|
DeLorean Nike Dunk
|
The return of the Dunk
In 1998, Nike began production of the Dunk once again. Initial releases were classic university colors, but new non-team colors were soon introduced. At this time, Nike often released the same dunk in two different versions consisting of reversed colors. The dunks released from 1998 to 2000 featured a nylon tongue and arch supports, distinguishing them from today's dunk releases. Overall, the reintroduction of the dunk proved to be extremely successful and production numbers have since increased to meet growing demand.
Rooting into skate culture
Nike's basketball shoe line was fairly popular in the skateboarding scene, and the Dunk soon became a popular shoe for skaters due to the stability and lower profile sole which improved grounding performance. In 2002, Nike created a Dunk specifically for skateboarders, known as the Nike Dunk SB. It features an extra-padded "puffy tongue" (common among skateboarding sneakers) and Nike's patented Zoom Air insole. Since then, the SB Dunk has become a popular icon for enthusiastic sneaker-collectors, and has hit the streetwear fashion scene. Nike currently collaborates with many designers to create special edition and collectible Dunks. The popularitiy of these dunks has grown so wide that it has prompted Nike to create many other kinds of shoes specifically for skateboarding such Paul Rodriguez's, Tre's, Blazer's, and Team Editions to name a few. These shoes mimic the colorways and limited quantities of that of Nike Dunk Sb's, which increases their value and appeal.
|
|