» Episode 4 – Cult Status

On Wednesday, March 26th, 1997, in a mansion located in an upscale gated community of Rancho Santa Fe, California, 39 people were found dead, from an apparent mass suicide. Ranging from 26 to 72 years old, their bodies were found in various states of decomposition, lying neatly in bunk beds and on mattresses in various rooms throughout the mansion.

Photos of the crime scene soon hit media outlets worldwide, showing the deceased people wearing matching black track suits and covered with purple blankets. Perhaps the most memorable images, however, are of the identical pairs of black and white Nike athletic shoes worn by the deceased, peeking out from under the purple shrouds.

The Heaven’s Gate Cult will always be associated with the Nike Decades. What drove the cult’s founder, Marshall Applewhite, and the cult itself to commit suicide? Why were they all wearing matching uniforms and shoes? Why were those shoes Nikes?

** WARNING: Although not graphic, a few of the below images may be disturbing to some folks, as they depict dead bodies in an active crime scene.

**Marshall Applewhite, founder of Heaven’s Gate**
Source: Associated Press

**Bonnie Nettles, co-founder of Heaven’s Gate**
Source: Associated Press

**Rancho Santa Fe California community where the Heaven’s Gate mansion is located**
Source: Santa Ynez Valley News

**Screenshot of Heaven’s Gate website, still operational to this day, and from what we can tell, unchanged since 1997 (per the Internet Archive)**
Source: Heaven’s Gate

**Stretchers and truck outside of the mansion on March 27, 1997, containing some bodies of deceased Heaven’s Gate members**
Source: Associated Press

**Body of deceased Heaven’s Gate member, with the Nike Decades prominently showing**
Source: NY Daily News

**Deceased Heaven’s Gate members on bunk beds**
Source: Daily Mail

**Black and white Nike Decades – the same model as worn by Heaven’s Gate members**
Source: eBay

**Pair of mint condition Nike Decades for sale on eBay for $6,660**
Source: Ebay listing

Nike SB Dunk Hi Pro “Heaven’s Gate” samples. Taking obvious inspiration from the Decades, uniforms and purple sheets of the cult, these shoes were supposed to be released in the Fall of 2008, but they never made it to retail shelves.
Source: Flight Club

**Another view of the Nike SB Dunk Hi Pro “Heaven’s Gate” samples from 2008.**
Source: Oslo Sneaker Fest

Nike SB Dunk Hi known around the sneaker community as the “Un-Heaven’s Gates”. These were released in April of 2009, with the colorway blocked out differently and with more white/light grey accents than the previous 2008 sample. Apparently Nike must have felt this was sufficient enough to separate the shoes visually from the Decades and Heaven’s Gate.
Source: Sneakerpedia blog

cult / Nike / shoes

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