Now Trending: Paisley Sneaker Colorways

Now Trending: Paisley Sneaker Colorways

We examine how Travis Scott may have started the Paisley colorway trend, and all the best sneakers rocking the motif.

Matt DeSciora

Travis Scott is no stranger to taking risks. In fact, there are so many instances of him zigging while everyone else zags, that we could probably fill up an entire week’s worth of blog content examining his every leap of faith. But instead of diving down a rabbit hole, we’ll focus on one very important instance of Travis’s influence in sneakers: his co-sign of the Nike SB Dunk in 2020, and its impact on a big sneaker trend nearly two years later in 2022.

As popular as the Dunk was throughout the 2000s, the shoe’s popularity cooled off considerably thereafter. It wasn’t until Nike SB brought back remixed versions of colorways from its mid-aughts golden era that people began checking for it again. It would take a colossal collaboration by Travis Scott in early 2020, however, to convince everyone the Dunk had finally gotten the co-sign it needed.

Clad in contrasting plaid and paisley patterns, Travis’s SB Dunk didn’t feature the bold inverted Swoosh of his previous Air Jordan 1 colorways or any removable patches like those found on his Nike Air Force 1. But it did honor previous releases from the shoe’s heyday, like the rare “Net Palomino Plaid” and popular 4/20-themed “Cheech & Chong.”

Over two years later, shoes with paisley print details are having a full-on moment in the culture. From classic shoes by Nike to Vans, paisley colorways are popping up everywhere, so much so that it’s almost impossible to not see the style on your timeline this summer.

Here are a few of our favorite paisley colorways to add to your collection.

Women’s Nike Dunk Low “Orange Paisley”

One sure fire way to spice up an already classic colorway is to add paisley to it. The Women’s Nike Dunk Low Essential “Orange Paisley” does exactly that, as it takes the Dunk’s “Syracuse” colorway and adds a paisley Swoosh to its timeless look.

Supreme x Nike Air Zoom Flight 95 “Black”

You know a trend has reached its zenith when Supreme hops on the wave. A few months ago, the brand released three Nike Air Zoom Flight ‘95s with the bandana-inspired pattern on various points of each shoe. Also available in “Hemp” and “Blue” colorways.

Women’s Nike Air Force 1 Low “Paisley Pack”

Here’s another example of how paisley print freshens up an iconic colorway. Based on the all-time “White on White” Nike Air Force 1, the women’s-exclusive “Paisley Pack” features a white leather upper with contrasting black, blue, or green (pictured) paisley accents in all the right places.

Nike SB Dunk Low “Paisley Brown”

Really diggin’ the paisley wave? Try the Nike SB Dunk Low “Paisley Brown.” As you can see, it features, well, a lot of the pattern on its design.

Vans Bold Ni “Paisley”

All paisley colorways aren’t the same. In the case of the Vans Bold Ni “Paisley,” the vibe is definitely more toned down and spaced out, with the pattern appearing on both sides of the shoe around Vans’ iconic jazz stripe.

Concepts x Nike Air Max 1 “Far Out”

See what we mean? There’s plenty of variety when it comes to paisley colorways. Where some are more subdued, others are way more liberal in their application of the print. Case in point being the Concepts x Nike Air Max 1 “Far Out.”

Nike SB Dunk High “Cheech & Chong”

No one has done more to put people onto the virtues of paisley print like Tommy Chong, one half of the comedy duo known collectively as Cheech & Chong. In 2011, Nike SB honored Chong’s red bandana headband when it laced the Dunk High with the material for its “4/20” themed release.

Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low

We dedicated two paragraphs to this shoe in the beginning of this blog post. Needless to say we are here to tell you, once again, that the Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low kicked the paisley wave into overdrive in 2020.