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This afternoon Nike dropped The Story of Dunk: Episode 2 – “Pro B to SB” on SNKRS app.
The weekly episodes, which have dropped on Friday for the past 3 weeks, have highlighted the Dunk’s history. Detailing how the model achieved its present legendary status, this week’s episode goes into depth about Nike SB’s formation.
Looking back to the late ’90s, Nike looked to enter the market in a way that worked slightly against them. As Kevin Imamura (Global Footwear R&D, Nike SB) says, “The shoes were overbuilt”, referencing Nike’s first skateboarding effort, the Choad. Naturally, there was an air of mistrust within skate culture about Nike’s approach toward their subculture.
Little did the Swoosh realize that sitting in the shadows of their basketball line was the perfect shoe, the Nike Dunk.
Skateboarders found this silhouette ideal here because of the amount of self-expression that came with wearing these unique pairs. This was the first time that shoes that typically appeared in simpler colorways with all leather uppers started appearing using distinctive materials and unusual colors. That was when the Dunk Pro B was conceptualized.
Sandy Bodecker was a massive part of Nike making this design ideology more mainstream within the company. Initially a shoe tester for Nike, his detailed notes allowed him to move through the company ranks rapidly. He guided Nike to transition the Dunk from a basketball shoe to a skating shoe. He understood Nike’s inadvertent role in history and was essential in capturing the magic skaters already saw within the Dunk. Throughout his lifetime he was integral to Nike’s capturing the world’s hearts and minds and Sandy’s influence is undeniable.
We’ve already got our eyes peeled on SNKRS for next Friday as we continue The Story of Dunk. Join us in keeping up to date and let us know how Dunks have been a part of your life so far. Keep up to date with all the latest from Snkrs Day!
