The love-em-or-hate-em 7-Eleven x Nike SB Dunk Low release is canceled, an industry source tells us. The sneaker, which popped up on the internet a few weeks ago, was slated to release in Japan as an exclusive for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. After the postponement of the games, the shoe has been scrapped altogether.
That’s not the whole story. After writing a takedown of the shoe earlier this week and why I felt it didn’t make sense for Nike, I received intel that the sneaker was made for the Japanese market. The chain of convenience stores is owned by a Japanese company, and there are more locations there than in any other country.
So we dug deeper.
Other sources told us that the cancellation of the Olympics made Nike plan to release the sneakers in the States, as skate shops wanted in on a limited-edition SB sneaker with the line boiling hot at the moment.
Retail sources were unsure of when the sneakers would drop. They cited that they heard the Dunks could release on the Fourth of July or Labor Day weekend, showing utter confusion around the project. Other sources said they would release on July 11, 7/11.
With these dates so close and allocation still not confirmed, it’s apparent something was awry with the shoe. We can confirm now that the sneaker is canceled.
Some sources said the shoe just didn’t make sense for the American market, as 7-Eleven doesn’t have the same connotation in the States as it does in Japan.
This was the first Olympics with skateboarding featured as a sport, so it made sense that Nike would go all in on the games. The brand already planned to release an SB collection for the games, and Ronnie Fieg told The Complex Sneakers Podcast that a KITH x Nike Air Force 1 was going to release in Tokyo, too.
One thing’s for certain: These sneakers will be a super grail for those with deep pockets based off their rarity.
