The Nike Dunks are shoes made by Nike in 1985. Launched as a basketball shoe, the shoe has also been used in a popular variant for skateboarding due to the padded insoles of the shoe. The sneaker comes is available in low-, mid and high-top.

Introduced as the College Colour High, the shoe was designed by Peter Moore and borrowed design components from the Legend, the Terminator, and the Air Force 1.

Shoe popularity grew when it was released in various colourways. They were designed to match the colours of universities and their basketball teams.

History of Nike Dunks

Nike first released the Dunk in 1985 as a college basketball sneaker. A scant few years later, it was the skaters who made the silo their own, thanks its rugged construction and protective detailing, birthing Nike SB and the SB Dunk.

The minimalist panelling has welcomed a variety of the Swoosh’s most flexible colour stories over the years — blue, green, pink, grey, purple, yellow and orange.

Nowadays, the Dunk is a cultural phenomenon as it is constantly re-produced with collabs and new drops, such as Wu Tang Dunks and ‘Tokyo City Editions.’

Different Models of Nike Dunks

1. Air Dunk

A dunk version with the original upper of the shoe, with the sole of the Nike Air Train that includes the company’s air technology.

2. SB Dunk

Nike used the SB Dunk to penetrate the skateboarding market; they released a version of the shoe created specifically for skateboarding.

In its initial phase, the Nike brand rounded off sponsorship rights of renowned skaters including Reese Forbes, Richard Mulder, Gino Ianucci and Danny Supa in the first Nike SB pro team. The shoe was popular with skateboarders and later became widely used and keeping the line active into the early 2000s.

3. Air Dunk Jumbo

A beefed-up version of the shoe with premium suede in the upper and a larger tongue, and the sole contains the company’s Air Tech to support comfort. It was released in 2022.

Conclusion

The Nike Dunk made its debut in the sneaker world as a basketball shoe in the mid-80s, rallying college programs in America.

But the Nike Dunk would soon be favoured by skaters, and it would become one of the most sought-after silhouettes in the game. Classic colourways have made a comeback of late, further boosting the sneaker’s popularity.