There was a time when grabbing country-specific kicks was next to impossible without paying exorbitant prices. But the sneaks Nike made for Japan were so good they justified the steep price tags. During the time the footwear giant created sneakers inspired by the street aesthetic of a specific target market, Japan had some of the edgiest, avant-garde releases of all.
Thankfully, we now live in a much more connected world, and finding and buying what you want is easier than ever. But here’s better news: Nike has been releasing previously Japan-only kicks worldwide including this, the aptly named CO.JP Dunk - a tribute to all the Japan exclusive releases of yesteryears.
Materials
If you like details, you’ll LOVE this drop. Anywhere you look, there’s something to take note of. The brown leather is distressed while the quarter panels have a snakeskin vibe. The swoosh and back tabs are textured like crocodile leather while the eye tabs are tan suede. All of very decent quality.
Rating: A-
Design
If you consider the variety of materials, you might think it a bit much. But I say it all works. The gradients of brown and tan meld perfectly, and the black swoosh and red lettering are great accents. And with Travis popularizing earth tones, it’s all the more on-point.
Rating: A-
Wearability
The design makes this very wearable—given the earth tone aesthetic permeating streetwear. You can easily wear it as an accent piece—it has enough pizzazz that it will draw attention but it’s also subtle enough it’ll go well with earth tones and dark colors.
Rating: A-
Price
You can actually grab this at retail stores for P6895. And if they don’t have your size, don’t worry—reseller prices aren’t exactly out of this world. Isn’t the “sneaker market recession” grand?
Rating: A-
Final rating
Since I’m writing this while sipping a cold brew at a newly opened Korean-style coffee shop, I’d say the CO.JP Dunk is like your Spanish latte—familiar but jazzed up. Yum.
[An old school sneaker enthusiast, Rhobee Pilares enjoys street fashion, toys, cars, food and the excitement of busy, bustling cities. You can often catch him at coffee shops reading on the latest media trends. IG @rhobeelicious.]
Photos by Rhobee Pilares