For more than 50 years, Nike has supported athletes and celebrated sport – the thrill of victory, the pride of an honest effort, the sense of community that comes from a shared passion. In this spirit, the company is partnering with a like-minded collaborator, Bode, and launching an apparel and footwear capsule that both honors and advances sport and leisure traditions.
The Bode Rec. design ethos explores the evolution of athletic apparel and character building through the lens of American institutional sports and competitions, aiming to reshape how we understand our collective cultural heritage. This intention shines through in this first Bode Rec. line and in the collaboration with Nike, says designer and founder Emily Bode Aujla. Emily says this collection was inspired by her father’s strong connection to team sports, by student-athlete pride and its impact on the community, by Nike’s commitment to constant innovation and listening to athletes, as well as by the historic coach-athlete relationship between Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.
“Through Bode Rec. and our inaugural partnership with Nike, I hope to reintroduce a spirit of playfulness into athletic wear and inspire others to examine their own family histories and the core values of both competitive and recreational sports, which are integral to national identity.”
Emily Bode Aujla – Designer and Founder
The Bode Rec. and Nike collection includes eight apparel styles, including track jackets, insulated jackets, pinnies and dickies, T-shirts, woven shorts, pants, and a unique footwear model: the Nike Astrograbber, in "Black" and "Cream" colorways.
“When I visited the Nike Archives Department in the early days of this partnership, I was interested in exploring silhouettes that were transformative for sport, and I was particularly drawn to the Astrograbber”, says Bode Aujla, commenting on one of Nike’s first turf shoes, which featured an innovative “waffle” sole developed in response to the introduction of synthetic turf. She also noted that this shoe held a special place in Nike’s early trajectory, but was never reintroduced. “The Astrograbber seemed like a perfect fit for this collaboration, as it marks a moment from the 1970s that was essential both in Nike’s history and in the history of American sport”.
In this regard, Bode Aujla developed a collage-style campaign with original, contemporary photographs and archival images, the latter created in partnership with Nike’s first employee, Jeff Johnson.
To complete the collection and campaign, partners will launch Bode x Nike Clubhouses in New York, Paris, and Tokyo during April and May. The clubhouses will celebrate the reunion of sport and leisure activities, serving as dedicated spaces for connection and community built around a shared passion.
The collaboration is available on Bode’s website and in the brand’s stores on April 18, 2024. The collection will then launch on SNKRS and at select Nike partner retailers on May 1, 2024.
Product Images
Vlad Ciutacu is a writer based in The Hague, Netherlands. He has been working in the footwear industry for more than a decade, with hundreds of pairs in his collection. His favourite models are the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
