Sole Food: The Most Delicious Sneakers Ever
If the best sneaker colorways are about telling stories, there aren’t many stories sneaker heads know better than food. From naming colorways like Oreos and Beef & Broccoli after the snacks and Chinese food orders that live rent-free in our heads to licensed collabs with restaurants and brands, and colorways crafted in honor of legendary dishes, food has always been a major component of sneaker culture.
There are more food and drink-inspired sneaker colorways than we can fit on one list, so we picked our 10 favorites to spotlight, in no particular order. Did your favorite make the list?
Ben & Jerry’s x Nike SB Dunk Chunky Dunky
The pinnacle of licensed collaborations, the Chunky Dunky turned soccer moms into sneaker collectors and has to be one of the most faked of all time. Combining the brand’s iconic tie-dye with cow print, Vermont fields, and a Swoosh dripping like a pint left out on the counter, Ben & Jerry’s hippie image fit perfectly with the SB skate ethos and turned into one of the most popular Dunk colorways ever.
Wahlburgers x Jordan 4
Not many celebrities have the juice to get Jordan to produce a custom Jordan 4 for a restaurant opening, nevertheless produce exactly 30 more pairs to raffle off for charity, but most celebrities aren’t Mark Wahlberg. Marky Mark showed up to the Mall of America opening of his family’s burger chain in the green suede 4s and flame-broiled the sneaker world. You can still find a pair on StockX…if you’ve got a spare $75,000.
Scarr’s Pizza Air Force 1
Friends and family sneakers are often some of the industry’s best, not just because of the colorways and collabs, but because they are simply unattainable. The Knicks-colored Air Force 1 was released in 2019 with the Lower East Side’s best pizza spot, Scarr’s, and has been a fascination of sneakerheads ever since, including rumors of a wide release this year that never came to fruition.
Chicken & Waffles Nike SB Dunk
SB has always been the most creative side of the Nike line, and using a golden brown hemp waffle pattern across the Dunk High upper with a dripping syrup Swoosh and a chicken and waffles insole graphic was a perfect way to shout out the world’s best combination of sweet and savory.
DQM x Air Max 90 Bacon
The story goes like this: In 2004, Dave Ortiz owned New York skate boutique Dave’s Quality Meats, where sneakers and clothes were laid out like cuts of meat in an old butcher shop. Running late and hungover on a deadline for an Air Max 90 collab, Ortiz bought a pack of bacon at the grocery store and the rest, as they say, is history.
Nike Kyrie 4 Cereal Pack
Before he was the face of Anta, Kyrie Irving’s signature Nike line was a hit with youth and adult hoopers alike, and a three-pack of breakfast-ready colorways in collaboration with General Mills cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, and our personal favorite, Kix was the most memorable of them all. Just add milk.
Concepts x Nike Dunk SB Lobsters
The best sneaker collaborations speak directly to the collaborator, bringing out unique aspects that make the artist, athlete, or shop stand out. For Boston sneaker boutique Concepts, nothing said New England better than lobster. After seven colorways in the collaboration, we would happily put a bib back on and crack into another.
Nike Dunk SB Heineken
A Nike Dunk SB grail precisely because it wasn’t a licensed collaboration, the Heineken-inspired colorway is a classic reminder of SB’s original ‘ask for forgiveness, not permission’ ethos. We’ll always toast to that.
Nike Dunk Montreal Bagel
Regional delicacies are one of the things that create culture and make travel so exciting. If you’ve ever been to Montreal, you know their thin, dense, wood-fired bagels are a staple of the Canadian city, and if you don’t know, rest assured, Nike does.
Crocs Cereal Pack
Crocs is a licensing monster, and if anyone can play both sides of the Kellogg’s and General Mills rivalry, it’s them. Crocs has pumped out classic Honey Nut Cheerios and Froot Loops pairs, but our favorites are the Frosted Flake sandals…they’re great.
Honorary Mentions
Sushi Club x Nike Air Force 1
Ice Cream Brand (yeah, all of them)
Vandy The Pink x Clarks Wallabee
Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com
