Designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla and her fashion label Bode are venturing into the world of sportswear with a new line called Bode Recreation. “It’s our interpretation of American athletic wear, largely inspired from the 1770s through the 1970s, and it’s the first time that we’re introducing certain materials more focused on washability and wearability,” she said at the unveiling of Bode’s Fall 2024 collection earlier this year.
What better way to introduce a sportswear line than by teaming up with the biggest sportswear brand out there? After months of anticipation, the Bode Rec. x Nike collection has officially been revealed and the wait was worth it. Along with two colorways of the Astrograbber, the offering includes eight apparel styles: track jackets and pants, singlets, pinnies and dickies, boat-racing jerseys, thermal pants, and woven shorts.
With this collection, Bode explores the history of athletic wear in American institutional sports and competition and aims to reshape our understanding of our collective cultural heritage. Bode Aujla drew inspiration from her father’s strong connection to team sports, student-athlete pride and its influence on community, and the storied coach-athlete relationship between Nike’s Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.
“Through Bode Rec. and our inaugural partnership with Nike, I hope to reintroduce a spirit of playfulness into athletic wear and inspire others to examine their own family histories and the core values of both competitive and recreational sports, which are integral to national identity,” she says.
The collection is highlighted by the reintroduction of the Astrograbber, a waffle-soled shoe developed by Bill Bowerman in the ’70s in response to the introduction of synthetic turf. “The Astrograbber seemed a perfect fit for this collaboration, as it marks a moment in the 1970s that was pivotal in the history of both Nike and American sports,” says Bode Aujla.
One of the standout apparel pieces is the boat-racing jersey. “One of the inspirations for this collection was the first recorded boat race in America, which took place in 1756 between a New York sailing vessel and a Cape Cod whaleboat,” says Bode Aujla. “The team names Cape Cod and Manhattan are a nod to that event as well as to my childhood summers in Massachusetts and the borough that I now call home.”
The campaign imagery matches the ’70s Americana vibes exuded from the collection, featuring a collage-like mix of contemporary photography and archive images, the latter featuring Bode Aujla’s father in his high school football gear and Nike’s first-ever employee, Jeff Johnson.
To further celebrate the union of sport, recreation, and fashion, Bode and Nike will be launching Bode Rec. x Nike Clubhouses in New York City, Paris, and Tokyo this April and May.
The Bode Rec. x Nike collection drops April 18th on bode.com (6pm ET) and in select Bode stores, followed by a wider release on May 1st on SNKRS and at select Nike retailers. Check out the campaign and product shots below.
Bode x Nike Astrograbber “Black”
Color: Black/Coconut Milk
Style Code: FJ9821-001
Release Date: April 18, 2024 (Bode)
Release Date: May 1, 2024 (SNKRS)
Price: $160 USD
Bode x Nike Astrograbber “Cream”
Color: Natural/Black-Light Cream
Style Code: FQ6892-100
Release Date: April 18, 2024 (Bode)
Release Date: May 1, 2024 (SNKRS)
Price: $160 USD
Bode Rec. x Nike Collection
Release Date: April 18, 2024 (Bode)
Release Date: May 1, 2024 (SNKRS)
