20 Years Later, Nike Is Finally Bringing Back the ‘Silver Surfer’ SB Dunk Low

Real heads will tell you it wasn’t all Stan Lee. He may have gotten the flashy movie cameos, the soundbites, the intergenerational credit as the man who made Marvel. But Stan didn’t do it alone—quite the opposite. There’s no Stan the Man without King Kirby: Jack Kirby, the writer and artist who created just about the entirety of what we now recognize as Marvel Comics in collaboration with Lee. (The legendary but reclusive Steve Ditko was Lee’s partner on Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and a few other notable characters.) From Kirby’s pen sprung the Marvel Universe, with Lee adding the flashy dialogue, story edits, and modern flair that set Marvel apart from their Distinguished Competitors.

The duo worked together across countless titles, and even after their creative split (a long story worth educating yourself on during the current MCU dry period; Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is as excellent an account as you’ll ever find), Kirby and Lee went on to define the medium of superhero comics as we know it. No title in comics is more influential than their run on Fantastic Four, which over the course of a hundred-plus issues laid the framework for Marvel as we know it today. The series introduced not only the titular First Family of the Marvel Universe, but also Black Panther, Doctor Doom, Black Bolt, and Galactus, the Eater of Worlds. But it was a lonely alien doomed to roam the galaxy at the whims of the Destroyer that Kirby long considered his favorite creation.

The Silver Surfer–called Norrin Radd (hell yeah) on his home planet—is the breakout star of the run, a cosmic drifter doomed to serve as the Herald of Galactus, the voice that tells worlds their planet has been chosen by his master for destruction. His planet and everything he ever knew destroyed, he lives only to serve—that is, until he travels to Earth to declare its selection, meets the Fantastic Four, and turns on Galactus to save the planet. Freed from his position as Herald, his further adventures see him drift across the cosmos searching for purpose and helping those in need when he can. That’s a sick enough hook for a superhero as is, and it’s only amplified by the fact that Radd does all this drifting around on a giant silver surfboard. Comics: they’re cool, man.

It makes all the sense in the world, then, that back in 2004—the heyday of Nike SB—the brand created an official pair of Silver Surfer Dunk Lows. The shoes, which featured imagery of the Surfer on the insole, dropped as part of a pack of Surfer kicks that included two pairs of Dunks and two Air Max 90s. It was the simple pair of silver dunks with a cosmic blue Swoosh and red detailing on the heel, though, that stood out as one of the great pairs of sneakers from a legendary epoch.

Of all the heroes they could have chosen, the Surfer is an appropriate one. The peak Dunk era, much like Stan and Jack’s Fantastic Four, was an unparalleled achievement in creativity in the design space. Like the creators of the Marvel Universe blending Shakespeare with science fiction serials and monster movies, designers threw all of their passions (hip-hop, hair metal, cult movies, and comic books) into the mix as they designed some of the most coveted shoes in the sneaker world. Modern sneaker culture as we know it stems from this era, most notably with the hype cycles surrounding collaborative sneakers with designers like Jaetips and A Ma Maniére echoing the fervor surrounding SB Dunk drops. Still, there’s nothing like the originals. Ask any sneakerhead and they can probably name a pair of Dunks from this era that they’ve long hoped to get their hands (or in this case feet) on one day. Ask someone who their favorite superhero is and there’s a good chance the King had a hand in bringing them to life.

The thing that makes this era of sneakers all the more special is the scarcity that still lingers around most of the shoes today. There are retros here and there but for the most part, a pair of Nike SB Dunks isn’t getting rereleased every five years or so like classic Jordans. It makes this week’s big sneaker release particularly notable, because just in time for Matt Shakman’s upcoming film (third time’s the charm!) the Silver Surfer Dunks are back.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the shoes, Nike is dropping a retro of the Dunks on September 5th for $135. They’re reproduced to the same specifications of the originals, with one notable change–no Surfer on the insole (the Stripes have the exclusive rights to Marvel kicks these days, so the colorway is now simply dubbed ‘Silver Blue’). Unlike the drop in 2004, you probably won’t have to camp out in front of your local skate shop to cop a pair (though plenty of skate shops and sneaker boutiques will be stocking the shoes). This time around, there’ll be a raffle on SNKRS.

Twenty years on and there’s still nothing quite like a great pair of Nike SB Dunks. And since 1961, Stan and Jack are still the best to ever do it. If you’re one of the lucky few to nab a pair, lace them up and find a board (it’s what they’re for, after all). Go for a ride, carve up some asphalt, and look to the stars. Imagine what’s out there, imagine what you could see. When you get home, grab a pen. Put it to paper and ride the wave. Long Live the King.