NIKE DUNK: A SHOE DESIGNED FOR BASKETBALL
1985: Nike was then barely 10 years old and the basketball is rapidly gaining momentum to become the sport of choice in the United States. The development teams of the American firm are therefore looking for a way to take advantage of the popularity of this sport and market the same year the legendary air jordan 1 as well as Nike Dunks . These two models, still at the forefront of the sneaker scene today, have gone through very different paths...
If the very popular Nike Blazer , Nike Air Force 1 And Air Jordan 1 , mentioned above, are the three main pillars of basketball, the Nike Dunk is not really considered a reference model. And yet, it was indeed initially imagined to practice on the Short . It was in 1985 that Nike unveiled a well-crafted advertising campaign, named Be True To Your School , in which 12 university basketball teams were honored with a pack including a Dunk and the complete kits in the colors of the schools. To cite only the best known, this is how university players St John's , Syracuse , Kentucky or Michigan were given official Nike equipment, which basketball fans could find in a list of a few authorized stores.
Even though the Dunk did not immediately have an impact on the popular culture , unlike Air Jordan 1 which was an immediate success, the launch strategy will bear fruit in the years to come, at a time when the retro will be increasingly popular.
THEN ADOPTED BY SKATERS
Shortly after its debut, the Dunk spread beyond basketball culture when the community skateboard adopted the model in a completely natural way, for its technical specificities. Indeed, the 1985 silhouette has all the performance characteristics for skating, namely maximum lateral support, increased cushioning and special traction to pivot with ease. For versatility and comfort, Nike has introduced between 1998 And 2000 a padded tongue made of nylon, which further enhanced their appeal for this shoe.
In 2002 and after studying the needs of skateboard enthusiasts, the Swoosh brand introduces the division Nike SB , a range of products specially dedicated to this sliding sport. The brand thus offers Dunks with padding and traction specially designed to meet the requirements of the terrain. And what better way to highlight this new division? Exclusive releases named after four popular skaters: that's how the releases Reese Forbes , Danny Supa , Gino Lannucci And Richard Mulder have become mythical iterations of the model and therefore highly coveted by sneaker lovers. But also and above all, how not to mention the Nike Dunk SB Low Staple NYC Pigeon , which in 2005 was particularly talked about in the media. And this because of the riots caused during its extremely limited release in the shop of Designer Jeff Staple who had then affixed his Pigeon logo on this iteration which remains and will remain an icon of the world of sneakers.
A PILLAR OF CULTURE MEN'S & WOMEN'S SNEAKERS
Due to its history straddling the middle of the basketball and skateboarding , the Dunk became much more than Nike hoped for at the time. More than being a benchmark model in the world of basketball, the Dunk is a piece of Swoosh brand history that unites and energizes both the fashion , the sport and the sneaker culture .
And to keep the Dunk alive over the years, Nike offers retro outings eagerly awaited such as the reissue of the pack Be True To Your School declined on the model Low , where we were able to find the university colorways of St. John , Syracuse And Kentucky , Michigan And Iowa .
On the High Fashion side, we were able to discover in an unprecedented way, a Nike Dunk High Ambush Black White during the parade Fashion Week At New York. But other actors like Virgil Abloh managed to take the Nike Dunk to a whole new level. Evidenced by one of the most successful strokes of genius of the founder of Off-White , with its " The 50 " collection. The principle is simple: offer 50 variations of the Nike Dunks and this via an exclusive access system via the application SNKRS .
NIKE DUNK LOW & NIKE DUNK HIGH: TWO LEGENDARY SNEAKERS
If the Swoosh brand has understood one thing, it's the importance of capitalizing on these successful colors. Evidenced by its habit of declining in High version its editions of Dunk Low to success, such as the editions Syracuse or Kentucky .
It is important to note that Nike often moves away from its traditional pattern with its leather base and innovates with plays on materials, sometimes combining suede, suede or even other materials.
Available in sizes male And women , the Nike Dunk stands out with a unisex side and increasingly attractive prices, which are the consequence of the multiplication of the brand's colors at the Swoosh.
A strategy that does not harm the brand for the moment since the vast majority of sizes of a model are unavailable as soon as they are put online or in stores...