This summer, the Olympic Games are in Tokyo. For the first time ever, there will also be skateboarding at this tournament. Nike SB and Parra have teamed up to create outfits for these talents.
Olympic Games 2021
Like all the other events that were to take place in 2020, the Olympic Games have been moved up a year. This year the games will begin on Friday 23 July and end on Sunday 8 August. Keep in mind that if you want to watch, there is a big time difference. This round of games is in Tokyo, Japan.
During the Olympic Games, we watch thirty-three sports and fifty disciplines. For the first time in the event's history, skateboarders and surfers are also welcome to share their passion. The first skateboard competitions are on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 July. Surfing will take place for the first time on Wednesday 28 July.
Nike SB x Parra jerseys
It is the first time that Nike SB can represent skateboarders at the Olympic Games. To make sure they get it right the first year, they called in the talents of Dutch artist Piet Parra. Together they sat around the table and thought about the outfits.
Together with the design team of Nike SB, Parra was allowed to design four kits. These shirts are for Japan, France, United States and Brazil. The identity of the countries is reflected in the shirts. Parra used the landscapes of these countries as inspiration. Nike asked him how he would design the kits without the Tokyo Olympics in mind.
"We started to see the natural connections between a landscape and the act of skating. You don’t skate in a vacuum. Everything that’s around you plays a role in drawing new lines."
Donavan Harris, Nike Design Lead
Besides the illustrations of the landscapes, there are also other elements that belong to the countries. On the right is the flag of the country. On the side of the shirt is a bird that represents your country. A crane belongs to Japan, an eagle to the United States, a cock to France and a toucan to Brazil.
The fit of the t-shirts is inspired by other sports that suit the country. The t-shirt for the United States falls like a basketball shirt. The shirt for the Japanese boarders falls like a baseball shirt. The shirts for France are like tennis polo shirts and the shirts for Brazil are like football shirts.
The t-shirts are made of Alpha Yarn. This means that the shirt keeps the skateboarder cool. The shirt also contains recycled polyester. This fits well with the future plans of the sports brand and with Nike's Move To Zero project.
See the kits for Brazil, France and the United States below.
The Nike SB Parra Federation Kits will be available from Saturday, July 17 at various skate shops and from Tuesday, July 20 via the Nike SNKRS app. The price of the kits are not yet known. Don't want to miss a single release? Follow us on Instagram and download the Sneakerjagers app.