10 Things to Know About the Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski

Nike SB’s 10 Years of Janoski celebrates the legacy of the Zoom Stefan Janoski, highlighted in the new Nike SB film, “For Daily Use.”

Since its launch in 2009, the shoe has translated the smooth style of the Vacaville-born skater into an icon of Nike footwear. Here are 10 things to know about how it happened: 

Nike SB | Stefan Janoski | For Daily Use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYOPY1vl47A

1. From the beginning, Stefan gave designer James Arizumi strict parameters on how he wanted the shoe built and proportioned.

“Stefan gave me zero references,” says designer James Arizumi. "He wanted each part of the shoe to have a specific reason for being.” 

2. The original sock liner was made of cork.

It was a personal nod to his family’s winery in Vacaville, California.

3. To date, there are at least 11 versions of the Janoski.

They include the Zoom Janoski, the Janoski Max, the Janoski Max 2, AC (Velcro), Lunar, Hyperfeel, Mid, Slip, Canvas Premium, Elite and Warmth.

4. All kinds of upper variations have been used.

Leather, canvas, mesh, suede – the list goes on.

5. In the last 10 years, Nike SB has released more than 1,530 different versions of Stefan Janoski shoes.

The products span genders, ages, material builds, model offerings and creation teams since 2009.

6. The Zoom Stefan Janoski was made available on NikeID (currently Nike By You) in 2012.

Artistic customization has always been a core part of Janoski’s style on and off the board. The option opened up the gates for even more materials, colorways and lacing options.

7. Five Janoski shoes have been completed for Nike x Doernbecher Freestyle.

The most recent appearance of a Janoski shoe was in 2017.

8. In 2014, the Zoom Janoski was included in Nike’s BeTrue collection.

The rainbow pattern print on the upper used handwritten “Be True” signatures from Janoski himself.

9. The first time the Zoom Janoskis were featured in a Nike SB video was in December of 2011, with “The SB Chronicles, Vol.1.”

The first of three films, the project included full-length video parts from eight SB riders and was shot throughout the United States, Dubai, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

10. “10 Years of Janoski” celebrates a decade of the iconic silhouette.

A range of Janoski shoes are releasing over the course of 2019, many of which are remastered versions, including the Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski RM (above). According to Arizumi, they feature an outsole that’s lighter and more flexible, and have a lower, sleeker toe box, among other updates.