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One of Nike’s Most Wearable Sneakers Is a Masterstroke in Stealthy Swagger

Nike’s sophmore collab with menswear label Bode brings an all-black makeover to this vintage design.

black nike sneakerNike

By Jack Seemer

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Every year may bring dozens of Nike collabs. But few ever have ever received as much hype as the company’s 2024 release with Emily Adams Bode Aujla’s eponymous label Bode.

Rightly so: the designer’s penchant for all things vintage inspired the rerelease of the Nike Astrograbber, a sneaker first seen in 1974 and long since abandoned to the brand’s expansive archive.

Released last year in two colorways — a creamy off-white knit and black leather with a white swoosh — the city-friendly Nike shoe is about to get its sleekest makeover yet in the form of a triple-black colorway that drops March 14.

black nike and bode astrograbber
A new Astrograbber by way of Nike and Bode debuts in a triple-black colorway.
Nike

Back in black

Like at least half of year’s release, the new design features a mesh upper that adds a subtle bit of contrast to its otherwise monochromatic look, with the Bode branding on the tongue providing the sole exception otherwise.

black nike and bode astrograbber
The word “Bode” replaces Nike on the tongue — the only point of color contrast on the shoe.
Nike

The original Astrograbber was among the first Nike designs to feature the brand’s now-legendary waffle sole devised by the late Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman, who sourced the idea from a common waffle iron.

black nike and bode astrograbber
Nike cofonder Bill Bowerman made the first the aptly named waffle sole using a common waffle iron.
Nike

That detail was of course preserved on last year’s initial reissue and carries over to the sophomore release, as well.

“A lot of my inspiration for the restyled Astrograbber and new campaign is drawn from the anecdotal stories I learned when I visited Nike World Headquarters,” Bode Aujla says.

On that note, a second colorway will accompany the blacked-out Astrograbber, albeit decidedly more bold in stature. That’s thanks to a green-leather upper inspired by a hand-dyed waffle trainer Bode Aujla spotted on a visit to Oregon.

green nike and bode astrograbber
The sneaker will also release in a green colorway. Both it and the black come with a gold-metal charm.
Nike

Pricing and availability

Both new Astrograbber colorways come with a metallic-gold lace charm designed to evoke the “handcrafted elements of early Nike footwear,” Bode Aujla says.

They will be available from Bode, starting March 14, with a wider release for the black colorway from March 21. Both versions cost $160.

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