Nike SB
Yuto Horigome "Matcha"
Footwear Color Design & Narrative
Creative & Narrative Direction: Heather Truong
Footwear Color Design: Heather Truong
Footwear Graphic Design: Steven Gonzalez
Material Design: Philipp Gruenewald
Footwear Developer: Ocea Nigito
Product Line Manager: Tiffany Huet
Footwear Merchant: David Sunga
Sports Marketing: Steve Chalme
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Yuto Horigome is a professional skater from Tokyo, Japan and 2-time Olympian gold medalist.
He is the biggest force in skateboarding today. The Tokyo native has already done it all, including the largest redemption arc in competitive skating. Having claimed every major title and captivated millions, Yuto Horigome now stands at the pinnacle of his sport.Â
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Nike SB celebrates Yuto a year after his first Dunk Low Pro with a second story: Matcha.
From the careful grind to the perfect pour, Yuto’s SB Dunk Low Pro evokes the patience and pride that goes into the fine art of matcha tea. Yuto’s latest Dunk features a premium suede with a microfoam bubble print, balanced with touches of bamboo fiber on the collar. Blending a rich matcha green with organic brown hues, the Yuto Matcha Dunk pays homage to matcha preparation with the details: matcha grinder eyelets, microfoam bubbles, bamboo materials, and the perfect matcha green shade.Â
Concept Research
With Yuto's Japanese heritage, my goal is to always highlight the athlete's culture in the most authentic way. Yuto came to the table with his idea of a matcha-inspired Dunk for his second colorway and the SB team immediately put me on the project as I am a big fan of matcha and have been drinking it for years.
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It is always my goal to make sure I fully research the content I am referencing. With matcha, I researched about the full process of making matcha, all the way from the farming practices, powder creation, and tea ceremony.Â
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A fun fact is that Yuto originally want a dark olive green, but I guided him to choose a bright green as it is factual that the brighter the green, the higher the quality of matcha it is. I carefully selected the best matcha green color through strenuous research of accuracy.
Matcha Farming Practices
Tea Ceremony
Matcha Powder Grinder
Yuto Dunk 1.0
Yuto's Heritage
Nike SB partnered with the Ascend Southeast Asia Network to bring Solar New Year to PHK Campus and the Nike LA Office through community moments and a special skate event with dance performances, activities, food, and special guest Eric Koston.Â
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The kickoff of the event planning began in January 2026 where all Nike SB teammates and the Ascend Network Community volunteers came together. Everyone was broken up into teams: Skate Ramp, Photo Op & Decor, Entertainment, & Table Activities. Thai food was catered by local restaurant to support small SEA businesses.
