Rayssa Leal Has an Olympic Medal, Now She's Got a Dunk Too
At just 15 years old, skater Rayssa Leal has a viral Vine, silver Olympic medal, several partnerships under her board. What's next? The young star is getting her own Dunk.
Following obscure leaks, clear views at Leal's Nike SB Dunk Low have arrived, revealing the clearest look yet at the sneaker's impressive details and colorway.
Leal's Dunks boasts white and beige panels for the upper, both presenting varying unique patterns (the white offers a cool debossing design).
One side of the collaborative Dunks gets a smooth purple Swoosh, while the other gets a deep blue version of Nike's famous logo.
You'll catch these blue and purple shades elsewhere in Leal's Dunks, like the lining and tongue. The purple also dresses a decorative "R" on the heel (R for Rayssa, of course).
True to Leal's lively personality, her Dunks are complete with plenty of smiley faces — one behind the tongue, three as lace charms, and a slew of them sprinkled on the insoles.
Interestingly, the smiley face looks like a nostalgic emoticon, a combination of the equal and bracket signs. It reminds me of pre-emoji days when you texted reactions using whatever was on your keyboard.
While Leal is part of the emoji generation, the Brazilian skater chose to go with the classic, playful digital expression. An Apple emoji would make the shoe not very heart-eyes-worthy, in my opinion. But no worries, 'cause Leal gets it.
At seven years old, Leal went internet gold, performing a heelflip off some stairs while dressed as a fairy. Tony Hawk called the viral Vine moment "awesome." Agreed.
Fast forward to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Leal earned her first silver medal in the women's street skateboarding competition, becoming one of the youngest Olympic medalists ever.
Young and talented, it didn't take long for Leal to receive brand attention, naturally landing under Nike's wing.
After dropping off a Nike SB Zoom Verona Slip in 2022, Leal is back with her own Dunk for 2024. Indeed, the Rayssa Leal x Nike SB Dunk Low is expected to release sometime next year, in time for the Paris Olympics.
Who knows? Hopefully we'll catch Leal flexing her excellent design during the Summer Games.
