Finnish streetwear and skateboarding retailer Beyond has partnered with Nike Skateboarding (SB) to create a limited-edition sneaker inspired by the work of Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto.
The collaboration makes Beyond the first Nordic retailer to produce an official Nike SB collaboration shoe. The project has been six years in the making, Beyond CEO Juho Haapala told Yle.
The 'Beyond Dunk' pays tribute to Aalto, whose architectural designs are credited by many with influencing the development of modern skateboarding.
According to Beyond, those origins can be traced to the free-form, kidney-shaped swimming pool at Aalto's Villa Mairea in Pori, completed in 1939. Its curved design later inspired the designers of Californian swimming pools, which became popular skateboarding venues when droughts left many of them empty during the 1970s.
The shoe also draws inspiration from Aalto's designs.
The Nike Swoosh references the colours of his furniture, the red sole reflects his use of brick, and the heel is inspired by the blue glazed bricks featured in several of his buildings.
Haapala said the choice of a predominantly white shoe reflects Aalto's timeless design philosophy.
"A white shoe was cool 50 years ago, and will still be cool in 50 years' time — just like Aalto's designs," Haapala noted.
The sneaker was designed by CEO Haapala and art director Janne-Juhani Hyvärinen, using Nike's classic Dunk silhouette as the base. The design has been approved by the Alvar Aalto Foundation.
The shoe will be unveiled on 8 July in Jyväskylä before a second launch event in Helsinki on 11 July. A global release through Nike is planned later this month.
