Nike has a rich history of being inclusive of sports from all over the country.
However, there has been no other brand that has done as well in Nike Basketball as the Nike Dunks. Iconic in name and nature, the Nike Dunks were introduced in 1985, with the Nike Dunk x Air Jordan 1 College Colorway project changing the landscape of sneakers forever.
A Brief History of Nike Dunks
Coming from the mind of Peter Moore, he first designed the silhouette by combining the three bestselling shoes Nike ever made. Designing the sneaker using elements from the Air Force 1 (first released in 1982), Air Jordan 1 (first released in 1984) and the Nike Terminator (1985), Moore designed these sneakers to be performance-driven, focused primarily on functionality, while maintaining their stylistic design.
Image via Nike
The Nike Dunk was made for basketball. Making lucrative deals with colleges, the Dunks were eventually released in multiple colourways, for athletes to wear.
Be True To Your School
Nike decided to collaborate with colleges to give them official sneakers for the basketball team, and thus started a long history of bright, iconic colors, and overwhelming support for school spirit. These Nike Dunk x Air Jordan 1 sneakers were not only good looking and great to play in, but they were also a way for people to show support for their teams without having to rely solely on jerseys and college colors.
During the summer of 1985, Nike’s famous “Be True to Your School” campaign launched, with the Nike Dunk Air Jordan 1s released in a multitude of different colours, each repping for a specific college basketball team. The bold colourways and simple designs placed these sneakers into the instant classic category, with sneakerheads scrambling to get their hands on a pair thirty-five years later.
Nike Dunk Low SP ‘Syracuse’
The Nike Dunk Low SP ‘Syracuse’ is one example of a classic colourway from the ‘Be True to Your School’ campaign that has made its way back recently. Donning an Orange leather, the toe box, heel collar, and side panels come in White. The silhouette comes in two variants, both high and low.
Nike Dunk Low SP ‘Kentucky’
The Nike Dunk Low SP ‘Kentucky’ is another classic colourway from 1985 campaign, recently released for sneakerheads to enjoy. Coming out in both lows and highs, the sneaker has a White and Blue leather upper.
The legacy of the Dunks
While the general aesthetic and purpose of the Dunks were meant for basketball, the sneakers caught on to the general public. Sneakerheads, skaters, and general enthusiasts loved the design. It soon became an all-time classic, propelling the sport of basketball into pop culture.
With some of the sneakers going for a resale value double or triple their actual retail price, these simple, yet brilliant shoes continue to remain popular even through the ages.
