Concept Lab // Nike Dunk Low “Jack Torrance”

There are few horror films that stand the test of time. CGI improvements, the public’s growing numbness to violence, and the sheer volume of content affect the impact of old-school shock flicks. Films that were once shocking are no longer, but Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining doesn’t fit that mold. It’s slow, on-edge pacing puts the viewer in a downward spiral; Kubrick wants you to feel as Jack Torrance does — like you’re going out of your mind.

Jack’s slow trip into insanity is one of cinema’s most memorable moments caught on film. The passive-aggressive father, out-of-luck writer, and all-around unlikable protagonist gives himself up to the spirits of the Overlook Hotel and becomes even more unlikeable along the way; but still, after forty years, we still can’t look away.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but our new conceptual Nike Dunk Low “Jack Torrance” is anything but, bringing the character to life through a medium we know so well.

Though Jack dons more than a handful of outfits during his time at the Overlook, Torrance is known best for his plaid and velvet get-up that gets major screen time during his manic run throughout the hotel. The blood-red jacket is as ominous as the blood-gushing elevator, and with both axe in hand and that mindless stare, he’s equally terrifying. For this conceptual Dunk design, we’ve fitted the project with like-for-like garb, including plaid-lined tongues that peer briefly through an overcoat of deep red velour. His staple denim jeans inspire the navy midsoles and Swoosh overlays — the latter edged with rough natural tan hues that subtly nod the door’s woodchips from the famous “Here’s Johnny” scene. The axe in question is embroidered onto the lateral heel, while an icy-flecked outsole underfoot serves as an ode to the legendary maze-chase finale. For some final touches, we’ve equipped the pair with graphic insoles of the hotel’s famous carpet design, and Danny’s “REDRUM” insignia on the inner tongue (not pictured)

This October, we’ll be looking at a handful of horror’s most influential characters in our Concept Lab, so be sure to let us know on Twitter which horror villain you’d like to see next in the Lab.