The Grateful Ducks Collection Honors Decades of Grateful Dead History at the University of Oregon

Nike, Class Trip and the University of Oregon are coming together to unveil the Grateful Ducks collection: a vibrant fusion of sport, music and counterculture that pays tribute to the enduring bond between the Grateful Dead and its home away from home.

The new collaboration honors nearly 60 years of connection between the iconic band, whose genre-defying sound and psychedelia redefined American music, and Eugene, the birthplace of Nike and home to the University of Oregon.

The Grateful Ducks collection brings this story to life through a full range of apparel and footwear that unites the partners’ unique visual languages, bridges generations, and celebrates the past while shaping the future of sport and style.

At the center of the collection is the Nike Air Max 90 x Class Trip x Grateful Dead, which celebrates the band’s historic 1990 shows at Autzen Stadium in a limited-edition expression of an Air Max style worn by Grateful Dead lead singer Jerry Garcia.

The shoe’s layered greens and yellows are inspired by lush Oregon landscapes, and tie-dye accents provide a distinctive nod to the Grateful Dead. Additional, Dead-inspired details include lightning-bolt Swooshes, co-branded tongue tags and custom sock liners — all marking a convergence of art, sport and sound.

The collection further blends the University of Oregon’s countercultural roots with the Grateful Dead’s timeless aesthetic through varsity and bomber jackets, sweatpants, hoodies, T-shirts and classic headwear.

University of Oregon officials are encouraging fans to wear Grateful Ducks apparel during the Ducks’ first “Tie-Dye Out” October 25 against the University of Wisconsin, which will transform Autzen Stadium into a sea of swirling color and sound.

The Ducks’ uniforms and sideline apparel will also take on a tie-dye theme, with the Grateful Dead’s iconic Steal Your Face logo reimagined as a Duck with a lightning bolt Swoosh on both shoulders of the team’s game jerseys.

Both the Grateful Ducks collection and Nike game day apparel carry forward the shared history of the University of Oregon and Grateful Dead, which began in 1965 when novelist and Merry Pranksters leader Ken Kesey returned home to Oregon from San Francisco, bringing with him the energy that fueled the psychedelic and countercultural movement. In 1968, the Grateful Dead performed their first concert at the University of Oregon’s EMU Ballroom, forging a bond that transcended music. As Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux described, the university became the band’s “home away from home.”

That relationship deepened in 1972, when the band returned to play a legendary benefit concert for the Kesey family’s Springfield Creamery, makers of Nancy’s Yogurt, saving the business and delivering one of the most storied performances in rock history.

The Grateful Dead ultimately played more than 20 shows in Eugene, including 10 at Autzen Stadium, reinforcing the city and university’s position as a creative hub at the intersection of music, art and athleticism.

The Nike x Class Trip x Grateful Dead x University of Oregon Grateful Ducks collection will be available October 21 at dead.net, October 23 at classtrip.co, and October 24 throughout the U.S. via nike.com, SNKRS, Fanatics and select retail partners.