Pandas may be endangered in the wild, but at Nike, the population is only growing. Hot on the heels of an oversaturation of black and white dunks, the Swoosh is carrying the motif into new colorways, this time a purple panda gets the patent leather treatment in complementing shades of light violet ore.
Releasing in women's sizes, the purple panda comes quick after a similarly styled patent olive panda dunks and a series of panda-monium dunks in various fuzzy hues. Like the rest of the panda family, the light violet ore pair comes with a panda face hang tag and a specialty black and white Nike Sportswear box perforated to be folded into an origami style box for plants, pencils, or whatever else your desk needs organizing.
The original panda dunk took its name from the basic black and white leather colorway, which, during the heightened dunk hype of the early pandemic days, flew off shelves until everyone, their cousin, their parents, and their mechanic had a pair, becoming a meme for its flagrant ubiquity. That panda may be passé, but this summer's panda-monium pairs are still plenty fresh.
The Nike Dunk Bleached Panda Light Violet Ore is slated for a Fall 2025 release via Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Available in women’s sizing, they'll retail for $120. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
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. zach.h@soleretriever.com
