Jeff Staple's $130,000 Nike Sneaker That Sparked a New York Riot | Obsession To Detail | Daily Mail

Welcome to Obsession to Detail, where we dissect the world’s most interesting things with an obsessive eye. In this episode, designer Jeff Staple breaks down the anatomy of the legendary Nike Pigeon Dunk—one of the most infamous sneaker releases in history.

From the initial sketch to the fateful meeting at Nike HQ in Beaverton, Oregon, Jeff walks us through how a simple idea—paying tribute to the everyday pigeon, New York City’s unglamorous mascot—turned into a cultural explosion. We get into the nitty-gritty: the muted grey suede uppers inspired by the bird’s feathers, the pop of pink on the outsole mimicking pigeon feet, and how Nike’s Zoom Air tech was built into the sole to balance comfort with street utility.

Jeff also reveals details from the design process, showing up to sell a show he'd not even seen yet and the moment he realized the release had caused near-riots outside his NYC store, Reed Space. With archival photos, rare samples, and personal artifacts, this episode peels back the hype to reveal the true story behind a sneaker that made history.

0:00 The who, what and why of "collabs"
2:24 The origin of the Staple logo
5:02 The Pigeon Dunk design
12:40 How to spot fakes
15:40 Drop day: sneaker riot
19:17 Designing the 'Daily Mail' Dunk

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