Deftones and Dickies have teamed up to release an official merch line as of November 4. This collaboration ends a long-standing dispute that began with a cease and desist letter back in 1993. Fans can now buy items from this new line, which has roots in bootleg shirts the band made before their first album was released.
Chino Moreno shared a fun story about those original shirts during a live show. He recalled, “They were oven baked in Abe [Cunningham]’s oven back in ’93.” The band faced legal action when Dickies sent a cease and desist letter after they created unauthorized merch featuring the company’s logo. This bootleg design became legendary among fans and circulated for over 30 years, even before the band released their debut album, Adrenaline.
The Sacramento-based alt-metal group revealed the first look at their new merch line at their annual festival over the weekend. Fans who attended the San Diego event got early access to the items before the online store opened.
The new merch line includes five shirt colors and two hoodie options. Fans can purchase these items through the band’s official web store.
This partnership marks a resolution to a conflict that started when the band was just beginning their career in the early ’90s. The cease and desist letter had previously stopped them from selling the bootleg design.
In addition to the merch launch, Deftones will headline the inaugural Texas edition of the Sick New World festival on October 24, 2026. This is an exciting time for fans as they can finally celebrate this collaboration.
