It’s 5 am on a frigid, January morning – an analog alarm clock sounds off somewhere in the darkness. It’s silenced by the practiced hand of someone who’s used to waking up an hour before the sun. A truck driver, an ironworker, maybe even a mechanic - whoever they are, they’re used to rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. A factory-issue work shirt, steel-toed boots, and a little Midwestern grit – that’s the uniform. As strange as it might seem, Michael Jaworowski’s redesign of the classic silhouette wouldn’t look all too unfamiliar laced up on your local mechanic. The Notre team have drawn on their midwestern roots to bring something truly special out of the Chicago boutique. But what does all that have to do with a Nike Dunk High?
Born from the tough, utilitarian aesthetic of the working man’s attire, Notre’s inaugural Nike collab looks more suited for hard labor than the SB Dunk that inspired Jaworowski’s career in fashion. Obvious references to workwear can be seen throughout the shoe’s materials and construction (most notably the removable name tag over the Nike badge), but it really shines when you get up close. Jaworowski and the team knew if they were going to make a shoe inspired by something so close to home, they had to get it right. I think it’s safe to say, from sole to collar, they hit the nail on the head: reinforced triple-stitching, heavy canvas and thick leather, panels of rough-cut shaggy suede, all nestled on top of that iconic rubber cup sole. It boasts the level of quality you would expect from a handmade boot, and sticks its chest out as it walks down the street.
At first glance, you might miss what could be considered the most interesting part of this design: Notre’s handshake motif on the medial swoosh. An alteration not often allowed by the suits at Nike, this subtle detail joins the asymmetrical materials on one side of the shoe to the other. In doing so, it echoes the brand’s sentiment of close-knit community, saying, “we’re in this together.”
This is more than just a new color way and mix of materials – it’s a love letter to the people that work weekends and third shifts. It’s an experience – one that’s made to be lived in, beat up, and enjoyed. Shoes like this only come around once every year or two. The kind that look better warp and crease, tear and fray… the type of shoe that carries memories.
In the months and years to come, these probably won’t turn many heads as I’m bouncing down the street. They own’t end up next to heavy hitters on a Complex list. And they certainly won’t garner the attention of almost anyone outside of the sneaker community. But they will be, I think, cherished by those who wear them. They make me think of people like my dad. All the folks you know who wake up early, work long hours, and sacrifice their own comfort to provide for their family. All that to say, I think Notre has successfully made a shoe-shaped time machine.
If nothing else, this particular interpretation of the Dunk is just a reminder to always wear your shoes and enjoy them while you have them. Whether this is Notre’s only collab with Nike, or the beginning of a fruitful partnership, this subtle departure from more traditional dunk designs makes it one of my favorite shoes of the last couple of years.
So to them, I say, keep ‘em comin’.
