Founded in 1997 by former pro skateboarder EunHyuk Lee, Kasina is renowned as a catalyst for street fashion in South Korea. Collaborating with Nike on the Dunk, Kasina relays its story — from humble beginnings in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, to opening multiple doors in the country’s capital megalopolis, Seoul.
The two colorways of the Dunk Kasina both reference travel through Korea. The Neptune green colorway explicitly pulls from the signage that lines the Gyeongbu Expressway, the main highway between Busan and Seoul. During the mid-’80s, the same period the Dunk was introduced, Seoul experienced a population boom. This growth, symbolized by travel across Korea’s highways, underpins the Kasina journey. “Busan” and “Seoul” are written on the left and right heel tabs respectively.
Similarly, the industrial blue colorway draws inspiration from ’80s Korean transport. It mirrors the look and feel of Seoul’s vintage buses, down to a unique hangtag that reimagines the steering wheel.
“Kasina” is written on the tongue of both shoes, and its logo appears embroidered on the heel and inside the tongue tag. Additionally, both shoes are packaged with custom tissue prints inspired by roadsigns to round out the story.
The Dunk Kasina in Neptune green releases September 18 exclusively at Kasina. The industrial blue colorway is available September 25 at Kasina and Nike SKNRS in Asia.