Collection: Nike SB

If you’re watching old skate videos from the 80s and 90s, chances are you’re going to spot skaters in Nike sneakers. Nike Blazers, Jordans, and Dunks were quite popular models back in the day when the skate industry was in its infancy, and shoes explicitly made for skateboarding left a lot to be desired in terms of quality. Yet, as skateboarding rose in popularity and more shoe brands fought for market share, regular Nike shoes remained the weapon of choice for many skaters. In 1997, however, the Portland-based company unsuccessfully attempted to explicitly target skateboarders. It wasn’t until 2002 that Nike began to market Nike SB as a serious skateboard shoe company; and this time, they meant business.

From Canvas to Icon: The Nike SB Dunk

Nike had realized that they were sitting on a huge-ass pile of models that had a history in skateboarding. One of the more popular shoes was the Dunk, a vintage basketball sneaker. After some alterations to its construction to meet the demands of skateboarding, the model was re-released as the Nike SB Dunk. Someone at Nike had a flash of genius: since Nike Skateboarding was a non-mainstream, experimental branch of the Nike brand, and since skateboarders were perceived as an odd, rebellious, even creative bunch, the company turned the SB Dunk into a guinea pig. Designers and collaborators were encouraged to come up with bizarre marketing concepts and try out weird colorways and materials. In short, they used the Dunk as a canvas for their creative will, and it seemed that no idea was off-limits (except when it came to copyright claims, duh). Thus, in the early to mid-2000s, most of the legendary Dunks were released: the Nike SB Tiffany Dunks, for instance. Or the Three Bears Pack. As a result, the Dunk became an instant grail to sneakerheads and skateboarders alike.

Buy Nike SB online at Bonkers Shop

There are so many Dunk SB releases that listing them would fill a library. But it’s not all about the big D (haha). Another quite popular model is the Nike SB Blazer. And don’t get us started on the Nike Janoski, possibly the best-selling skate shoe of all time. Since its humble beginnings, Nike SB has proven to be more than capable of delivering well-made, desirable skate shoes that radiate well beyond skateboarding, having become cultural icons. You can buy Nike SB Dunks, Nike SB Blazers, and Nike SB Special Releases at Bonkers online shop and our store in Frankfurt.