Dunk (footwear)
Encyclopedia
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
in 1985. As the Nike Terminator
Nike Terminator
The Nike Terminator high-top was introduced in 1985, and was distinguished from the similar Nike Dunk by its unusual logo -- NIKE in large letters across the heel of the shoe...
’s "fraternal twin", originally having numerous colors in most sizes (Hi-Top or Low-Top) for various Universities and Colleges. Since its reintroduction in 1998, the Dunk has transformed from a basic basketball shoe into a subcultural icon and an inspiration for fashion, culture, and art.
Designed for basketball
Nike Dunk, a pair of good basketball shoes, with “simple design, and low-tech”, but Nike Company think it is definitely a pair of cross-century shoes. According to technical content, Nike Dunks shoes which without Air Cushion are always considered the original styles. However, the correct order is Air Force 1 - first Air Cushion shoe, used by Nike to defeat their rival Converse so that the company can triumph in the market and the stock has been rising in 1983. Two years latter, Nike is facing the worst sales crisis for adisas coming back. In order to turn that into an asset, Nike made a big decision: they make heavy investment to invite Michael Jordan to be advertising endorser which affect the whole world. And then, Nike using Air Force 1 as original prototype designed the first pair of signature shoes Air Jordan One to Michael Jordan. Soon all of the top school teams are strongly urged to have their own team shoe, which is why there was Dunk.The Nike Dunks has a lower profile outer sole than its parent shoes. The intent was a lighter weight and staying closer to the ground. In addition, the paneling was revised to improve basketball game performance during pivoting and blocking. The Dunk was used to spearhead what Nike called the ’College Colors’ program. They signed some college basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams (and their coaches) to an exclusive Dunk sponsorship deal; in simple terms, the deal meant that each colored pair of Dunks matched their uniforms.
The return of the Dunk
In 1998, NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
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
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
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.