Facts
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Top
Low Top
Extremely popular sneakers because of their price range, versatility when it comes to style, and freedom of movement. Almost everyone is guaranteed to have low-top sneakers in their shoe rotation.
Mid Top
Mid-top sneakers extend toward the ankle for a little more support and hold. These lie somewhere in the middle between low-top and high-top sneakers in terms of usage and popularity.
High Top
Sneakers with collars that go above the ankles for optimal hold and support are some of the most sought-after models in lifestyle shoes. Most of these shoes take their roots from basketball and have easily or fashionably crossed to mainstream wear.
Good to know
Regardless of cut, it's always good to start with sneakers that can be worn for the daily grind, also called as "beaters" by some, as these are usually cheaper, easy to clean, and still gives that lifestyle "edge" before going for those wallet-thinning models.
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Inspired from
Sports
Sneakers dominantly take their heritage from running, basketball, skate, tennis, training, hiking, and football. Still retaining a few of their performance-based technologies, these sneakers have transcended their respective niches and have successfully and popularly transformed themselves as staples of fashion footwear.
Casual
Sneakers designed for a laidback, "cool" vibe that is built for lifestyle wear right from the get-go.
Good to know
Brands are now blending elements of performance and casual appeal in basically every sneaker. One can hardly go wrong with a sports-inspired sneaker or a simple casual shoe.
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Collection
Good to know
Shoes sharing the same inspiration, history, materials, or technologies are routinely assembled under one compilation for the convenience of those who may wish to categorize or label their own collection as such. The classic collections like the Adidas Originals, Air Max 1, Air Force 1, new balance classic sneakers, and the Classic Leather head the pack of frequently asked about collections.
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Price$90
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Special editions
Rankings
Expert Reviews
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Fit & Sizing
The Nike Dunk Low proportionately emphasizes its customization feature by its availability in a wide range. For men's, the shoe is made available in D medium width from sizes 6-15. The Nike Dunk Low is available in women's sizes ranging in sizes from 5-12.
Nike Dunk Low Style
Due to its low to the ground profile, the shoe can be sported in an excellent number of ways. The classic design, as some reviewers gave testimonials to its unique character, can be fashioned with almost every outfit ranging from shorts for men to skirts and dresses for women. For more formal events, the shoe also complements suits and long sleeved shirts.
Notable Features
Probably the remarkable difference between the Nike Dunk Low and the Nike SB Dunk are the grooves found at the outsole. The SB Dunk contains more grooves and fine lines as compared to the Nike Dunk Low. The latter remained almost similar to the outsole design of the Air Jordan I while the former allows more grip whenever the surface touches the skateboard.
A visible SB marking can also be seen in the tongue of the SB Dunk Low, while in the retro Dunk Low, only the Nike Logo can be seen. The women’s and men’s Nike Dunk Low also retained the detail of the original release where the lace patch overlaps the toe overlay. This pinnacle feature enables sneakerheads to quickly spot an Air Jordan from a Nike SB silhouette to a Dunk Low. Another accent which serves as leverage to further determine the differences between these iterations are the laces which are rounded in the SB franchise.
Nike Dunk Low History
The Nike Dunk shoe releases started as a sponsorship between Nike and the top college teams proliferating during the mid-80s. Peter Moore, the sole designer of the first Air Jordan, sketched an initial design for the shoe series that would later innovate customization in a shoe.
Team universities from Georgetown, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, St. John's, UNLV, and Syracuse were ranked as the top schools of the basketball zeitgeist thus securing a collaboration with Nike that enabled availability of different colorways that match their school.
Different color combinations were not only deliberately customized for the top teams but are also made available in various hues as well, catering a myriad of other groups. The shoes, depending on the school's preference, were released distinctly in high top and low top forms.
The low top form's aesthetics is inspired by a handful of previous designs hailed from pioneer shoe models of Nike. The Nike Legend, one of the most innovative models from the Nike origins, exhilarated technological breakthrough with the creation of the perforated toe box and colored outsoles. Another iconic design which gave the holistic concept of the Nike Dunk was the Nike Air Force 1 which advocated the Dunk's unique contour and shape.
A prominent contributor to the Nike Dunk Low's image was probably the silhouette of the Air Jordan I, which was also coincidentally made by the same shoe architect, Peter Moore. His design with the Nike Dunk reflects that of the Jordan I which was made purposely in a vast variety of colorways.
The shoe made its retro return in 2011 with the release of the Nike Dunk Low vintage pack. The series displayed an inverse of the Michigan Dunk colorway alongside the Curry Dunk Low and the Ultraman. Several hues of white, red, and blue were also released subsequently in the same year.
Since the dawn of SB’s reign, the Nike Dunk Lows served as a quintessential piece in uniting sneaker boutiques with the common public. Though Nike itself had showcased several of their ingenious designs, these coveted low tops flabbergasted the sneaker world by conjoining concepts with iconic stores. The absence of the SB sub during the latter stretches of the 90s approaching the mid-2000s gave birth to a surplus of versions which the Nike Dunk Low design team obliged.
Colorways like the Nike Dunk Low White on White embellished the vintage appearance of the sneaker flawlessly which incidentally is a crowd-favorite of the ladies. The Nike Dunk Low in a pink suede upper, or more technically known as Silt Red, is also a viable option for women. For the muskier side of the human gender, Nike released a Nike Dunk Low in Black Suede makeover which was unveiled in October 2017 at a retail price of $110.
Going camo is almost a consistent theme for the Dunks. Speaking of this military-inspired concept, the most expensive, maybe for some who belong to the 99% of society, would be the Undefeated x Nike Dunk Low in camo-based splatters. The coveted sneaker debuted in 2008, and the sneaker-collecting pantheon had never slept since then. Back then, the low top camo was priced at $6000 and the hell who knows how much it would cost right now.
Additional Info
- The Nike Dunk Low top was re-released first in 1998, which was the spark plug for creating the SB Dunk series in 2002 after several disappointments penetrating the skating industry.
- The shoe had its first Flyknit release in August of 2017 that was timed to be outfitted during the summer.
- The Nike SB Dunk Low has thicker tongues as compared to the Nike Dunk Low which stayed similar to the original release.
- Laces in the SB Dunk shoes are thicker as compared to the Dunk Lows.
- The Nike Dunk Low comes in bright orange colorways also.
- Compared to the SB’s, the Nike Dunk Low is cheaper probably due to the absence of a Zoom Air insole.