Nike x Stranger Things is one of those collaborations where the sneaker isn't just there to carry the name of a famous series. Every model tries to truly look like part of the Hawkins universe: 80s colors, flipped branding, aged materials, and small references to the Upside Down transform familiar shoes into objects directly tied to the story of Stranger Things.
The collaboration has returned to the spotlight for the fifth and final season of the Netflix series, set in the autumn of 1987. A date that is anything but random, as it allowed Nike and Converse to build the capsule around silhouettes compatible with the aesthetic of that era, from the Nike Air Max 1 to Converse and the Dunk.
The result is a collection that brings together sneaker culture, nostalgia, and pop culture. Let’s take a look at the main Nike x Stranger Things sneakers and what their details are hiding.
Nike x Stranger Things: why Hawkins returns in 1987
The fifth season of Stranger Things takes the story to the autumn of 1987, with Hawkins deeply scarred by the events of the Upside Down. The footwear collection also reflects this setting: instead of just printing logos and characters on the sneakers, Nike uses models, colors, and materials capable of truly seeming to belong to that period.
This is precisely the strong point of the collaboration. Many details are intentionally imperfect, worn, or flipped, as if the shoes had passed through a parallel dimension before arriving in the present.
The capsule includes various Nike and Converse models, and today some of the releases are also gathered in the Nike x Stranger Things collection on ResellZone.
Nike Dunk Low Stranger Things: the sneaker of the Upside Down
Among the most immediately recognizable models is the Nike Dunk Low Stranger Things. The silhouette starts from the classic Dunk, but is transformed through a series of elements that directly recall the aesthetic of the series.
The upper uses a finish with a worn and cracked look, while various graphic elements are reversed or altered. It is one of the clearest references to the concept of the Upside Down: something we know perfectly well is shown in a slightly distorted version.
Even the vintage-effect midsole contributes to giving the shoe a look consistent with the 80s. It is therefore a recognizable Dunk, but different enough from normal releases to have an identity of its own within the collaboration.
The model also enters into a much broader story: the Nike Dunk was born right in the 80s and would go on to become one of the most important silhouettes in sneaker culture in the following years.
Nike Air Max 1 ’87 Stranger Things and the connection to Steve Harrington
If the Dunk is probably the most immediate model in the capsule, the Nike Air Max 1 ’87 Stranger Things is perhaps the one that best tells the relationship between the series' timeline and Nike history.
Stranger Things 5 is set in 1987, the same year the Air Max 1 debuted. Including this silhouette in the collaboration therefore means using a sneaker that is truly compatible with the period in which the story takes place.
The white colorway with burgundy details maintains a relatively clean and retro aesthetic, while the packaging, branding, and interior details introduce references to the series. The model is also closely associated with Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery.
It is a more subtle approach compared to the Dunk: from afar it almost looks like a classic vintage Nike Air Max, but looking closer, the elements built specifically for Stranger Things emerge.
Nike Field General High and LD-1000: the more retro side of the collection
The collaboration is not limited to the most well-known models. Nike also used silhouettes capable of further strengthening the retro atmosphere of the capsule, such as the Field General High and the LD-1000.
The Field General recovers a sporty aesthetic very close to the field footwear of the era, while the LD-1000 looks to Nike’s running origins, with slim proportions and a decidedly retro construction.
It is an interesting choice because it makes the collection more credible: instead of using exclusively the most popular current Nike silhouettes, the collaboration recovers models that seem like they could naturally exist in the wardrobe of the characters of Hawkins.
Converse x Stranger Things: Chuck 70 and Weapon enter Hawkins
There is also room for Converse in the project, with an approach even closer to the 80s school and underground imagery.
The Converse Chuck 70 Stranger Things uses a canvas with a worn effect and various references to the series. Among the most characteristic details are elements related to the WSQK radio and a reinterpretation of the classic Converse patch, contaminated by the imagery of the Demogorgon.
Alongside the Chuck, we find the Converse Weapon, a basketball silhouette deeply linked to the 80s. The combination of leather, retro tones, and Stranger Things details makes the model look almost like an object recovered directly from a Hawkins High School locker.
Which are the Nike x Stranger Things sneakers?
The collaboration linked to the final season involved several silhouettes, each used to represent a different side of the Hawkins aesthetic.
- Nike Dunk Low Stranger Things, with aged materials and flipped details inspired by the Upside Down;
- Nike Air Max 1 ’87 Stranger Things, linked to the 1987 setting and Steve Harrington;
- Nike Field General High, with a retro sporty aesthetic;
- Nike LD-1000, inspired by Nike's running roots;
- Converse Chuck 70 Stranger Things, with references to Hawkins and the series;
- Converse Weapon Stranger Things, an 80s-style reinterpretation of the historic basketball silhouette.
Nike x Stranger Things had already started in 2019
The one linked to the final season is not the first collaboration between Nike and Stranger Things. The relationship between the two worlds dates back to 2019, when Nike created a first series of sneakers inspired by the series.
Among the models used then were the Nike Cortez, Blazer Mid, and Tailwind 79, silhouettes perfectly compatible with the retro imagery that had contributed to the success of the first seasons.
However, the subsequent collaboration takes the concept even further. The shoes are not just dedicated to Stranger Things: the packaging, materials, colors, and branding try to make them look like real objects coming from the series' narrative universe.
Why Nike x Stranger Things works even after the end of the series
The fifth season concluded Stranger Things, but this makes the collaboration even more interesting from the perspective of sneaker culture. The shoes remain tied to a precise moment in the series' history and become part of the enormous archive of products, objects, and collaborations built around Hawkins.
The strength of the project lies above all in its consistency. 80s nostalgia, historic sneakers, and references to the Upside Down are not simply superimposed, but used to tell the same story.
And that is precisely why an Air Max 1, a Dunk, or a Converse from the capsule can also interest those who are not just looking for Stranger Things merchandising: these are sneakers that start from already important silhouettes and use the series to build a new narrative around them.
