Nike has reunited with a Harris Tweed producer to release a trainer with a distinctly Scottish twist, two decades after a landmark order helped revive the Hebridean textile industry.
Harris Tweed Hebrides has announced a global collaboration with the sportswear giant on a limited-edition version of their iconic Dunk Lows.
Three different patterns – black and white houndstooth, earthy brown, and pink blush – were woven by home-based weavers on the rugged moorland coast of Lewis and finished at the Shawbost Mill.
STV News obtained an exclusive preview of the iconic sports shoe as the first pairs were unwrapped in Scotland following a transatlantic delivery.
Nike x Harris Tweed HebridesMargaret Ann Macleod, CEO of Harris Tweed Hebrides, says the partnership brings together contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship, rooted firmly in the culture and heritage of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
“This collection highlights how our island’s most famous export Harris Tweed continues to deliver the modernity and the sustainability credentials to attract global design-led businesses, like Nike,” she said.
The 18-month development project with Nike is a significant milestone for Harris Tweed Hebrides.
The mill employs over 70 people and supports over 100 home weavers, making it a major economic contributor in the Outer Hebrides.
Nike x Harris Tweed HebridesThe company also collaborates with high-profile fashion houses like Dior, emphasising the premium quality and authenticity of Harris Tweed.
The Nike Dunk Low Harris Tweed collection will be available worldwide later in 2025 via the Nike website and selected retail partners. Each pair will retail for $135 – around £100.
The trainers display the official Harris Tweed Orb label, a mark of authenticity and provenance.
Harris Tweed Hebrides is widely credited with the revitalisation of the Harris Tweed industry, which remains a vital component of the local economy of the Outer Hebrides.
When the industry was at its lowest ebb, the firm re-opened a derelict mill in the rural village of Shawbost on the west side of Lewis and built a global business.
Mrs Macleod highlighted the historical connection with Nike, dating back 20 years, and the company’s focus on looking forward while maintaining its heritage.
“We have built on the values of the original project, reflecting on Derick’s stewardship at the Shawbost Mill at that time, to Donald John’s remarkable response to Nike’s call back in the early 2000’s, this new trainer collaboration reflects an enduring partnership and an island legacy,” Mrs Macleod said.
“Welcoming Nike back to the Shawbost Mill on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland after 20 years has been a proud moment for our local community.”
The Nike Dunk Low Harris Tweed collection will be available worldwide later in 2025 via the Nike website and selected retail partners.
The collaboration pays tribute to a defining moment in the modern story of Harris Tweed when in 2004, homeweaver Donald John Mackay received a landmark order from Nike for 10,000 metres of cloth.
Recognising the scale of the opportunity, Donald John turned to Derick Murray, then owner of Shawbost Mill. Together, they rallied a network of over 50 island weavers to meet the demand — an effort now seen as one of the turning points in the revitalisation of the Hebridean textile industry.
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