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Jul
The Dunk has its roots in the early 1980s when collegiate basketball started to gain immense popularity. Nike’s most recent docuseries, The Story of Dunk, claims that the 1985 NCAA Final Four gave the company the inspiration for the Dunk. That year, Nike sponsored each of the four college teams vying for the NCAA Championship, which was a huge accomplishment given how new Nike was to the basketball industry.
The shoes themselves did not match the enthusiasm and charm of their surrounding surroundings, a stadium full of supporters dressed head to toe in their school colours and displaying their school love, even if the Swoosh insignia was prominent on the biggest platform in college basketball.
Nike created a design with striking colours to capture this excitement and make it suitable for both people in the crowd and team uniforms on the court. At that time, the designs Nike came up with included the Legend, the Terminator, and the Air Jordan 1—three of their most liked basketball shoes at the time.
This was one of the first basketball shoes to colour block, with panels of the upper saturated with logo colours to symbolise a particular school, in contrast to the predominantly white and straightforward basketball shoes of the 1970s and early 1980s. Nike almost named their newest school-spirited basketball shoe the College Color High, but instead, they chose to name it after the most exciting shot in basketball: the Dunk.
The Nike Dunks shoes and SB Dunks appear to be the same from a distance. Both of them have the standard panelled Dunk upper, perforated vamps, and grooved outsole. However, if you look closely, you will notice that SB Dunks were created especially for skateboarders. Therefore the name: Nike SB (Nike Skateboarding).
Now let’s talk about the differences. First, SB Dunks include a padded tongue and elastic straps on the lateral and medial sides that extend to the arch. This stops the tongue from becoming misaligned and uncomfortable while skating and also enables users to loosen their laces for added style without worrying about their shoes coming undone in the middle of a flip.
The majority of Non-SB Dunks have nylon tongues that are not cushioned. Except for a few Nike Dunk Pro B versions from the early 2000s that had mesh tongues that were somewhat packed, Dunks have had nylon tongues from their introduction in 1985. The Zoom Air unit in the heel and the bouncy Poron foam in the forefoot give SB Dunks’ insoles greater cushioning.
These design features increase the model’s comfort and responsiveness to decrease any impact when skating. Additionally, the top of the SB Dunk insole is made of terry cloth to reduce the amount of moisture brought on by sweat. Typical normal Dunks shoes have a simple foam insole, which is fine for everyday usage but less responsive than SBs.
Last but not least, Nike SB Dunks made after 2010 have a modest modification to the sole to enhance board grip and pivoting actions. The outsole’s concentric curved pattern has a higher frequency of grooves, which increases flexibility. Instead of the typical Nike Dunks, which have soles mostly comprised of EVA, the midsole is injected with Phylon foam for added cushioning.
Just in the last couple of years, there has been a tonne of new Nike Dunk releases. Although it can be confusing to decide which pair to buy, there are a few fundamental aspects to get right. You should choose clothing that goes with the sneakers you’re wearing, regardless of what kind of sneaker they are. You’ll want to make sure that your outfits, colours, and aesthetics are in harmony with one another depending on what colourway you’re wearing or even what mood you’re in.
The majority of Nike Dunks are on the hefty side of footwear. In light of this, you should steer clear of anything that is very fitting because it will draw attention to the overall bulkiness of the shape. Slim jeans and Nike Dunks? Most likely not a wise move. Of course, wearing Nike Dunks with jeans is possible; just make sure they aren’t too tight.
It’s important to wear colours that truly bring the Nike Dunk Low “Syracuse” out because it’s on the brighter end of the colour spectrum. The brilliant colours of the sneakers contrast nicely with a soft orange cardigan for example, which strikes a wonderful balance between the two. A tactile aspect and a relaxed and casual vibe are also added to the outfit by the slightly baggy denim jeans. Gold accessories complete the look and put the finishing touches on this stylish Nike Dunk ensemble.
The Nike Dunk Low “Kentucky” was one of the first pairs to go back in style in 2020. A loose-fitting sweater and washed sweatpants give this outfit an almost new grungy vibe. We all agree that a vintage band T-shirt completes the comfortable yet well-thought-through outfit. The “Kentucky” Dunks’ vivid blue upper brings it all together and completes a fantastic fashionable look.
The Nike Dunk Low and Nike Dunk High vary considerably from one another, as you would have imagined. And their names are truly where the clue lies. The shift in style strategy is nevertheless something to pay attention to. High-top shoes, as you are surely aware, call for a little extra attention when choosing your matching pieces.
Once you have the fundamentals down, planning an outfit for a Nike Dunk High is simple. Similar to the Nike Dunk Low, you want to wear something more casual but still make a statement with smart graduation of bold colours or full-on grey and black outfit for example. For the Nike Dunk High, cargos, sweatpants, or baggy jeans with a fitted top are the ideal coordinating wardrobe choices.
