKRS, on converse.com and in select skate shops.
Details about the Japanese skateboarding federation kit will be available in the coming months.