Nike Dunk

Nike Dunk is a line of shoes released by Nike in 1985. Originally released as a basketball shoe, the popularity of the shoe among the skating community also led to the creation of a variant used for skateboarding. The shoe is offered in low-, mid- and high-top styles.

Nike Dunk

A black and white pair of Nike Dunk shoes commonly referred to as the "Panda Dunk".
Type	Sneakers
Inventor	Nike, Inc.
Inception	1985; 40 years ago (1985)
Manufacturer	Nike
Available	Yes
Website	nike.com

Overview

3 pair of Nike Dunks showing the distinct colorways that the model comes in.

Originally called the College Color High, the shoe was designed by Peter Moore and took elements from the Legend, Terminator, and Air Force 1 shoes.^[1] The shoe was popular when it was first released due in part to the different color schemes that were released. These were created to represent the different colors of universities and their basketball teams.^[2]

Models

Air Dunk

A version of the dunk that features the original upper of the shoe but with the sole of the Nike Air Train that contains the company's air technology.

SB Dunk

SB Dunk was used by Nike to enter the skateboarding market, launching a variant of the shoe made exclusively for skateboarding.^[3] In establishing itself, Nike signed famous skaters such as Reese Forbes, Richard Mulder, Gino Ianucci, and Danny Supa to the first Nike SB skate team.^[4] The shoe was successful among skateboarders and eventually achieved mainstream popularity and kept the line popular well into the 2000s.^[5]

Air Dunk Jumbo

A chunkier version of the shoe that features premium suede materials in the upper with a bigger tongue and the sole includes the company's air technology to make it more comfortable to wear. It was released in 2022.^[6]