Dunk
The Nike Dunk is one of Nike’s best-known sneakers: a 1985 basketball shoe that became a staple of streetwear and skate culture. Its clean, low-profile shape and endless range of colour combinations make the Dunk easy to wear with almost any outfit. Today the Nike Dunk Low is the most popular version, for women and men alike.
The history of the Nike Dunk
Nike launched the Dunk in 1985 as a team shoe for American college basketball. Designer Peter Moore, who also drew the Air Jordan 1 that same year, gave it a simple design that could easily take on a team’s colours. Through the ‘Be True to Your School’ campaign, universities such as Kentucky, Michigan and Syracuse each got their own Dunk.
After the basketball court, skaters discovered the Dunk thanks to its flat sole and sturdy leather. In 2002 Nike responded with the Nike SB Dunk, built specifically for skateboarding. Around 2020 the regular Dunk Low made a huge comeback, with the black-and-white ‘Panda’ as its best-known example.
Design and materials
The Dunk has a leather upper with contrasting overlays, a perforated toe box for ventilation and a padded collar around the ankle. Underneath sits a flat rubber cupsole with a circular tread pattern, originally designed for grip on the basketball court. The shoe comes in a Low and a High version: the Low is the easiest to pair with jeans or shorts, while the High offers more support and a bolder retro look.
Popular Nike Dunk colorways
New Dunk colours and collaborations appear every year. These are currently the most popular colorways on WOOVIN:
- Dunk Low ‘Panda’: the black-and-white pair that kicked off the Dunk’s comeback.
- Dunk Low ‘Grey Fog’: light grey with white, a calmer alternative to the Panda.
- Dunk Low ‘Cacao Wow’ (W): brown overlays on a cream base.
- Dunk Low ‘Medium Olive’ (W): olive green with off-white.
- Air Dunk Jumbo ‘Medium Olive’: a Dunk variant with an oversized Swoosh.
What is the difference between the Nike Dunk and the Air Force 1?
Both models come from 1980s basketball, but they wear differently. The Nike Air Force 1 has a thicker sole with Air cushioning and looks chunkier. The regular Dunk Low and High are slimmer, have a thinner sole without Air and sit closer to the ground. If you want a clean, low profile, the Dunk is usually the pick.
How does the Nike Dunk fit?
The Nike Dunk generally fits true to size, so you can stick with your usual Nike size. The toe box is a little narrower than on many other sneakers, though. If you have wide feet, or like to wear the Dunk with thick socks, go half a size up. Models with (W) in the name follow Nike’s women’s size chart; in EU sizes you simply order your own size.
Buy the Nike Dunk at WOOVIN
On WOOVIN you will find the Nike Dunk Low and High for women and men, from the Panda and Grey Fog to rarer collaborations. Torn between Low and High? Choose the Low for everyday wear and the High if you want a bold retro look. Filter by your size to see straight away which colorways are available.
