Both brands ended the rumours with a mighty campaign. Here, we dive into the collection, and what it means for the culture.
The Palace and Nike collaboration rumours began swirling at the start of the month on Instagram, the home of all good hyped product leaks. Then, a blurry photo surfaced on social media: It was Wayne Rooney wearing what looked like vintage Nike T90 merch … until you zoomed in.
“Wait, that’s not T90, it’s P90,” rang the unified thoughts of cripplingly online and football-obsessed menswear fans. Then came the Palace and Nike banners at Stamford Bridge during last weekend’s Chelsea vs Sunderland match. That was it; Palace x Nike was happening.
Fast forward to yesterday, and the link-up was made officially official with a blockbuster campaign starring Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Leah Williamson, pro skater Guy Mariano, and Palace team riders including Kyle Wilson, Savannah Stacey Keenan, and Ville Wester. This star-studded cast took us to the golden days of 2000s football, all convening at Manor Place in Elephant and Castle for a skate and kickabout. The collection rethinks Nike’s original Total90 franchise through shell suits, jerseys, and flat-soled football sneakers emblazoned with P90 graphics. Then, there’s hoodies, tracksuits, and T-shirts branded with a custom Palace x Nike Tri-Ferg logo. This is a collection that takes us back to prime Jeff Stelling Soccer Saturday. Pints were cheap, and the on-pitch tekkers from the likes of Rooney, David Beckham, and Ronaldinho Gaúcho were the talk of Sunday league pitches, pubs, and school playgrounds.
This is also the era that the original Palace crew (then known as the Palace Wayward Boys Choir) were living together and regularly hitting Southbank against the backdrop of this era of football. It then checks out that Palace Co-founder and Creative Director Lev Tanju was drawn to the original T90 footwear silhouette. “I’ve always loved the shoe too, because they’re great to skate in,” he shared in a press release. Because as much as Palace is a skate brand, it regularly taps into the beautiful game through its own tongue-in-cheek nostalgic lens. Just see 2012 Umbro collaborations (with campaigns filmed in pubs), link-ups with Y-3 featuring Zinedane Zidane in 2022, and a partnership with Juventus back in 2019.
Plus, beyond clothes and sneakers, Palace and Nike are giving back to the south London skateboarding and football community too. As part of the link-up, both brands have taken over Manor Place depot (a former boxing gym) in Elephant and Castle. Now, the space houses a skatepark, football cage and exhibitions that’s free to access.
Palace and Nike goes beyond hype. It’s an authentic interpretation of football and skateboarding culture, brought to life in the heart of London. And this is just the start.
The Palace and Nike collection will be available from October 30 via Palace’s website and store locations, releasing at 11am. P90 footwear will also be available via SNKRS across EMEA.
