Nike’s ‘Black History Month’ SB Dunks Honour the Black Cowboys of the Wild West

By Danial Martinus  •  24 Jan 2025 in Sneak Peek

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If you’ve been a fan of Nike sneakers over the years, you’ll be more than familiar with their annual ‘Black History Month’ (BHM) limited edition releases, paying homage to important figures and events in the African diaspora.

For 2025, Nike has brought back the SB Dunk Low for Black History Month. The release is extra special because it’s the first BHM-themed SB Dunk to hit the shelves in a decade. This time, the sneaker honours the legacy of Black cowboys in Western history.

Yep, not all cowboys were white—in fact, there’s more meaning to the word than you think. More on this later.

An overlooked legacy

The design of these BHM SB Dunks draws inspiration from the rich legacy of Black cowboys, a story that’s deeply impactful but often overlooked.

Featuring a bold look that starts with a vibrant Tourmaline Green upper paired with Monarch Orange piping, the sneaker is finished off with Baroque Brown accents and a fiery red outsole. This colour combination commands attention—or as sneakerheads like to say, they’re neck-breakers.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll definitely appreciate the Sonora-style embroidery on the heels, as well as the Western star motif and “NIKE” branding (styled to look like a lassoed rope). And if you take a look at the insoles, they feature a silhouette of a cowboy riding through a sunset-soaked desert—another nod to the resilience and spirit of Black cowboys.

To top it off, the shoes come with an extra pair of Tourmaline Green rope laces and a yellow handkerchief that reads, “What’s gonna happen is gonna happen”—a reminder of the grit and determination it took to thrive in the challenging Western frontier.

The general colour-scheme of the shoes also makes one think of Pan-African colours (red, black, green, and sometimes yellow), perhaps a subtle nod to the African diaspora at large. And that leads us to the term “cowboy”, which has racist origins.

Today, we might associate the word with cattle ranchers. But if you want to get really specific, the white cattle ranchers of the time were actually called “cowhands”. The “cowboy” moniker was actually used by white ranchers to refer to emancipated Black cattle ranchers specifically—to denote inferiority because of their race. The more you know.

There’s even a great movie about Black cowboys, The Harder They Fall. While the story isn’t based on real life, the characters share the same names as real-life Black cowboys. We highly recommend you watch it!

Dropping in February 2025

Priced at US$135 (around RM592), it’s not clear if you’ll be able to get your hands on these sneakers in Malaysia. But your best bet would be the official Nike website and perhaps some high end sneaker consignment stores.

For more sneakers, head to JUICE Malaysia.