Nike SB is preparing to release an Air Max 95 under its banner for the first time, and a promotional image posted to its Instagram page bears the slogan, “Run. Skate. Chill.”
This choice of words has drawn the ire of Stevie Williams, an icon of skateboarding and founder of the brand Dirty Ghetto Kids, who long ago coined the phrase himself.
In the first of many Instagram stories calling out Nike and its skateboarding division, Williams posted Tuesday, “Did Nike SB steal from Black culture or was it Eric Koston?”
Koston, a fellow skateboarding legend, helped Nike SB retool the Air Jordan 4 for the sport and has also been involved in promoting the Air Max 95.
Williams went further in another story, saying: “Instead of paying homage to me as a cultural leader and brand owner they decided to steal and run with this false narrative and not be authentic. They wouldn’t do that to Jay-Z or Jordan but they think they can do that sh*t to me and my brand! That’s a hard f*cking NO!”
Footwear News has reached out to Nike for comment and will update this story if a response is given.
DGK and skateboarding magazine Transworld released a collaborative capsule dubbed “Run/Skate/Chill” in 2019, and a 2014 blog post from Quartersnacks on a video featuring Williams uses the phrase for the headline as well.
Williams can also be seen skating in the Air Max 95 “Neon” in photos and videos from 1997. One of these very clips even appears in a video on Nike SB’s YouTube channel in which Koston discusses the model’s legacy among skaters.
Changes to the Air Max 95 are primarily internal, as the midsole has been altered so the foot is closer to the Air unit and the tread height has been reduced for better board feel. The upper is also made softer to reduce to time it takes to break in while employing construction methods for better durability.
Later this year, following the debut of Nike SB’s “Cactus Flower” colorway, Eric Koston is expected to get his own collaborative release.