The Bode Rec. and Nike collaboration celebrates a rich tradition of sport

For more than 50 years, Nike has championed athletes and celebrated sport—the thrill of a win, the pride of heartfelt effort, the community gained from a shared passion. In that spirit, the company is collaborating with a like-minded partner, Bode, and is launching an apparel and footwear capsule that honours and progresses sports and recreation traditions.

The Bode Rec. design ethos explores the evolution of athletic wear and character building through the lens of American institutional sport and competition, with the aim to reshape how we understand our collective cultural heritage. "That intent shines through in this first Bode Rec. line and Nike collaboration", says Emily Bode Aujla, designer and Bode founder. Bode Aujla says the collection was inspired by her father's strong connection to team sports, student-athlete pride and its influence on community, and Nike's commitment to constant innovation and listening to athletes as well as the storied coach-athlete relationship between Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.

"Through Bode Rec. and our inaugural partnership with Nike, I hope to reintroduce a spirit of playfulness into athletic wear and inspire others to examine their own family histories and the core values of both competitive and recreational sports, which are integral to national identity", she says.

The Bode Rec. and Nike capsule collection features eight apparel styles, including tracksuit jackets, thermals, training bibs, jerseys, woven shorts, trousers and a singular footwear style: the Nike Astrograbber, in black and cream colourways.

"When we visited the Department of Nike Archives in the early days of this partnership, I was interested in exploring silhouettes that had been transformational to sport, and I was especially drawn to the Astrograbber", says Bode Aujla, commenting on one of Nike's first turf shoes, which featured an innovative Waffle sole that was developed in response to the introduction of synthetic turf. Bode Aujla noted that the shoe held a special place in the early trajectory of Nike but had never been reintroduced. "The Astrograbber seemed a perfect fit for this collaboration, as it marks a moment in the 1970s that was pivotal in the history of both Nike and American sport", she says.

With that in mind, Bode Aujla developed a collage-style campaign featuring original, contemporary photography and archive images, the latter in partnership with Nike's first employee, Jeff Johnson.

To complement the collection and campaign, this April and May the partners will launch Bode Rec. and Nike Clubhouses in New York City, Paris and Tokyo. The Clubhouses will celebrate sport and recreation coming together, designated spaces for connection and community around a shared passion. Follow @bode for more information.

The Bode Rec. and Nike collection is available on bode.com and in selected Bode shops from 18 April, and on SNKRS and in selected Nike retailers from 1 May.