Michael Jordan being drafted into the NBA in the 1980s began the craze for basketball shoes, and Nike capitalized on his fame and greatness to produce many stellar shoes. Because who else but the Greatest of all time (GOAT) of basketball can positively influence kids to play the game, right?
When you look at the Nike Dunk, there’s a wave of nostalgia and greatness that sweeps you because it takes inspiration from four other great Nike shoes. The Nike Dunk has the components and outstanding features of the Air Force One, Air Jordan, the Nike Terminator, and the Nike Legend. Who wouldn’t go gaga over this?
A Brief History Of The Nike Dunk
The Nike Dunk was born in 1985 and was initially geared towards collegiate basketball fans to display their loyalty and support to their schools. With its prominent color bands, the shoe’s design can showcase any collegiate color and has become the most collectible silhouette today. Not to mention, probably one of the Nike shoe models with the most collaborations.
Initially rolled out as a basketball shoe, the Dunk will transform into a skateboard shoe and have a line called the Nike SB Dunk, but more of that in a bit. The Nike Dunk comes in three variations, high, mid, and low. It was initially marketed with the slogan ‘Be true to your school” and was able to strike agreements with several teams to become their official shoe. The specific color treatment supported the University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, University of Iowa, and Georgetown. If you’re feeling nostalgic, check out these Nike Dunks.
The Nike SB Dunk
Nike capitalizing on the craze for skateboarding in the 1990s gave the shoe another reason to soar. And updating the features to complement the needs of skateboarders, which are far from the needs of a basketball player, is a must. Nike added a Zoom Air unit in the heel and made perforations on the toe box.
They also made sure to support the skateboarder’s movements by ensuring there’s multi-directional traction and durability. Nike also considered the comfort and safety of the skateboarder by designing a shoe with an excellent grip, reinforced construction, and padding on crucial sections. If you want to get your hands on some cool Nike SB Dunks, check out the Prior Store.
Why Are They Popular?
Great collaborations. You can see a Nike Dunk being strutted from the basketball court to the runway to the streets of modern cities. That’s because it has influenced so many people and has been collaborated on by the biggest names in fashion, sports, music, arts, and social media. And every time a new Dunk is dropped, thousands will get in line to get their hands on them. Here are a few of the best collaborations with the Nike Dunks:
- The Bison – It has an all-suede upper and rare brown/gum split sole that comes in a rare silver and black box
- Soulland – A high cut Dunk that features a mini swoosh over the regular ones
- StrangeLove – A Dunk SB collaboration with the skateboarding company StrangeLove that features Valentine’s theme with plush pink paneling.
- Travis Scott – A collaboration with American singer, rapper, and songwriter who’s a massive fan of the Dunk gave his own spin on the SB Dunk Low with a combination of suede, paisley, and gingham in muted earth tones.
- Commes des Garcons – A collaboration with the famed Japanese-French brand on the Nike Dunk High where they swapped their iconic red heart with a transparent mid-section
- Day of the Dead – A collaboration with Mexican artist Christian Salinas Medina to feature the Mexican culture of honoring the dead.
- Stash – A collaboration with Josh Franklin, a prominent American graffiti artist.
- Michael Lau – A wood-grained style of the Nike SB Dunk Low from the famed Hong Kong toy designer Michael Lau
With these great collaborations, Dunks shoes are becoming more diverse and sensational. It’s worn by many including kids, teenagers, adults, and even seniors.
How To Get Your First Pair Of Dunks?
Getting your hands on the coveted styles of Nike Dunk may be challenging but doable. Many retailers would be the first to hoard them and sell them at sky-high prices online, so the best thing to do is sign up on the Nike mailing list to get first dibs on new releases.
Online shoe stores are plenty on the web, though prices may be steep. You need to scour many stores and compare prices to ensure you’re not paying too much. But then again, if it’s a rare find, people will pay any fee to get their hands on them.
It’s also best to download their app, sign up to receive the first word, and get exclusive access. And before the day of release, make sure you have saved your payment and delivery information on the app to make it easy to process your order. Make sure you have a fast, secure, and backup connection, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Set the alarm and mark it on your calendar, and you’re all set.
If that didn’t work, contacting your favorite store to reserve the next deliveries may be your next option. Not unless you’re willing to line up in the wee hours of the morning to get a pair.
Conclusion
The Nike Dunk is not just any other shoe. It represents so many things. An iconic sport, the GOAT of basketball, an exciting extreme activity, music, fashion, artistry, culture, camaraderie, teamwork, and the quality of expertise Nike is known for. That’s why for many, it goes beyond the thrill of collecting but the significance of being represented.
