Culture

Celebrating 20 Years of Nike TN in UrlfreezeShops London

A fitting tribute to 20 years of Nike TN, UrlfreezeShops joins forces with the global sneaker institution to produce a 20-year lookbook that celebrates two decades of taste-making TN style.

Produced in collaboration with LAW magazine and featuring international DJ, Benji B, UrlfreezeShops brings together the colliding elements of culture which have shaped the TN legacy since 1999.

Throughout November, we've followed the story as UrlfreezeShops marked this TN milestone with the reissue of the OG TN colourways, an exclusive lookbook, and a carefully curated 20-track playlist.  Each year represented by a seminal track selected by Benji B himself, the playlist defies single definition and transcends genre to deliver a distillation of UK culture and nightlife over the past two decades.

“The TNs first came out during a very technical era of trainers when you had Nike Footscapes and Air Max 95s. Air Max 1 ran the streets in London the same way Air Force 1 did in New York, and for all that crew, the TN was the next natural step. A lot of silhouettes tie into a particular scene or era but the TN doesn’t belong to a genre, and it doesn’t belong to anyone. I associate them with the tail end of Garage era and Drum N Bass, dark Garage and early Grime but Indie kids in the early two-thousands would wear them too. They’ve also been adopted by the Modern Goth and the Art House scenes, so they’ve been pretty ever-present. To some people, it’s a really ugly shoe, but to others, it’s so sick and beautiful. It’s like marmite – you’re either a TN person or you’re not.” – Benji B on Nike TN

Bringing the celebration to a blistering crescendo, Nike has taken over the top floor of UrlfreezeShops's flagship store in London with an exhibition of the 20 years Nike TN lookbook.

The exhibition is on display in store until Saturday, December 1st.

Check out 1999-2003 | Check out 2004-2008 | Check out 2009-2013 | Check out 2014-2018

writerEuan Smart
share