Nike's Cutting-Edge Skate Shoe Got the Delicious Colorway It Deserves
Nike SB's Vertebrae sneaker quietly released in early 2024 as a skate shoe for skaters, by skaters. But it's also a quietly cool shoe that transcends the skate world into something tremendously cool.
All the Vertebrae needed was a colorway to make it come alive.
Finally, Nike SB dropped its sleeper skate sneaker in a couple crazy-good colorways deserving of its killer design.
Wearing a streamlined shape reminiscent of Nike's more classic running shoes — compare to classics like the Air Max 98 and technical-leaning dad shoes like the Vomero — the Nike SB Vertebrae is a low-profile shoe built to last, according to Nike's own description.
Its main feature, of course, is the ridged detailing that graces the midfoot panel on the upper but the slick paneled sole engenders an additional tech-ish edge.
The resulting sneaker is pleasantly odd, an inorganic make with a human touch that feels sort of like a Zaha Hadid design.
Unfortunately, Nike SB first dropped the Vertebrae in rather tame colorways when it first released, issuing it in Janoski-like neutrals and pale monochromes. In early summer 2024, though, Nike SB came through with a couple really strong looks for the Vertebrae that give the skate sneaker the stylistic edge it deserves.
Specifically, we're looking at handsome makes that imagines the Vertebrae in earth tones, both a lighter sandy iteration and a more subdued brownish shade.
Proof, if nothing else, that perhaps the primary distinction between a great shoe and an alright shoe is the right colorway.
Perhaps best of all, the Vertebrae is available for a reasonable $85 on Nike's web store.
We might be in a golden era of great skate sneakers, actually.
Nike is on one right now, balancing the hyped Dunk with more adventurous models that advance the greater Nike SB design language. But there's also skate-leaning design cues trickling into the oeuvre of quintessential skate companies like Vans and even relative outliers like New Balance.
Even Nike's Jordan Brand is channeling the vibe.
The door is wide open: Innovation isn't just a chunkier sole or techier upper. Skate shoes can be anything now, so long as the colorways keep hittin'.
