Nike Sb Dunks

First introduced in 1985, the Nike Dunk was designed by Peter Moore, one of the most influential designers in the brand’s history. Bearing similarities to the Jordan I and the Terminator—both introduced the same year and designed by the same team—the Dunk boasted the same tech and construction as its peers. What made the Dunk special, however, was the endless colorways that became a defining characteristic. Initially released as a college basketball sneaker, the Dunk’s various colorways mimicked those of Nike’s biggest college basketball partners. The shoes associated tagline, “Be True To Your School,” reflects how Nike marketed the shoe to both basketball players and fans alike, as a way to showcase collegiate pride. Before long, skaters too became fans of the Dunk, though mainly for the support and cushioning it offered, as well as the added traction, owing to a sole designed for pivoting in the post. In the late ‘90s, the Dunk received some technical updates—like the introduction of a nylon tongue—that inadvertently made them even better for skating. While more and more skaters gravitated towards Dunks, Nike had the aforementioned underperforming skate business on its hands. The problem was clear: the only Nikes skaters wore weren’t Nike skate shoes.