John Kim 
Questlove owns one of the most creative minds and hands in the music industry, a set of talents that have transferred to sneakers almost seamlessly. For his next collaboration with Nike Sportswear, Questlove chose the Nike Dunk – a shoe he calls “the tuxedo of Nikes”. That explains the tonal black colorway, one that he deems is ‘rockable’ with a suit. The tonal red and tonal yellow colorways come from Q’s desire to stand out and being the topic of conversation, something that can be achieved by those colorways. The unique design of the Nike Dunk Low NN Panda is actually inspired by mid-80’s American television and a humorous yet an all too real scenario in which a boy is trying to impress a girl with fashionable threads. The tonal yellow and black colorways feature the bellied swoosh from the Nike Blazer, with laser-etched Questlove emblems on the heel. Continue reading for a full detailed gallery of the ?uestlove x Nike Dunk High as well as a full press release and let us know what you think.
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Once again turning to an icon of Nike’s design heritage, Nike Sportswear takes the Nike Dunk and puts it in the hands of one of the music industry’s most innovative creators of sound, ?uestlove. Releasing on March 4th, two Nike Dunks will hit the shelves as a pair of unlikely twins bearing a unique look that is arguably the first of its kind. One pair red and the other yellow, the Nike Dunk x ?uestlove is the product of an imagination that brings uncharacteristic embellishments to a classic. Inspired by mid 80’s era American television, ?uestlove draws from the favorite sitcoms of his youth and interprets their story lines through design.
Hinting to an episode that is forever etched in ?uestlove’s mind, a character is presented with an all too human conflict, impressing a girl with style, but the outcome goes horribly awry. The character pleads for an expensive shirt from his parents, but when he is denied, a sibling offers to make a replica that is in the end far from perfect. The Nike Dunk x ?uestlove is just that, one is perfect, and the other is, to say the least, a bit off kilter.
The red pair is fashioned to perfection using premium leather complete with an overlay that conceals the laces trimmed with white buttons. The yellow pair is the traditional Nike Dunk with a twist – the swoosh shape that is distinct to the Nike Blazer. The Nike Dunk x ?uestloves are then finished off with the emblem of its maker, the silhouette of ?uestlove himself.
“ I always opt against taking the easy way out, ” says ?uestlove, “I wanted to choose colors that were extremely hard to match with outfits with a simpler design that stand out as the topic of conversation.”
?uestlove surprises us by suddenly adding a third Nike Dunk x ?uestlove to the mix, this version colored in all black. When asked about the addition,?uestlove responds, “Dunks to me are the tuxedo of Nikes. Obviously an awesome basketball sneaker, but they can also fit almost any situation. If rocked right, you could even wear them with a suit, and the all black version is perfect for that.”
The Nike Dunk x ?uestlove by Nike Sportswear will be available at Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer, New York, and select Nike Sportswear retailers nationwide.
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