Nike Rtfkt X Dunk Genesis Void

An all dark sculptural shoe belongs with clean, structured clothing. Black tapered trousers with a black knit and a grey shell jacket makes it read as intentional and technical. For contrast, grey wide leg sweatpants with a white tee, which lets the silhouette be legible instead of disappearing. Evening and city wear suit it better than daylight and parks, since the form reads best under directional light. Keep it dry and dust it regularly, because a void finish shows every mark. Sizing on non standard silhouettes is worth checking in person if you can, since a moulded shoe fits nothing like a leather one.

Nike bought RTFKT in December 2021 and worked with the artist Takashi Murakami on a Nike related digital work in 2022, which is the clearest signal the company gives about where it thinks product identity is heading. It is a familiar pattern: Nike has repeatedly acquired rather than only collaborated, from Converse in 2003 for 309 million dollars to Hurley in 2002, and it paired with Apple on Nike+ to put run tracking into the shoe long before anyone called it a connected product. Buying the studio is how Nike absorbs a new discipline.

A sculpted, moulded interpretation of the Dunk rather than a stitched panel one, which changes the ownership experience completely. Where the classic model is leather over a board, this is built as form first, so the surface finish carries the design and there are far fewer seams to fail or to clean around. Deep tonal finishes like Void show dust, fingerprints and scuffing more than any leather colourway, so wipe with a dry microfibre cloth first and only add moisture if you need to. Avoid solvent cleaners on any specialty coating. Expect a different fit feel to a standard Dunk, with structure coming from the moulded form.