Uncelebrated Nike (Studded)

Nike Air Dictate 2 sneakers from the mid-2010s, remade with hand-applied metal studs.

Category: Remade

File under: #Nike, #UncelebratedDesign

Description

Pair of Nike Air Dictate 2 sneakers produced in the mid-2010s. The model was part of Nike’s secondary basketball offerings—functional, widely distributed, and largely undocumented within the brand’s historical record.

The shoes were acquired pre-worn and have been altered through the addition of metal pyramid studs applied by hand across the toe area of each shoe. The intervention is localized and additive, leaving the rest of the construction intact: mesh panels, synthetic leather overlays, and standard athletic tooling.

The modification brings a form of manual labor into contact with a mass-produced performance object. Rather than elevating the sneaker into a collectible, the studs mark the shoes as used and worked on, shifting attention toward endurance, abrasion, and surface change.

The original model name remains visible. Its language sits unchanged against the altered surface.