Nike's $200 Skate Denim Is as Engineered as Its Skate Shoes
Even Nike SB's denim is technical. When Nike SB makes jeans, you know those jeans are gonna be as tough as Nike SB's famously hardy shoes.
The only problem? Nike denim might cost you a little extra.
Meet the Nike SB El Jeano, a pair of relaxed-fit, light-washed denim dad jeans cut with a straight leg and drawstring-fitted waist for easy wear.
Nike's idea here, presumably, was to create the perfect pair of thrashable jeans, a one-stop stylistic shop.
And it might've stuck the landing.
Nike SB's El Jeano is made of a special cotton that's woven with Cordura threads, an inorganic textile produced by nylon specialist Invista. Cordura is an especially popular in Japan, where everything from daypacks to even collared shirts are often cut from Cordura-woven cloth.
Cordura's primary benefit, as the name implies, is durability. It's a staple in workwear and military applications, utilized by labels like Carhartt to create extra-tear-fighting overalls.
The Nike SB jeans put Cordura to work in an effort to create a tougher, anti-shred denim pant.
As they're set to retail for ¥29,150 (about $184) on Nike's Japanese web store, it's definitely preferable that they last.
They also sport some other nifty touches, like embroidered and embossed Nike SB branding on the thigh and waist button. But that's all pretty secondary by comparison.
However, as Nike's skate pants typically retail for $100 or less, it's possible that the Nike SB Cordura-infused El Jeano might be a bit more affordable when it eventually makes its way to the West.
Nike SB hasn't exactly been wanting for good ideas as of late.
A host of fresh sneakers, updated throwback silhouettes and the typical barrage of much-hyped Dunk shoes has kept the metaphorical motor spinnin' at Nike SB, so it's nice to see that the clothing is keeping pace.