The Nike SB Dunk is the skateboarding-specific variant of the Nike Dunk basketball silhouette (1985, Peter Moore), launched in 2002 when Nike formalized its Nike SB (Skateboarding) division. The SB Dunk added the padding, cushioning, and construction refinements skaters demanded while retaining the iconic Dunk silhouette profile.
Key construction differences
- Fat tongue — padded Zoom Air-reinforced tongue for shoelace protection
- Zoom Air insole — impact cushioning for skate trick impact absorption
- Thicker padding around ankle collar and tongue
- Elongated Swoosh on earlier SB Dunks for design distinction
- Premium material callouts on most SB Dunk releases
- Vacuum-formed leather tongues on select early-era SB Dunks
Legendary Nike SB Dunk releases
- "Paris" SB Dunk Low (2003) — artist Bernard Buffet-inspired; original resales reached $10,000+
- "Tiffany" SB Dunk Low (2005) — Diamond Supply × SB collab in Tiffany blue
- "Pigeon" SB Dunk Low (2005) — Staple × SB, caused NYC riots at the Reed Space launch
- "What the Dunk" SB (2007) — patchwork retrospective of earlier Dunk Highs
- "Tokyo" and "Pigeon" SB High series
- "Concepts Lobster" SB Dunk Low series (Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Purple)
- "Travis Scott" SB Dunk Low (2020) — resells $1,500+
- "Ben & Jerry's Chunky Dunky" (2020) — ice cream-themed colorway
- "Grateful Dead" SB Dunk Low (2020) — fuzzy texture; split into three colorways
- "Otomo Katsuhiro" SB Dunk (2024) — Akira creator collab
Modern era
SB Dunk hype peaked 2020-2022 alongside the broader Dunk revival. Hundreds of new colorways have released in the period, with general-release SB Dunks now sitting at or near retail. Collaborative releases continue to drive premium resale.