Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Release Grateful Dead Tribute Shoe Ahead of Themed Wisconsin Game

Are those the Grateful Dead Bears? Nope! The Oregon Ducks' latest Nike sneaker release features The Duck mascot taking on one of the rock bands' iconography. The Ducks will tribute the band during their game against Wisconsin at Autzen Stadium.
Ally Osborne|
July 12, 1987; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead plays in East Rutherford, NJ on July 12, 1987. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Richards/North Jersey Media Group via USA TODAY NETWORK
July 12, 1987; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead plays in East Rutherford, NJ on July 12, 1987. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Richards/North Jersey Media Group via USA TODAY NETWORK | North Jersey Media Group-USA TODAY

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The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are one home and one road game away from their tie-dye themed game against Wisconsin on Oct. 25, tributing the rock band The Grateful Dead. Though the Ducks need to defeat No. 7 Indiana and Rutgers before the Badgers come to Eugene, the program is already releasing some unique Nike swag.

On Oct. 3, several major sneaker outlets posted a photo of The Grateful Dead x University of Oregon x Nike Air Max 90 "Grateful Ducks" shoes, which will be available on Friday, Oct 24, just a day before the themed game.

The sneakers feature a white base, green and yellow patches of color throughout, a stripe of rainbow and black tie dye throughout the middle of the shoe sides, a shoe keychain of five rainbow colored Grateful Dead bears with Oregon Duck heads, and a sewn on Grateful Dead skull logo on the back of the shoe with Oregon colors and "Grateful Dead 1990" inscribed in the plastic. The Nike swoosh has a wavy "trippy" design with green shag-carpet-like fabric in the center.

Where Can Fans Get the Shoes?

Sneaker Bar Detroit reported that the "Grateful Ducks" will retail for $140 and be available on Nike's website as well as several other approved retailers.

Why Tribute the Grateful Dead?

Currently celebrating the bands' 60th anniversary, the Grateful Dead performed at the Autzen Stadium 10 times between 1974 and 1994, with a tribute to that era happening in 2018 from Dead & Company, an off-shoot of the original group. The original band has played at the university more than 20 times, with their icons and tie-dye becoming synonymous with Oregon's hippie culture.

Famous basketball broadcaster and Portland Trail Blazer athlete, the late Bill Walton, was also well known for his love of the Grateful Dead, frequently wearing tie dye to cover the Oregon Ducks basketball games. Walton passed away in 2024 with the Blazers tributing the late icon with tie dye patches on jerseys.

Fans have also long been clamoring for an Oregon uniform tributing the band or including tie dye in some way.

The Ducks released a video in late July teasing the unique game theme against the Badgers, which will be the first theme since 2019 to be a unique color instead of green, yellow, black, or white.

Will There Be Tie Dye Uniforms?

It is important to note that the "Mummy Duck" cleats, teased on the Sunday prior to Oregon's game on the road against the Penn State Nittany Lions, did tease the "Mummy Duck" uniforms, which were the "Warp Speed" and "Fly Era" white and black jersey pieces combined with custom mummy bandaged undergarments, gloves, cleats, face mask, and compression arm and leg bands.

Potentially, the Ducks could use a "Generation O" uniform and do a similar style, bringing tie dye details to already existing uniform pieces for a unique combination.

MORE: How Penn State's Upset Loss Impacts Oregon Ducks' Résumé

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Eyeing Elite Quarterback Recruit in 2027 Class

MORE: Five Shocking Stats From Oregon Ducks Undefeated Season So Far

Oregon's 2025 Color Schedule:

Oct. 11 vs. Indiana - Wear Yellow

Oct. 18 at Rutgers - Wear Green

Oct. 25 vs. Wisconsin - Wear Tie-Dye or Green

Nov. 8 at Iowa - Wear Green

Nov. 14 vs. Minnesota - Wear Green

Nov. 22 vs. USC - Wear Black 

Nov. 29 at Washington - Wear Green

Published
Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

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