Rick Owens Dunks History: That One Time Nike Went After Rick
- Words Asaf Rotman
- Date April 9, 2020
Some of you entry-level goth ninjas may be wondering why those old school Rick Owens Geobaskets you have been swooning after fluctuate so wildly in price. Hovering anywhere between $400 (the come up) to $3000-plus (rent?), the cost has much more to do than simply condition, color and whether or not you have the box. (For the record, no one cares if you have the box.)
Initially introduced in Fall/Winter 2006's "Dustulator" collection, Rick Owens designed the Geobasket because he felt that athletic shoes were simply too "prosaic." Pulling elements from Nike, adidas and Puma, Owens was attempting to—in his words—create monster trucks for his feet. The result was somewhere between moon boot and high-top, featuring an ultra-extended tongue, premium leather, a stapled sole and a chunky side-zip.
While paying more than a rack for a pair of sneakers seems oddly normal now, eight years ago, spending that kind of paper was out of the question unless you were buying some hand-made English loafers. Still, the shoes were both a commercial and critical success, and Owens' army of draped devotees ate them up.
While at first glance the shoes looked entirely original, the most obvious rip was a Swoosh-like check on the medial side. Unfortunately for Owens, the Nike big wigs over in Beaverton were not too pleased and supposedly sent him a cease-and-desist letter. While Owens claimed he was "flattered to death" and "swooned" over the potential lawsuit, there is no existing record that the letter was ever actually sent, and Nike has never publicly acknowledged it. Regardless of whether it was all the greatest PR stunt of all time or actual impending legal trouble, the design was sufficiently axed. The design may have changed, but you can find still find echos the "Rick Owens Dunk" in modern Rick Owens Geobasket sneakers.
As with any kicks that are put out of production, the hype became real and the shoes, nicknamed the "Dunks," were instantly elevated to Grail status. Given the nearly die-hard nature of Rick Owens faithful, eager collectors attempting to get their grubby fingers on a pair of OG Geobaskets, with prices for a pair in decent condition often floating near the $2000 mark at least.
Owens eventually went on to flip the design from a "swoosh" to an inverted triangle—after flirting with potential adidas beef for a season in Fall/Winter 2009—the standard mainline Geobaskets becoming a core part of his footwear program ever since. Even though Owens would go on to collaborate with adidas for several seasons, the Geobasket's inspirations remain as Owens' de facto "signature" athletic sneaker regardless how much it borrows from the global sportswear giants.
While these pairs are often much more "affordable," for many they pale in comparison to the OGs. Whether that's just hype or not is up to you, but luckily Grailed has a slew of options on deck.