Nike’s winter-themed Dunk sneaker is one of the hottest concepts of 2021

Nike is preparing a perfect Dunk Low for winter — but we’re not talking about weatherproofing. Images have surfaced of the sneaker transformed into a winter wonderland for one of the most playful concepts of the year.

Children sledding are embroidered onto the Dunk’s foxing, while several more characters playing appear asymmetrically across the left and right sneakers. Crisp and velvety white paneling evoke the snow, along with an even fluffier material on the tongue, while the outsole is rendered in a translucent icy blue. When you flip the kicks over, you’ll also see silver snowflakes printed onto the surface of the outsoles.

Nike has yet to confirm release details for its brumal Dunk Low, and it’ll likely be closer to the holidays before we see it hit stores. But because of the depth of details, we’ve seen what should be one of the most anticipated sneakers of the season.

A Japanese connection — The word “ice” is printed onto the insoles in kanji, a system of Japanese writing that uses Chinese characters. Looking closer at the characters embroidered across the two sneakers reveals that they’re wearing antiquated clothing to go along with the old-school sled. Triangular banners hang off the mustache, but the design flourish could also be a nod to the collars medieval jesters typically wore.

All of these details create a lot of questions as to how they’re related, suggesting Nike should have a deeper story to tell when it comes time to launch. They also make it one of the richest in-house Dunks the Swoosh has released this year, proving you don’t always need a collaborator to make the sneaker hot (or cold).