Nike Grateful Ducks Collection Honors Oregon and the Grateful Dead

A tie-dye celebration of music with sport and Oregon’s creative legacy takes flight.

Nike, the University of Oregon, and apparel collective Class Trip have unveiled the Grateful Ducks Collection, a bold multi-brand collaboration paying homage to nearly six decades of cultural connection between the Grateful Dead, Oregon Ducks, and Nike’s birthplace in Eugene. The line drops October 21–24 across multiple retail platforms, including dead.net, classtrip.co, nike.com, SNKRS, and Fanatics.

The collaboration merges the psychedelic spirit of the Grateful Dead with Oregon’s athletic innovation and countercultural roots. The full lineup includes jackets, sweatpants, hoodies, T-shirts, and headwear inspired by the group’s artistry and Eugene’s outdoor heritage, along with a centerpiece sneaker  the limited-edition Nike Air Max 90 x Class Trip x Grateful Dead paying tribute to the band’s historic 1990 shows at Autzen Stadium.

The Nike Air Max 90 x Class Trip x Grateful Dead

At the heart of the release is the Air Max 90 “Grateful Ducks”, an expressive, nostalgic design channeling the free spirit of the Dead’s Oregon era. The shoe features layered greens and yellows drawn from the state’s lush landscapes, tie-dye canvas mudguards, lightning-bolt Swooshes, and co-branded tongue tags. Custom sock liners feature the Grateful Dead’s iconic “Stealie” skull artwork reimagined in Oregon colors.

The sneaker has already garnered massive attention among sneakerheads and Deadheads alike, retailing for $145 USD and quickly selling out on the Grateful Dead’s official site, with resale listings surpassing $200 on secondary markets. The design reimagines a model worn by Jerry Garcia himself, integrating vivid psychedelic and collegiate visuals into a high-performance runner.

The Ducks’ “Tie-Dye Out” Game

The launch coincides with Oregon’s much-anticipated “Tie-Dye Out” football game against Wisconsin on October 25, where players will debut limited-edition Nike jerseys featuring swirling tie-dye patterns and a reimagined Steal Your Face logo turned into a duck with a lightning Swoosh. Fans are encouraged to flood Autzen Stadium in Grateful Ducks apparel, transforming the arena into a kaleidoscope of color and sound to mark the tribute weekend.

The Ducks’ uniforms will incorporate custom game balls handcrafted by Big Game Football Factory with premium leather and Dead-inspired detailing, including the “Stealie Duck Skull” motif. The production run is limited, making these pieces instant collector items.

Honoring Oregon’s Musical and Cultural Legacy

The Grateful Ducks partnership echoes a creative bond that began in the mid-1960s when novelist Ken Kesey brought the Grateful Dead to Oregon’s EMU Ballroom for their first campus performance. The band went on to play more than 20 shows in Eugene including 10 at Autzen Stadium cementing its ties to the city’s vibrant arts, athletics, and countercultural scene.

This collaboration symbolizes how Oregon’s legacy of self-expression, creativity, and environmental awareness continues to influence fashion and athletics today. It bridges generations through a shared appreciation of exploration on stage, on the field, and on foot.

As Nike’s press release expressed, “The Grateful Ducks collection brings this story to life through a fusion of art, sport, and sound. It celebrates nearly six decades of connection between the Grateful Dead and Oregon, the birthplace of Nike, uniting diverse worlds into a singular creative movement.”

Where to Buy

The Nike x Class Trip x Grateful Dead x University of Oregon Grateful Ducks Collection launches in stages:

• October 21: dead.net

• October 23: classtrip.co

• October 24: Nationwide via nike.com, SNKRS, Fanatics, and select retail partners.

Collectors and fans alike can expect fast sellouts and a dynamic intersection of grassroots nostalgia and sport-tech design.

The Grateful Ducks Collection celebrates Oregon’s free-spirited evolution from a psychedelic revolution to world-class athletic innovation where every stitch tells a story of music, motion, and legacy.