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The Nike SB story.
Nike SB, or Nike Skateboarding, was launched in 2002 by a small group led by longtime Nike manager Sandy Bodecker, who has since passed away. The team also consisted of a small number of skateboarders like Gino Ianucci, Danny Supa, and Resse Forbes. Today, Nike SB has become one of the largest and most important skate shoe companies in the world. Nike SB comprises of a huge team and a great following to go with it, skaters sneakerheads among them. Since its inception, Nike Skateboarding has reinterpreted classic models such as the Blazer, Bruin, and Dunk, as well as completely new models such as the Stefan Janoski pro-model, or the Signature Sneakers by Paul Rodriguez, Nyjah Housten, and Shane O'Neil. Each sneaker bears the name of its creator and the infamous swoosh, letting everyone know that the timeless design is of the highest quality.
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Nike SB and the history of the Dunk.
The success of Nike SB is closely linked to one shoe model in particular: the Dunk. No other shoe has had the same amount influence and impact on the worldwide skateboarding and sneaker community. The shoe was a true game-changer, and nothing has been the same since. When the shoe was first introduced by Nike in 1985, hardly anyone gave it a second thought. Nobody was camping on the streets for days to get a pair, and no one was ready to spend thousands of dollars. The times, of course, have changed. The Dunk was designed as a basketball shoe, composed of three different silhouettes: Air Force 1, Terminator, and Air Jordan 1.
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The 80s.
The year 1985 was not just the year of "Back to the Future" and "USA for Africa", it was also the year when college basketball reached an all-time high for views, all thanks to lucrative television broadcasting rights, with more people watching in the US than ever before. Nike decided to release its first Dunk model in every college color out there. The "Be True to Your School" ad campaign was a great success, and was the starting signal for one of the best selling sneakers of all time. To this day, although there have been endless versions, colorways, updates, etc., the shoe has lost none of its influence and popularity.
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