The Nike “Grateful Ducks” Collection Celebrates The Grateful Dead’s History At Oregon

Nike, Oregon, and the Grateful Dead have come together for a limited Air Max 90 collaboration that’s as rich in storytelling as it will be... © Sneaker News, 2025. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us The post The Nike “Grateful Ducks” Collection Celebrates The Grateful Dead’s History At Oregon appeared first on Sneaker News. The post The Nike “Grateful Ducks” Collection Celebrates The Grateful Dead’s History At Oregon appeared first on Sneaker News.

Nike, Oregon, and the Grateful Dead have come together for a limited Air Max 90 collaboration that’s as rich in storytelling as it will be in demand. With Oregon’s celebratory “Grateful Ducks” game approaching on October 25th, Nike has gone live with its campaign cataloging what the link-up is all about.

The connection between Oregon and the Grateful Dead goes back nearly six decades. The band has played over 20 shows in the university’s home base of Eugene, including 10 at Autzen Stadium, fueling the psychedelic and countercultural movement of the ’70s in a setting that was more than receptive. In the words of Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux, the university became the band’s “home away from home.”

As a tribute to the band that’s done so much for the region, Oregon is putting on a “Grateful Ducks” game against Wisconsin on October 25th, complete with special Oregon Grateful Dead jerseys, co-created apparel by Nike and Class Trip, and a limited Air Max 90 that masterfully captures the band’s Oregon ties.

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The sneaker is just as loud as you might expect. The mudguard is made from tie-dye canvas, the Swoosh nods to the Grateful Dead bears with high-pile fuzzy fabric, and green and yellow Grateful Dead logos replace the model’s usual heel badge. Colorful co-branding lands on the insoles and tongue tags, while rainbow stitching can be found across the entire upper.

Nike’s decision to use the Air Max 90 is meaningful as well, tying in with the band’s historic 1990 shows at Autzen Stadium. More importantly, the Air Max 90 was actually worn by Grateful Dead lead singer Jerry Garcia back in the day. Nike’s campaign features actual Oregon Football players, including the team’s quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Dante Moore.

When does the “Grateful Ducks” collection release?

The Grateful Dead Air Max 90 and accompanying apparel will be available October 21st at dead.net, October 23rd at classtrip.co, and October 24th in the U.S. via nike.com, Nike SNKRS, Fanatics, and select retail partners. These will be highly sought after by both Oregon and Grateful Dead superfans, so we advise entering as many raffles as possible. See our Where To Buy section below for the full store list.