How The Wu-Tang Clan Nike Dunks Became a Treasure for Hip-Hop Sneakerheads
The highly coveted sneaker was first made in 1999 as an exclusive for family and friends of the beloved hip-hop group.
After teasing the sneaker back in June, Nike did a shock drop of its highly coveted Wu-Tang Clan Nike Dunks on September 28 on its SNKRS app.
Of course, the Nike dunk high “Wu-Tang” quickly sold out, although Footwear News reported that retail stores will be releasing the shoe this fall. (However, it’s unknown if the shoe will have a second SNKRS release).
Still, the shock drop immediately selling out speaks to the sneaker’s popularity among Wu-Tang and hip-hop fans, with the shoe being among other sought-after Nike-related hip-hop sneakers like the De La Soul, Madlib and MF DOOM Nike SB Dunks.
The Wu-Tang Nikes, which were inspired by the black/yellow Nike dunk high made for the University of Iowa, made their debut when they were created as an exclusive for family and friends of the legendary hip-hop group back in 1999. With the shoe becoming as popular as it did, it shouldn’t be too surprising that it also has some fascinating lore attached to it. For instance, there have been claims that only 36 pairs of the sneakers were made — a clear nod to Wu-Tang’s debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — but Drew Greer, a former Nike employee who worked on the shoe, clarified that 100 pairs were actually made.
“I took the risks with the Wu-Tang where the prior people that held my role were great people and did great things in Nike, they just couldn’t understand the culture or knew when to take [a] risk or knew what made sense,” Greer said of the shoe in a 2021 interview with Complex.
Although Greer said that he had never (and still hasn’t) had the chance to speak with Wu-Tang about the sneaker’s success — he shared in that same interview that he actually didn’t have much correspondence with the group in regards to the shoe’s creation — some of the members are aware of how treasured the shoes are.
Back in 2018, Method Man called for a re-release of the Wu-Tang Nikes in honor of the then-25th anniversary of 36 Chambers, saying on the Flight Club's Instagram story at the time, “I ain't gonna lie. My feelings are hurt. Being that it's the 25th anniversary of Wu-Tang, I thought you guys would be more than happy to re-issue a shoe, a limited shoe at that, that sold a lot of pairs."
“I think the fans should holler at Nike and let them know how much we need this shoe back. I don't even care if it's a limited release," he added.
Both the 2024 and 1999 versions of the sneaker are reselling for some pretty high prices. As Footwear News noted, the latest release, which retailed at $150, is reselling for close to $900, according to StockX sales data.
As for the original version, it’s common to find them being sold for much more. Sotheby’s is selling a pair for $27,500, while consignment shop Justin Reed was selling a pair for $50,000 (and judging by the sneakers no longer being available on the shop’s website, it seems that someone shelled out the money to purchase them).
With retail stores also selling pairs of the sneakers as we head into fall, hopefully the shoes will end up in the hands of other passionate Wu-Tang fans. But there’s no denying the impact the rare sneaker — regardless of the version — has had (and continues to have) on sneaker culture.