Sportswear manufacturer NIKE has released a special edition of sneakers and apparel, Grateful Duck, that celebrates the 60-year connection between the psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead and the city of Eugene, home to Nike and the University of Oregon. In order to bring the spirit of Grateful Dead to life, Nike joined forces with Class Trip, a company that produces American collegiate style apparel, including polos, oxfords, cashmere, sweaters, hoodies and the like.
Nike Air Max 90
The centrepiece of the collection, a limited-edition Nike Air Max 90 sneaker, is dedicated to the band’s legendary 1990 shows at the University’s Autzen Stadium. Captivating landscapes of Oregon are honoured with the layered greens and yellows, while the tie-dye accents colour, mirroring the Grateful Dead’s iconic aesthetic. The sneakers feature additional Dead-inspired details, including custom sock liners, co-branded tongue tags, and Swooshees with lightning bolts.
Oregon Ducks get new Uniforms
The collection merges the University of Oregon’s countercultural roots with the colourful Grateful Dead’s iconography. New uniforms for the Oregon Ducks feature a vibrant colour palette with a tie-dye theme. The team’s recognisable Steal Your Face logo has also encountered changes and now features a Duck with a lightning bolt Swoosh. The uniforms, featuring a new logo on both shoulders, will make their debut at the October 25th game against the University of Wisconsin. Named after the University’s Football team, the Oregon Ducks, the collection also includes hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, sweatpants, and headwear.
Grateful Dead’s legendary concerts in Oregon
The shared history of the University of Oregon and the famed American band began in 1965, when novelist and the band’s mentor Ken Kesey came back from San Francisco to his home in Oregon. The first Grateful Dead concert at the University of Oregon’s EMU Ballroom, one of many, took place just three years later. Then in 1972, the band returned to save Kesey’s family business, Springfield Creamery, with an iconic benefit concert. The family-run business for bottling milk was founded in 1960 by Ken’s parents, Sue and Chuck Kesey. The founders of Nancy’s Yogurt brand were the first in the US to use live probiotics in yogurt. When the company faced financial problems in the 1970s, the family invited Ken’s old friends, the band members, to the rescue. Priced at $3 ($3.5 at the gate), the 1972 concert gathered over 20,000 Deadheads and raised a whopping $12,000 thus saving the company that still runs today.
Throughout the years, the band played over 20 shows in Eugene, including 10 in Oregon University’s Autzen Stadium. The city became what a Grateful Dead archivist, David Lemieux, described as their “home away from home”. The Nike x Class Trip x Grateful Dead x University of Oregon Grateful Ducks collection premiered at dead.net on October 21st, 2025, followed by releases on classtrip.co on October 23 and on nike.com, SNKRS, Fanatics, and select retailers the subsequent day.
Photo credit: NIKE
