I’ve collected sneakers for as long as I can remember. Honestly, at first, I did not understand what I was doing. As the younger cousin just copied my older cousin Romel cause that’s what he was into. I used to pretend like I knew what I was talking about but in reality; I was just repeating things I heard him say when I would come to visit him in Brooklyn NY for the summer. My fascination with sneakers started back in 1997. At the time I was too young to afford sneakers for myself so I would make deals with my mom, sneakers for good grades. That’s when it all started. Today I’ve listed my Top 10 Best Nike SB Dunks Of All Time.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with this list so let me get that out-of-the-way now. These are the best Nike SB Dunks of all time and all these sneakers I’ve owned in my sneaker collection. If you agree or disagree, leave a message in the comments with your favorites. Let’s get started.
10. Staple x Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Black Pigeon”
Release Date: 2017-11-11
Color: Black, Black-Sienna
Style Code: 883232 008
Coming in at number 10. These are the most recent pair of Nike Dunk Low SB’s I’ve purchased. Why are these on my list you ask? These dropped last year in 2017. By now I’ve grown out of sneaker collecting. I wear the ones I have cause there’s no reason to own a pair of sneakers just to have them sit there and never wear them. The reason I had to have these are for two reasons. The first reason was, I just really liked them. The second reason was that it brought back that sense of nostalgia. They took me back to the days where I would work super hard at school just to get a fresh pair of Nike SB Dunks. I’m obviously a lot older now, but the feeling they brought was enough for me to pick these up.
9. Nike Dunk Low SB Pushead “Pushead”
Release Date: 2005-01-01
Color: Black, Black-Black
Style Code: 313233 001
At number 9 we have the Nike Dunk Low SB Pusheads. Man, I miss this shoe, worked hard to get these. I purchased these pairs all on my own with the money that I saved up from birthdays and hustling other sneakers. I loved the design of the shoe. Seriously, everything about this shoe was like eye candy for me. Unfortunately, I have little to say about these because someone stole them from me a few months after I bought them. I never found out who took them from me, but if I do, trust me even after all these years. It’ll be on sight.
8. Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Boca Juniors”
Release Date: 2005-04-01
Color: Varsity Royal, Lightening
Style Code: 304292 471
I remember the exact moment I got the “Boca Juniors”. The year was 2005, and I was in my sophomore year of high school. I actually still have them. The white midsoles aren’t as pristine as they once were and the gum outsole is a tad bit darker but they’re still good. As with a lot of the sneakers on this list. I could never part with these because a lot of good things happened to me in them. I kissed my high school crush in these and I won a few school rap battles in these. How in the world could I let these go?
7. Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Mediacom”
Release Date: 2004-07-01
Color: White, College Blue
Style Code: 304292 471
I got these from my cousin Romel. I never asked for them, they were simply gifted to me. Those summers I spent in Brooklyn were some of the best times of my life. I made friends who were so different from the way my parents raised me. I got to see different cultural backgrounds and learned my world was a lot bigger than I thought. That summer right before I left my cousin got these. I begged him to let me have them. I didn’t expect to actually get them. He left them on my bag with a note. “Don’t f**k them up.”
6. Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Jedi”
Release Date: 2004-05-01
Color: Khaki, Baroque Brown-Safari
Style Code: 304292 222
These I got off a trade, I don’t remember exactly what I traded for them but it was something like my PS2 and some games. At the time, to my friends, it seemed like a stupid trade but I wasn’t much of a gamer. I only played Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 on the console. Once I beat those games I didn’t care to play video games anymore. The previous owner wanted to let them go because they weren’t the easiest shoe to match with. Which benefited me because I mostly wore white t-shirts and black jeans. I still have them in good condition and don’t plan on letting them go.
5. Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Reese Forbes”
Release Date: 2002-05-01
Color: Wheat, Twig-Dune
Style Code: 304292 731
I wasn’t able to get these until my mid 20s. I’ve always liked Reese Forbes. He made skateboarding look so cool. I had such a hard time getting my hands on these sneakers. So when I finally got them, I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment from a sneaker collector’s standpoint. I’ve worn mine a few times so they have their personal marks on them which makes mine different from everyone else’s. They have character and sure dead stock is cool, but the world belongs to those who wear the sneakers they love. So every once in a while I pull them out and the reactions I get are always memorable.
4. Supreme x Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “Black Cement”
Release Date: 2002-09-01
Color: Black, Black-Cement Grey
Style Code: 304292 131
One thing I love about Nike SB Dunks was the silhouette of the shoe. I know elephant print isn’t really in like that anymore. But when these came out, people couldn’t get enough of it. When these dropped in 2002, my cousin Romel had to have them. This was Supreme’s first sneaker collaboration with Nike. In 2002, Nike SB’s weren’t crazy popular and a limited number of people cared about them. Fortunately for me, when my cousin stopped collecting sneakers and joined the army. I aquaired a majority of his collection.
3. Nike SB Dunk Low “Katsuya Terada”
Release Year: 2003
Color: Desert Red, Desert Red-Deep Orange
Style Code: BMQ164 M5 C1
There was a serious love-hate relationship with these sneakers. I had to put them on the list of the Top 10 Best Nike SB Dunks of All Time because I consider them SB’s. I got these from a trade. All I gave up was 20 dollars and a pair of Adidas Samba OG’s for them. I just liked the all red upper. Didn’t really care for the orange so unfortunately, I didn’t hold on to them very long. I wish I would’ve. They go for $4,500 at some sneaker shops now. Oh well…on to the next.
2. Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Dunk Low “Tiffany”
Release Date: 2005-08-01
Color: Aqua, Chrome
Style Code: 304292 402
What hurts me with these was I never got the chance to wear or enjoy these sneakers. I bought them for my birthday roughly three weeks before I lost my job and had to sell them for some spare cash. I won’t say how much I sold them for but everything happens for a reason. One day I’ll get them again. Cool story though, the only other person I know who owns these is a friend of mine named Tiffany whom I met while I was working in stock at Finish-Line. I kid you not, and she owns both the high and low top pair. Not too many people can say that.
1. Staple x Nike Dunk Low Pro SB “NYC Pidgeon”
Release Date: 2005-03-01
Color: Medium Grey/White-Dark Grey
Style Code: 304292-011
My favorite Nike Dunk Low Pro SB goes to the first Jeff Staple x Nike SB collaboration. I got them practically brand new from my cousin. If you don’t know by now, he was an avid sneaker collector. He taught me everything I know about sneakers. I tried them on once so they’re no longer dead stock but I might ask my girlfriend to marry me in these. They only made 150 pairs and pulled inspiration from NYC’s most common bird, the pigeon. Even if they weren’t super exclusive, I think the colorway is one of the best, and its why it takes the number one spot in my list of the Top 10 Best Nike SB’s of All Time.
