Known for his loose, casual riding style, Stefan Janoski took the skating world by storm in the early 2000s. After a prolific run of video parts, Nike knew they needed to sign the young talent. They also knew he deserved his own signature shoe.
The Nike Zoom Janoski was first released in 2009. It represented a massive departure for Nike in terms of the design of an athletic shoe. But it would go on to become the bestselling skate shoe of all time, and it remains a top seller today.
For the 10-year anniversary of the shoe, Nike enlisted GDP to make a documentary short that revealed the never-before-told story behind the Janoski. Just how did Nike come up with something that looked so unlike the rest of its lineup? As it turns out, the shoe’s evolution was anything but smooth.
The result was an honest look behind the scenes at the tensions, debates, and ultimate triumph of the Janoski. Audiences responded to this authentic approach, and the video quickly racked up more than 500,000 views on YouTube and Instagram in the first week. The popular Nine Club Experience podcast co-host Roger Bagley put it succinctly: “For Nike to be like, ‘Fuck it, let’s tell this story’—no other brand would dare try that!”