Amsterdam Origins
Patta was founded in 2004 in Amsterdam by Edson Sabajo and Guillaume "Gee" Schmidt, two friends whose love of sneakers, hip-hop and street culture ran deep enough to risk everything on a small shop in the Dutch capital. The name is Surinamese slang for shoe, and it made the founders' intentions clear from day one. This was not going to be another generic streetwear shop. It was going to be a home for a community that, at the time, had no dedicated space in the Netherlands.
The early days were all about hustle. Sabajo and Schmidt travelled to buy full size runs of sneakers that nobody else in the country stocked, and they used their connections in Amsterdam's music and nightlife scenes to build a fiercely loyal customer base. The shop quickly became a destination for sneaker fans from across Europe.
Updated October 2026
Building a Community
What separated Patta from countless other boutiques of the mid-2000s was its commitment to community. The founders understood that a shop is only as strong as the culture around it. From the start, Patta invested in events, music nights and local initiatives that gave people reasons to engage beyond buying something.
The Patta Running Team became the most visible example. It brought together sneakerheads, musicians, designers and everyday Amsterdammers who simply wanted to be part of something. The team was never about times or performance. It was about showing up and running together, and that inclusive spirit became the foundation of everything Patta does.
The First Nike Projects (2006 to 2010)
Only two years after opening, Patta landed its first Nike collaboration: the Air Max 90 'Homegrown' in 2006, with leafy green nubuck, orange accents in the Air unit and a gum sole. For its fifth anniversary in 2009, Nike gave Patta a run of Air Max 1s. The 'Chlorophyll' kept the OG colour blocking but swapped the red for forest green and became one of the most respected Air Max 1s ever made. Purple Denim, Denim and 'Lucky Green' followed.
The celebration ended in March 2010 with the 'Cherrywood', a triple collaboration with fellow Dutch artist Parra. Fewer than 300 pairs were made, with burgundy suede, a chenille Swoosh and mismatched details on each side.
| Nike x Patta Air Max 1 SP 'Chlorophyll' (2024) | Nike x Parra x Patta Air Max 1 'Cherrywood' (2010) |
In September 2024, Patta celebrated its 20th anniversary by bringing back the 'Chlorophyll' Air Max 1, 15 years after the original.
Air Span II, Air Max 90/95 and Air Jordan 7 (2018 to 2019)
In 2018 Patta went deep into the archive for the Air Span II, a 1988 runner, and joined the launch of Nike By You with a hybrid that put the Air Max 95 upper on Air Max 90 tooling and the other way round, such as the 'Dark Obsidian'. In 2019 came Patta's first Jordan Brand project: the Air Jordan 7 in 'Shimmer' in summer and 'Icicle' in autumn, with repeating Patta logos on the midsole.
| Nike x Patta Air Span II (Friends and Family) | Nike x Patta Air Max 90/95 'Dark Obsidian' (2018) |
|
|
|
| Air Jordan 7 x Patta 'Shimmer' (2019) | |
The Waves Era (2021 to 2026)
The Waves series turned the partnership into a global phenomenon. Patta and Nike reshaped the Air Max 1 mudguard into a wavy line that runs around the whole shoe. The 'Monarch' opened the series in October 2021, followed by 'Noise Aqua', 'Rush Maroon' and 'Black'. In 2022 the 'Dark Russet' and 'White' completed the run of six colourways.
In June 2025 the waves moved to the Air Max 90, launching in 'Cyber' and 'Sapphire', with a black version following. Later that year, Patta took on the Air Max Dn8 in six colourways with a city-by-city rollout, among them the 'Black and Metallic Silver'. Ahead of Air Max Day 2026, the Air Max 1 '87 returned with Hyper Crimson accents in the 'Hyper Crimson' and 'White and Hyper Crimson'.
Football and Beyond Nike
Football has always been part of Patta's DNA. In 2023 it joined FC Barcelona and Nike for an Air Max Plus, and for the 2026 World Cup it designed a collection for the Netherlands national team, including the Mercurial Vapor 16 with wavy overlays and different patterns on the left and right boot.
Patta also works outside Nike. With New Balance it released the 990v3 'Keep Your Family Close' and the 991v2 'Pickled Beet', and with Converse the One Star Pro 'Four-Leaf Clover'. Earlier projects with ASICS on the GEL-Lyte III and other models already have their pages on KLEKT.
Global Influence
Beyond sneakers, Patta's own clothing line has grown steadily, with seasonal collections that mix sportswear and streetwear. Hip-hop remains at the core, through artist collaborations, events and music projects that come from the founders' own history rather than a marketing plan.
From one Amsterdam storefront, Patta has grown into a global name with more shops, a strong online presence and collaborators across continents, without losing the community-first spirit of its early days. More than 20 years in, it shows how a small independent shop can grow without losing its soul.
Browse every Patta collab on KLEKT.
Images: Nike / Patta / KLEKT
