FAMU Nike Dunk Low sneakers, designed by a 2018 alumna, launch at Tallahassee shoe retailer – Tallahassee Democrat

Florida A&M College simply acquired new bragging rights with the discharge of its personal Nike Dunk Low. The fashionable sneaker was solely launched Friday on the APB Store in CollegeTown.

College students, alumni and sneakerheads lined up outdoors the West Gaines Avenue retailer for an opportunity to buy the sneakers which might be solely out there on the Tallahassee APB retailer whereas provides final. Info was not launched on how lots of the $120 sneakers had been out there.

“It’s one thing particular for an HBCU to have their very own pair of dunks,” Angie Smith stated, a FAMU alumna who got here out to purchase a pair of the sneakers and assist her good friend Caitlyn Davis, a FAMU graduate chosen by Nike to design the FAMU mannequin of the footwear.

 “FAMU is all the pieces to me. I’m additionally a sneaker collector, so for a shoe to come back out that was designed by my good friend I needed to come out right here and get in line,” Smith stated contained in the store.

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The sneaker is designed with FAMU’s campus and tradition in thoughts. “WE BRAGG DIFFERENT,” together with the varsity’s founding 12 months, runs throughout the again of the sneakers to symbolize Bragg Stadium. Underneath the tongue of the sneaker is the inscription, “Strike, Strike and Strike Once more” and the underside is an orange and inexperienced snakeskin with an icy blue cowl. The laces are tipped with “FAMULY” and embroidered in inexperienced is the acronym “COLAC”, for the “school of affection and charity.”

The sneakers will probably be out there on Nike’s SNKRS app as of Oct. 18, based on Davis’s Instagram.

Davis, an Atlanta native, stated she labored on the shoe for greater than a 12 months, even consulting with FAMU President Larry Robinson on design choices. Davis graduated from FAMU in 2018 with a level in biology/pre-medicine. She beforehand collaborated with Nike on the debut Yardrunner marketing campaign, which showcased HBCUs and their wealthy historical past and tradition.

“We had been capable of speak to large Nike leaders and present them that HBCUs are the tradition, and we’re those driving the {dollars} to their sneakers,” Davis stated of herself and the opposite designers for the opposite Nike HBCU dunks. Different HBCUs with their very own design are Clark Atlanta College, North Carolina A&T College and Tennessee State College.

The Tallahassee APB retailer is managed by Lunden Austin, a Tallahassee native. He invited native artist, Matthew Forrest, who’s also called Briteso, to do a stay portray of the sneakers inside the shop. DJ Demp supplied the music and free meals was out there from Pineappetit.

Two members of the Marching 100 attended to assist Davis.

“They requested for Marching 100 members to come back out and assist and I feel it’s actually dope,” Rae’kwan Bostic stated, an alto saxophone member of the Marching 100. “I like all of the publicity FAMU is getting from the shoe.”

Hopeful customers lined the road early, with some ready in line for hours and touring far for an opportunity to cop the spirited sneakers.

“I heard all the pieces was first-come, first-served so I got here out early,” stated Quentin Williams, who was line by 9 a.m. with pals for the midday opening.

Andre Rhodes by no means attended FAMU, however he drove from Miami Friday morning to purchase the sneakers and add to his sneaker assortment.

“I feel it’s one of the best HBCU assortment that Nike has completed to this point,” Rhodes stated.

On Thursday, APB gave a pair of the sneakers to Robinson and FAMU’s head soccer coach Willie Simmons.      

“We’re actually out right here to acknowledge and respect all the pieces that FAMU has completed and all the pieces that we do for FAMU,” stated Jordan Smith, a enterprise administration pupil at FAMU.

Smith owns a thrift clothes enterprise referred to as Gar-bage, and stated he was impressed by designer Caitlyn Davis’s entrepreneurial spirit and love for FAMU.

Contact Democrat author Alaijah Brown at [email protected] and on Twitter at @BrownAlaijah.