Dead Serene teams with Nike on first ST Charge collaboration

Franklin “Frank Nitty” Session turned Dead Serene into Nike’s first ST Charge collaborator, giving the outdoor-leaning silhouette a sharp streetball identity in blue-gradient mesh, violet TPU, and chrome Swooshes. The shoe carries style code IX1566-500, with release details still listed as TBA and Nike SNKRS expected to be the retail lane.

The design reads like a tribute to Session’s orbit, not a generic colorway. Dead Serene branding lands on the outsole and tongue, while a cartoon graphic of Session himself pushes the pair beyond standard performance packaging. Additional design notes point to multiple lace options, special insole text, and removable accessories, touches that make the shoe feel more like a considered collaboration than a simple co-branded run.

That matters because Session’s credibility comes from the court, not just the feed. He has long been identified as a four-time Drew League MVP, a former Taiwan import player, and one of the more recognizable non-NBA basketball personalities in Los Angeles streetball. Nike’s “Street Tough” framing fits that profile cleanly: the ST Charge looks built for asphalt and hard use, and Session’s name brings the lived-in basketball context that makes the model feel authentic rather than borrowed.

The collaboration also lands at an interesting moment for the ST Charge itself. Nike has already pushed the silhouette through 2026 with releases like the May 1 Iron Grey pair and the June 2 Cade Cunningham “Detroit Tough” edition, while coverage around the model has repeatedly described many general-release colorways as Asia-exclusive. Against that backdrop, Dead Serene’s turn as the first official collaborator widens the shoe’s cultural reach and gives the line a face with real street-level currency.

For smaller labels, that is the larger signal. Nike did not hand this platform to a fashion-week darling or a polished legacy brand; it gave it to a label tied to a specific basketball community and a specific city’s pickup mythology. Dead Serene’s ST Charge makes the case that the next wave of Nike collaborations may favor labels with proof of life on blacktops, in leagues like the Drew, and inside local style ecosystems that know how to make a performance shoe feel like a badge.