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The History of the Concepts Lobster
The much-anticipated release of the Nike SB x Concepts Dunk Low Orange Lobster is here. To celebrate, we’re taking a look at Concept’s historic series of collabs.
As we all know, the SB Dunk is regarded as one of the most collectable shoes of all time. In the 2000s, Nike SB garnered a lot of hype from sneakerheads with releases like the Staple Pigeons and the Tiffanys. In 2008, Nike SB approached Boston retailer Concepts for their take on the Dunk.
The Red Lobster:
Concepts was founded in Cambridge Massachusets in 1996, with a focus on streetwear and skate culture. When it came down to producing their own Dunk collab, Concepts turned to a signature local dish. Designer, Rob Heppler envisioned the lobster as a premium luxury, comparable to the Tiffany Diamond and Gucci motifs used on previous SB Dunks.
Soon the first Lobster Dunk was born, made with a suede upper reminiscent of the natural red crustacean shell. Of course, this wouldn’t be such a sought-after collab were it not for its incredibly unique details. The toe box is wrapped in a rubber band, like the ones used on lobster claws, with an inner lining inspired by a lobster bib.
The packaging also played a huge role in the storytelling, designed by Boston design firm, Pilot who had done work for massive properties like Hasbro and Star Wars. Pilot cemented the Lobster’s theme with a Concepts Fishing Company motif.
With the release of the Red Lobster, Concepts gained a tonne of buzz, with the shoe cementing itself in the Dunk canon. It wasn’t long before Nike SB rang them up again to pitch a sequel.
Blue and Yellow:
The Blue Lobster had been previously produced as three Friends and Family pairs for Dean Point, but now it was getting a wider release with an even bigger push from Pilot.
The design firm conceived of a social media campaign telling the story of mysterious Blue Lobsters, attacking fishermen throughout New England.
The story of one lobster then leads to another. At the launch of the Blue Lobster, Nike put together a surprise presentation for Concepts, unveiling the Yellow Lobster. This colourway was based on a recent “two in a million” discovery of a live yellow lobster in Maine. Concepts were gifted with 36 Friends and Family pairs, on the condition no one wore them during the Blue Lobster launch. This rule was then promptly broken, leading to a massive stir outside the Cambridge store.
For the 10th anniversary of the Red Lobster, in 2018, Nike and Concepts put out two new colourways, Purple and Green. These colourways were made by mixing together the original colourways, i.e. Red + Blue = Purple and Blue + F&F Yellow = Green. Buy now its safe to say that whenever a Concepts Lobster drops, it’s sure to make a splash, with pairs going for thousands of dollars on the resell market.
