The 50 Best Nike Dunks Of All Time
It’s September, which means back to school time is upon us. And what sneaker is more appropriate for school than the Nike Dunk? In 1985, Nike released the original Dunk Hi sneaker to heavy-match with the uniforms of top-tier college basketball teams. Now, 24 years later, we’ve seen everyone from graffiti artists and super brands to cool-guy stores and rock bands put their spin on the iconic silhouette.
The sneaker is Nike’s canvas, and while we’re sure you’ve bought a bunch in your lifetime, we’re hoping you bought some of the right ones. With the spirit of the kids going back to the books, we put together a master list of what we felt are the 50 Best Nike Dunks Of All Time—minus SBs (that list is coming later, so don’t try to do it first!). See which styles made the cut, and have fun strolling down memory lane after the jump. Class is in session.
50. Nike Dunk Hi “Perfed Suede”
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2008
• These Dunk Premiums do what the Mighty Crowns, the Currys and all the others tried—a dope tone-on-tone Dunk, with premium material. Bang Bang. Start the countdown off strong.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————–
49. Nike x Stüssy Dunk Hi “World Tour”
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2006
• If you want to do something cool, you call Stüssy. If Stüssy calls you, you say yes. Nike joined in on the World Tour T-Shirt hype with a pack that consisted of these Dunks and the sleeper Dunk Low Trainer 1 Hybrid. Should have seen it coming.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————–
48. Nike Dunk High “Iron Tweed”
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2007
• Nike SB dropped the Harris Tweed Dunks, everyone went nuts. Regular Nike dropped these for everyone who either wasn’t fast enough (or rich enough) to cop. Not as good as the SBs, but a great alternate if you missed the original.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————–
47. Nike Dunk High Premium “Curry”
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2002
• Sometimes a simple sneaker takes the cake, and when the design crew had it’s first, “Maybe these are getting a little too nuts,” moment, the “Curry” pack dropped. Soon enough they were back on the crazy tip, but not before this little “Wear-it-to-your-girlfriends-parents-house” pack dropped.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————–
46. Nike Dunk High “Ultimate Glory”
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2008
• To commemorate the June 1996 bout between Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez and then rising star Oscar De La Hoya, and to get in tight with the Mexico City sneaker stores before opening the Nike Sportswear shop in one of the craziest cities in the world, Nike dropped these puppies. A few pairs made their way stateside, but this one was mainly for the Latins.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————–
CLICK NEXT TO SEE DUNKS 45- 41
COPPED THEM TO ROCK THEM September 7, 2009 at 1:40 am
WHOEVER PUT THIS LIST TOGETHER DOSENT HAVE A CLUE WHAT WAS THE CRITERIA? SHOULD HAVE BEEN 43 WORST AND 7 HOT LIST
King AUbrey October 20, 2009 at 3:09 pm
if you include sb’s i am with alot of sb’s wud merk these n wur r the huf quakes and earth quakes??
ALikeno1 September 7, 2009 at 2:47 am
Good Picks Thanks for putting that together.
lustyman September 7, 2009 at 12:09 pm
where are the melvins?????
TheBrownMaMba September 23, 2009 at 9:52 am
thank you thats wat i said along with the unkles the de la souls and the original FLOMs.
ali September 7, 2009 at 12:56 pm
this is just a dunks list…sb’s are not included!!!
ted September 7, 2009 at 9:07 pm
is this a joke?
this was compiled by someone who spent 2 weeks reading iss, not someone who knows dunks…
B.Payton September 7, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Did I miss something? Where are the Supreme Dunks With the stars? Craziest dunks Ive ever seen. I’d gladly rearrange this list
B.Payton September 7, 2009 at 10:32 pm
De La Souls?
Jon September 8, 2009 at 8:09 am
Horrible list. Where are the Tiffany’s?
JerseyFame September 8, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Where are the MF Dooms? Did I miss something?
I saw some pink polka dot craps and some scribbled crayon catastophes…but no Dooms?
Are the MF Dooms not Dunks?
Prize September 8, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Did anybody even buy 80% of these joints??
zackattack johnson September 8, 2009 at 7:28 pm
what the hell is this. dunks that should be on list tiffanys, what the dunks,mf dooms,de la souls,three pears pack,destroyers (red earths), supreme’s pack, pigeons??!, futuras,sea crystals, dino jr., mork and mindys. the list gos on and on
anonymous September 9, 2009 at 9:26 am
Whoever wrote this list obviously does not know anything about dunks, sneakers, or fashion in general. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll ever be checking any lists by Complex Magazine again.
californiabullshittin September 9, 2009 at 5:32 pm
what about:
de la soul
the pigeon ones
tiffany’s
???
Andrew September 9, 2009 at 7:26 pm
WOW this list is terrible. you can tell whatever idiot at complex decided on this top 50 has NO clue about shoes (probably some typical ass LATE HYPEBEAST) wow “zackattack johnson” you are retarded… 3 bears pack, dino jr… mork and mindy??? are you fucking kidding me?
Andrew September 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm
by the way … when the majority of shoes posted on this piece of crap “top 50 dunks of all time” are mostly from 2008 and later you know something is wrong…
BABYLATIN September 9, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I SEEN ABOUT 7 OR 8 HOT ONES,,,,THE REST R BOOTY
brooklyn1976 September 10, 2009 at 7:02 am
This list is ass i bet the people who pick’d them stated wearing dunks in 2006 lol
fownownah September 11, 2009 at 8:28 am
Yea most are pretty ugly… :S
DPPPP September 13, 2009 at 9:36 am
vvvv Are you guys dumb, this is the “50 best nike dunks” not the “50 best nike dunk sb’s”
mjoeyson September 15, 2009 at 10:31 am
This is stupid. No untiffanies?
kuyang.maneuver September 15, 2009 at 2:37 pm
wow. drooling ~
SBoy! September 15, 2009 at 8:58 pm
whoever puts this list doesn’t know about dunks.. lame ass LIST!! where’s the tiffs, unfuturas, wtd, pigeons, doom, dela soul, unkles.. mo’fo!
Charles September 17, 2009 at 6:30 am
Are you serious? These are the 50 Best?
chocolate September 19, 2009 at 3:10 am
air jordan fusion
CassavaLeaf.com September 20, 2009 at 8:30 pm
sweet list
the truth September 20, 2009 at 10:08 pm
NOTHING FROM BEFORE 2000 I CANT TAKE THIS LIST SERIOUSLY THERE ALL NEW RELEASES MOST ARENT EVEN NICE
Chris September 22, 2009 at 1:58 pm
where are the Osaka’s or the Dinosaur Jr’s…..the scholastic pack (Elmer’s Glue, notebook, crayola)…this list is a fail
Brian September 23, 2009 at 12:07 am
Come on guys. These are lists of DUNKS. NOT SBs. Most of them they listed were general releases and quick strikes. Know ur shit guys.
sam September 23, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I guess this was the non-SB list.
CrossuOUt September 26, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Man , You could only expect this outcome From a Toy Like Marc. Spits on your Face!
CrossuOUt September 26, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Marc is a TOY!
sliz October 19, 2009 at 11:07 pm
WHERE ARE THE DE LA SOULS??
KidddFresh October 26, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Yall are fucking stupid this is dunks not SB’s MORONS STFU KNOW YOUR SHIT
secret November 12, 2009 at 2:43 am
what happen to the coralines & mf dooms!?
rs November 16, 2009 at 8:36 pm
iLLLL!!!
You guys blow November 20, 2009 at 2:49 pm
ITS A FUCKING DUNK LIST, NOT AN SB DUNK LIST.
Learn to read fucking idiots.