Nike’s ‘Panda’ Dunk is Back and More Literal Than Ever

It’s no secret that times are a little challenging for the Swoosh right now, having reported less-than-desirable even after Elliot Hill’s first full quarter. As part of the recently-appointed , Beaverton’s new strategy was to focus more on innovation within sport and NPD, with the plan reportedly being to cut down on production of the classic franchises they realised they’d ‘overindexed on’. One of those franchises was undoubtedly the , a model that’s actually celebrating its 40th-anniversary in 2025 – and in particular the black and white ‘Panda’ iteration that swept the scene in 2022 and 2023. Now, it seems that Nike might actually be looking to try and re-live the pandamonium, as a more literal interpretation of the theme could drop later this year.

Eventually causing mass exhaustion, the ‘Panda’ Dunk’s infamous run saw the minimalist colourway get applied in just about any arrangement you could think of, from the OG to the , a and even an . This new version stays true to the OG colour blocking but swaps out the usual leather overlays for patent panels and switches out monochromatic laces for gradient versions. Nodding to the colourway’s well-earned pet name, the ‘Panda’ Dunk also makes an obvious nod to its influence with an emoji-style panda graphic on the inside of the tongue, accompanied by an EST 1985 wordmark that calls to the model's birth year.

While this could be a tongue-in-cheek reference on Beaverton’s part, you could argue that these are leaving the enclosure a little too soon. Either way, the final boss of Pandas is expected to release in August. Stay tuned for more as it comes in.

In other news, celebrations are well underway.