Nike’s Wild ‘What the Duck’ Dunks Will Be Released in October
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Update: Sept. 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET:
After an early look surfaced in August, official release details for the University of Oregon’s Nike Dunk Low “What the Duck” have been announced.
As expected, the new project is a joint venture with Division Street’s Ducks of a Feather brand and will be released by partner GOAT. The officially licensed Oregon sneakers will come in “Home” and “Away” colorways which play upon Nike’s fan-favorite “What the” line. The shoes feature a mix of colors and materials on each panel which are inspired by the last 25 years of Oregon uniforms.
Not only is there a heap of Ducks-themed green and yellow throughout each pair, but they also use a mix of patterns and prints tied to various Oregon sporting eras. Some portions are glossy, others are reflective and there’s even carbon fiber detailing incorporated into the eyestays of the “Home” style.
Each and every panel of the “What the Duck” Dunk Low sneakers is different, from the left and right shoes of the “Home” and “Away” pairs to their lateral and medial sides. Even the soles make use of contrasting colors: yellow is used on each right shoe, with green appearing on the left.
Commonalities between the mismatched sneakers include abbreviated “DOAF” Ducks of a Feather branding on the left heel, Nike branding on the right heel, “’24” text on the inner tongues and mini Swoosh embroidery at each lateral toe.
Backed by donors including Nike co-founder Phil Knight and other Ducks alumni, Division Street was founded in 2021 as an NIL collective for University of Oregon athletes. Its offshoot Ducks of a Feather brand includes apparel and previous Nike sneaker collaborations launched through GOAT including Air Force 1s and Air Max 1s. Proceeds from all Ducks of a Feather releases benefit participating Oregon athletes.
Both colorways of the Nike Dunk “What the Duck” will first be launched in limited numbers on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Flight Club stores in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Tokyo. A public release will then take place Friday, Oct. 11 on GOAT. Each pair retails for $275. Readers can find a full look at both styles below.
What We Originally Reported on Aug. 10, 2024
One of Nike’s most popular sneaker concepts is returning in the form of its long-running partnership with the University of Oregon.
The cleverly named University of Oregon Nike Dunk “What the Ducks” surfaced Saturday on social media. Two styles were shared by @masterchefian, who says that only 5,000 pairs of the sneakers were produced and that a third unseen colorway is also included in the full collection, reportedly titled “What the Ducks of a Feather.” It’s not yet clear if there are 5,000 pairs of each style or total among the three different makeups.
Based on what can be seen in these early images, the two shoes take distinctly different approaches — one uses mostly darker shades, while the other dons lighter colors — yet are unified in their mismatching.
The shoes use a number of University of Oregon-inspired details including various shades of green and yellow, metallic duck feather patterns, green camouflage and more. Like Nike’s other “What the” shoes, nearly every panel uses a different color and material, all referencing either a previous Oregon Nike shoe or other school-related flair.
Nike began its “What the” concept in 2007 with the “What the Dunk” Nike SB Dunk Low. That version combined 31 different Nike SB Dunk styles into one mismatched look and currently resells for $24,000 and up. The theme is also expected to be featured on an upcoming Kobe Bryant rerelease, the Nike Kobe 8 Protro “What the Kobe,” due summer 2025.
Recent University of Oregon Nike launches have been conducted through the school’s NIL collective, Division Street, which has backing from Nike co-founder and university alumni Phil Knight.
Previous releases, including April 2023’s Dunk Low “Oregon” PEs, were made available via GOAT with proceeds benefiting Oregon’s student athletes. Release details for these upcoming University of Oregon “What the Ducks of a Feather” Nike Dunk sneakers have not yet been confirmed, but this story will be updated as more information is made available.
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