The third Yardrunners drop utilizes the Nike Dunk Low silhouette to highlight four HBCU institutions.
Nike is continuing its trend of recognizing Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). On Thursday, Oct. 6, The Swoosh announced the third iteration of its Yardrunners collection, a capsule started in 2020 to celebrate the heritage, history, and contributions of HBCUs and their alumni.
Nike HBCU graduates originally started the initiative, and each year, it builds on the shared commitment from the brand to work alongside leaders in the HBCU network to create inspirational storytelling and charity for the community. The inaugural Yardrunners drop highlighted HBCU business owners and entrepreneurs at the front lines of shaping culture.
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The following activation spotlighted HBCU alumni building a legacy that will inspire future generations. While Yardrunners 3.0 still focuses on the aforementioned undertakings, Nike is also partnering with the community to help share life-changing stories, co-create culturally relevant products, award scholarships, host campus events during homecoming, and establish networking opportunities through Nike’s university recruiting team which was solely created to focus on engaging candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Nike’s 2022 Yardrunners collection features apparel and accessories from 19 HBCUs. This includes the newest additions of Prairie View University, Hampton University, and Grambling State University.
Additionally, Nike has co-created HBCU-licensed footwear with the community, using the Nike Dunk Low silhouette to highlight four schools: Tennessee State University, Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, and North Carolina A&T University. In an effort to preserve the integrity of said institutions, Nike tapped four black HBCU and Yardrunners women on the designs, incorporating elements from their experiences at each university.
In addition to its availability on the SNKRS app, a Nike store near each HBCU will provide student-first access to the footwear on Oct. 7, followed by wider marketplace availability the week of each school’s homecoming festivities.
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