Nicole Hause On Personal Style, Advocacy, and Why You Should Skate Her SB Dunk

In , personal style is everything – on and off the board. And while signature collaborations have long been a staple for male skaters, the past few years have finally seen more women stepping into the spotlight with their own skate shoes. Next up: .

Hailing from Stillwater, Minnesota – a hockey town where skating wasn’t exactly ‘cool’ – Hause began shredding in the usual suspects before hitting her stride with . After joining Nike’s Flow seeding program in 2017, Hause soon suggested taking a trip to the Swoosh HQ for a meeting and Nike immediately signed her up as an SB athlete.

Now, she’s achieved a dream milestone: her own . From concept to final design, Hause has been involved in every step, ensuring the shoe reflects her story, style, and commitment to skateboarding and skate culture. As part of our series, we caught up with her to talk about the collaboration, how to advocate for yourself in a male-dominated space, and what shoe she'd like to work on next.

Let’s start from the beginning! How did you begin skating? And what was it like growing up as a skater in Minnesota?

I got into skating a few different ways, but it was a friend’s birthday party at a skatepark in my hometown that made me truly fall in love with it. That was my first time seeing a mini-ramp and an actual skatepark. Before that, I had only been messing around in my driveway, not realising there was this whole other side to skating! I was hooked once I learned I could do tricks and fly in the air. At that time, all my friends were boys, and we were around nine years old. I found that I was a bit more naturally talented at skating than the others, thanks to my background in gymnastics, which gave me great balance. We went to a local indoor park for a few months, but then it shut down.

Gradually, all my friends lost interest in skating and it became a solo journey. In high school, I didn’t have any friends who skated and there weren't many people around me who understood anything about it. There were no indoor skateparks close to where I lived, which was a town about 45 minutes away from Minneapolis. However, my dad was a builder, so he constructed some ramps for me that I skated on until I graduated high school and moved to California.

Looking back on that time, I realise how much I truly loved skateboarding. Most of my sessions were solo, and I worked really hard when no one was paying attention. In a town full of hockey players, it wasn't exactly ‘cool’ to skate. No one was mean to me, but I often felt alone. I tried to take trips to California for competitions whenever I could because it felt like there was a community that understood skateboarding there. Although I loved growing up in a small town in Minnesota, it was refreshing to leave and start a new life.

Where and when did your love for sneakers start?

Growing up, I always loved shoes and clothing. My parents joked that the UPS man went out of business when I moved away because I was constantly buying things online! However, it wasn't until I joined Nike that I truly became a sneakerhead. Being sent shoes in the mail all the time makes you want to use them. I did my first Nike SB Dunk photoshoot in 2019 featuring the '. That experience made me pay closer attention to the sneaker scene, especially with all the hype surrounding it. Now, I'm fully immersed in sneaker culture – collecting, wearing, and skating in them. Shoes truly are the best; they can make or break an outfit.

What did you skate in growing up? Now what are your picks?

I used to skate in all kinds of brands when I was a kid – , Emerica, and, of course, Nike 6.0s. I think I even had a pair of Dunks back then. In high school, I got really into and skated in those for about five years straight. These days, I mainly stick to Nike SB Dunks, but I’ll throw on some , , or every now and then.

Talk to us about how those initial conversations with Nike SB came about and how the relationship has evolved.

I started receiving Nike Flow shoes from the brand in 2017, which essentially means you get free shoes without any financial backing. Then, in 2018, I had won a couple of big contests in a row.

I was going up to Oregon and asked my agent to hit up Nike to see if they wanted to have a meeting with me. They emailed her back with a contract and asked me if I wanted to be on the team.

Since then, I’ve been on a number of shoots for Nike Skateboarding and Nike Global. They have asked me to do a lot of different things, and I’ve always showed up excited to work with them. I think they have appreciated that over the years. I’ve also been on so many Nike skate trips, where you’re on the road for a few weeks just filming and getting to know everyone. So, it’s evolved naturally over the past seven years. It feels very special at Nike SB. I am so thankful to be a part of the team, and I have a great relationship with everyone who works here. A lot of the people who work on the skateboarding side are either skateboarders themselves or fans of it. This is so helpful because they understand certain things that those from traditional sports don’t. Big shoutout to my team managers Scuba Steve and Ryan Flynn!

What advice do you have for women (in sports or industries where they may be a minority) who want to advocate for themselves?

As a woman in a mostly male-dominated industry, it can feel like no one understands you or that you have no value. Which is completely untrue. That’s why I find it important to work hard, show up to places, act like you want to be a part of the space, and be kind. And keep in mind that just because someone says no, it doesn’t mean it’s the end for you. You can find ways to get to where you want to be; you just might have to take a different path than you originally thought. Also, be sure to take the opportunities that are handed to you and make the most out of them. Through that, you’ll be recognised. Also, continue to lift up the women who come behind you; a rising tide lifts all ships, and it feels so good to support other women and watch them grow, too.

Let’s move on to your debut shoe. How involved were you in the end-to-end process?

I was 100 per cent involved in the design process. I’ve always dreamt of this moment and knew I wanted to create an all-white leather shoe with a light blue swoosh. The idea for the plaid pattern came to me in January 2023. I’ve always liked plaid and had a feeling it was making a comeback. At that time, I was wearing a belt chain when I was skating, which inspired me to incorporate a chain into the shoe. I had never seen that done before, and it felt exciting to see if it would work. Many people assume that Nike designed the shoe for me, but that's not the case. I knew exactly what I wanted and had design examples ready when they reached out to me to create the colourway in March 2023. They provided feedback and suggestions, but they really let me lead the design. We went through about three different samples and had Zoom calls to discuss what needed tweaking. I think the only thing that didn’t make it from my original design was the baseball stitching I had on the seams of the shoe. Other than that, I shared my ideas and they made it happen. I couldn't ask for anything more than that!

What ended up being your favourite feature?

My favourite feature is the light blue plaid Swoosh. I was very particular about the style of the thin-line plaid and the texture of it. It feels like real cloth, which could rip and fray when you skate in them and break them in. I wanted the shoe to have a grungy feel after being skated in or worn a lot.

Other than the SB Dunk, what's another shoe you would love to work on?

The Air Jordan 4, for sure. I actually have a design for that shoe ready if the opportunity ever arises.

We would love to see that! Until then, what’s next for you?

Right now, I’m focused on getting back on my skateboard after the ACL surgery I had in August. I expect to be skating again by June, and once that happens, I’ll be able to concentrate on filming a new video part. In addition to that, I’m working on a few side projects, including a podcast called No Big Deal. I’ve also been helping to co-produce a TV show, and I’m starting a brand called Loop Hardware with some of my pro skater friends. I love staying busy and want to continue growing as a skateboarder while exploring my creativity in other areas.

You can grab Nicole's debut Dunk via the link below.