You’re Not Supposed to Get It

In 2005, streetwear designer Jeff Staple was commissioned by Nike to design a “New York City” shoe.

His team initially suggested obvious symbols like the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. But Jeff had another idea: base the design on a pigeon. His team pushed back as pigeons were seen as “flying rats.” Who would want to wear a shoe inspired by one?

But the idea stuck with Jeff, and eventually, the team came around.

When he pitched it to Nike’s executives, they didn’t understand it either. Why a pigeon? Jeff explained: They weren’t supposed to get it. If a room full of executives in Portland, Oregon did get it, then the design had failed. The sneaker was meant to be an if you know, you know.

The Pigeon Dunk ended up selling out and even sparked riots and widespread media coverage across New York City when it dropped ushering in the era of the hypebeast sneaker.