This year, Nike brought back some fan-favourite sneakers with their Cult Classic programme, featuring the Air 180 and AF1 Linen. Next year, Nike is looking beyond the cult classics, bringing back two legendary grails: The Wu-Tang Dunks and the Undefeated 4s.
The Wu-Tang Dunk High was originally an F&F release from 1999. Only 36 pairs were released, a nod to the album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The leather upper also comes in the group’s famous black and yellow colours – also seen on the Iowa Dunks – with the Wu-Tang insignia embroidered on the heel. In the teaser for the new release, the shoes are covered in a swarm of Killa Beez.
The Wu-Tang Dunk was the brainchild of Drew Greer. It was originally intended to build hype for the first-ever retro of the OG Iowa Dunk. By 1998, Greer had already become the first African American Global Product Director at Nike Sportswear. With the Wu-Tang Dunk, he also pioneered this limited-release marketing strategy and opened up sneaker collaborations to musicians and pop culture, not just athletes.
The 36 pairs were exclusively released in New York City’s boutique, Training Camp. 50 more pairs stayed within Nike, with another 50 pairs distributed among the Wu-Tang Clan and its many affiliates and business associates. Now it’s way too early to speculate on 2025 numbers, but our best guess is probably more than 36.
The second grail rumoured to be rereleased in 2025 is the Undefeated x Air Jordan 4. This collab wasn’t just a massive milestone for Undefeated but one of the greatest AJ4s of all time. Inspired by classic MA-1 flight jackets, this pair comes in a dark olive green suede upper. This influence also comes through with high-vis bright orange accents and a thick tag on the tongue.
The Undefeated 4s are about as rare as the Wu-Tang Dunks and were Jordan Brand’s first sneaker collaboration. The iconic LA skate label dropped only 72 pairs back in 2005. This has kept the shoe in peak AJ4 grail status for the last two decades, right alongside the Eminem Carhartt’s and Travis Scotts. Again, we have no idea what the numbers will be. Hopefully, seeing as how it’s a 20th-anniversary release, they’ll be a little generous.
