The Best Concepts Collaborations

Founded in 1996 in Cambridge, Massuschettes, Concepts has made a name for itself internationally as a cultural hub for all things creative and eccentric in the realm of skate, streetwear, and sneakers. By embracing the medium of footwear as a canvas for their in-house designers’ creativity, Concepts has consistently created some of the most coveted limited-edition sneakers of all time. With impeccable packaging that serves to accentuate the storytelling elements behind the shoe’s design itself, a Concepts release is always a momentous occasion.

With locations in Boston, New York, Dubai, and China and around 100 collabs under their belt, Concepts most recently tapped into their humorous side with the extravagantly packaged Nike SB Dunk High Pro “TurDUNKen”.  Concepts proves year after year that they are unmatched in the realm of the collaborative footwear. Take a walk down memory lane with us as we reminisce on some of Concepts’ best collaborations ever.

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Nike Air Max 1 x CONCEPTS ‘Message to the Universe’

This past year, CONCEPTS and Nike took their collaborative efforts to the iconic Air Max 1 and presented a 3 pair pack leading up to Air Max Day, named the ‘Message to the Universe’ Collection. ‘Mellow’, ‘Heavy’, and ‘Far Out’ were the nicknames dubbed to each pair and they took on inspiration from the musical festivals of the ’60s and ’70s, primarily Woodstock. Each pair features unique patterns and tie-dye, meaning no two pairs are the same.

New Balance 997S Fusion “Esruc” (2019)

Having released only a year ago, this is one of the more recent entries on our list. Unless you’re a die-hard baseball fan, you might not realize it, but this colorful New Balance collab was actually inspired by a very specific Bostonian baseball myth and a connected musical. If you know, you know – but even if you don’t, these are beautiful in their own right.

Nike Kyrie 6 “Khepri” (2019)

Keeping in line with Kyrie Irving’s vocal interest in spirituality and religion, Concepts teamed up with the NBA star to release a series of Kyrie 6 silhouettes inspired by Egyptian gods. Arguably the most attractive of the bunch, the 2019 “Khepri” colorway donned an iridescent Swoosh, baby blue midsole, dark blue outsoles, and an attractive pink textile for its upper. As with all Concepts releases, the shoes launched in a special edition box, this time replete with a photograph of the sand dunes of Egypt mid sunrise.

Birkenstock Boston “Royal Blue” (2016)

Prior to the silhouette’s huge boom in popularity over the last year, Concepts had been working with Birkenstock and its Boston model as far back as 2013. Royal Blue is a shade not often seen on casual foot/loungewear. The color is better known for its prevalent use by brands like Jordan Brand and their many Royal Blue models. Regarding the decision to make a bit of casual footwear that appeals to the sneakerhead (years before Bostons became the de facto “cool” shoe of 2020), Concepts’ creative director Deon Point stated: “This marked the first time we focused on the core sneakerhead with Birkenstock, paying homage to a specific colorway associated with sneakers.”

ASICS Gel-Respector “Coca” (2015)

A bit more on the scandalous side, the Concepts x ASICS Gel-Respector “Coca” was a tribute to the eponymous flower used to make cocaine and, well, the money that comes with it. This nod to narcotics came boxed in a shoebox designed to look like a stash of cash and featured a similar green suede colorway. Natural gum rubber outsoles, paired with the green suede upper resemble the aforementioned leaf, while the white midsoles represented, you guessed it, coke. Most brands wouldn’t dare touch something so controversial or at least not be so blatant about it. For their continued sense of daring, we had to add this one to the list.

Nike Kyrie 4 PE “Green Lobster”

Using the famous Dunk Low collaboration as their main reference point, Concepts created a special edition “Green Lobster” Player Exclusive for Kyrie Irving back in 2018. Complete with rubber lobster banding and dark green upper, these shoes were on everyone’s radar when they were debuted by Jayson Tatum during Game 5 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

New Balance 990 v2 “Tyrian” (2017)

At first glance, it’s hard to tell just what Concepts’ 2017’s “Tyrian” colorway of the New Balance 990 v2 was referring to (and no, it has nothing to do with Game of Thrones). Replete in a gorgeous shade of purple suede, Concepts explains how they landed on this shade and it’s truly fascinating: “In ancient times, garments dyed using Tyrian Purple, a hue of purple that was made through extracting a natural purple dye from sea snails, were extremely expensive and reserved for royalty due to the extreme time-intensive process of collecting the snails and extracting the dye”. Sadly, this modern-day ode to sea snails is likely not made from the tiny gastropods, bu the shoe box does come in an interesting spiral pattern.

Nike SB Dunk High “When Pigs Fly” (2012)

Inspired by the 1980s comedy film Porky, this shoe was outfitted in bright pink, suede upper, and donned a metallic silver swoosh, not unlike the infamous “Tiffany” Dunks. “Porky” mascot dubraes, detached ankle collars, and a matching pink and white shoebox created a loud, yet visually attractive hommage to the raucous film series.

Nike SB Dunk High “Ugly Christmas Sweater” (2017)

If an “ugly” shoe is more wearable does that make it a better or worse shoe? There’s two other “Ugly Christmas Sweater” Dunks from Concepts but their 2017 iteration takes the cake as the most visually interesting. With an accompanying lookbook surrounded by opened bottles and half-eaten takeout, Concepts was well-aware of the shoe’s trashy charm.

Nike SB Dunk Low “Holy Grail” (2015)

The iridescent upper, clear outsole, and quilted interior make these a truly regal affair. When these first came out Concepts released 100 pairs in a cement box and 200 in a wooden box, each of which is highly sought after five years later. These got re-released along with the “Stained Glass” Dunk Highs in a charity raffle back in June, in which all proceeds went to the National Police Accountability Project.

Nike SB Dunk Low “Lobster” (2008, 2009, 2018, 2022)

The best for last! The recently released “TurDunken” is by no means Concepts first foray into animal-related releases. Concepts’ original Nike SB Dunk Low “Red Lobster” shoes made enormous waves in 2008 with its over the top packaging inspired by a lobster dinner. These became an instant collector’s item. The shoes came in a wooden crate and were filled with extra goodies like bright yellow laces in a takeout container, stickers, wet naps, a Concepts branded plastic bag, and a set of stainless steel seafood utensils.

Concepts pushed the idea of a concept sneaker beyond merely symbolic colorways, injecting a new level of creativity into the sneaker game that the Boston brand continues to stand at the forefront of. The 2018 “Blue Lobster” was packaged in shoeboxes made to resemble the iced, styrofoam boxes used to deliver fresh lobsters in a real fish market. Future iterations like the “Purple Lobster” also dropped in unique shoeboxes, but nothing to the level of the red, blue, and yellow OGs. For the dedicated collector, however, nothing tops the “Yellow Lobster“, a Friends & Family exclusive colorway said to be limited to just 40 pairs worldwide.

For 2022, Nike SB and Concepts teamed up again to release the ultra rare ‘Orange Lobster’ colorway. Featuring the same hue, texture, and tone of the other colorways, this pair features a special packaging release just like it’s counterparts.

The Concepts x Nike Dunk Low “Lobster” from Concepts is the one collection that continues to prove itself as a grail to every generation of knowledgable sneakerheads.

Images 1 – 5 , 7 – 10 via Concepts
Image 6 via StockX