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The last dunk lows I picked up were the classic green SB dunk lows, and now we’re moving towards a more limited release. These Nike Dunk Low UNDFTD Canteen are a collab between Undefeated and Nike that includes 2 dunks and an Air Force 1 (as far as I know). The collab is known as the “Dunk vs AF-1 pack”
The pack features an old Nike Dunk High UNDFTD collaboration colorway making its way onto the Air Force 1, and vice versa for the two dunk colorways. The blue dunks are a limited family and friends colorway while these are a reference to the Nike Air Force 1 Low UNDFTD Canteen which came out in 2006.
Why I Copped these Dunk Low UNDFTD Canteen
I actually wanted to get this pair but got distracted when these dropped and basically slept on the release. I saw these and had remembered wanting a pair of them. Luckily, the prices are fairly low on these. I’m guessing based on the relatively low resale, others slept on these about as much as I did.
While I’m annoyed to pay resale, it’s encouraging that the prices aren’t too bad. I’m hoping this is a sign of things to come as far as getting dunks at reasonable prices again.
I’ve been knowing about the UNDFTD brand for a while and have owned clothes from them as well as bought kicks from their online store. I think I have a couple of hats of theirs lying around somewhere. In any case, they have often collaborated with Nike. I’ve gotten some of their collabs in the past. When they drop a shoe with Nike I tend to pay attention! It’s neat that the brand has been doing this long enough to actually homage previous collabs.
I like the details and interesting materials used on this particular release. Normally, canvas kicks aren’t really my bag, but the textures used around the toebox and sides help to elevate the look on the shoe.
The earth tones used here really flatter the dunk and the yellow swoosh helps for a nice bit of pop to break things up. Even if these were not a collab, I would still have been interested based purely on the colorway. I definitely see these getting a lot of shine during the fall.
Details / Materials
Starting off we have a black UNDFTD strikethrough logo on a beige nylon tongue tag. This all sits on a nylon tongue.
Moving Down we have metal eyelets that lead to a canvas toebox with a canvas mudguard. There’s the pattern on these areas that emulates the AF1 collab these are based on. Moving to the side we have another canvas panel with a yellow leather swoosh on top. We get a leather panel towards the back with the strikethrough logo embroidered in white. On the back we have Nike debossed in white on a suede backtab.
The insole is beige with the Dunk vs AF-1 graphic in white and orange. The outsole is all beige with the Nike logo towards the middle.
These ship with sets of yellow and tan flat laces. The paper inside features a special Dunk VS AF1 graphic as a pattern. The box is a blue box with Undefeated strike through logo on the front and Dunk VS AF-1 graphic on the top.
So we get a couple laces and a different box, as well as special details and graphics around the shoe. For a retail of $120, that’s a pretty good deal as far as Nike dunk collabs these days! I’m glad UNDFTD went the extra mile to make these feel different than the average Nike Sportswear dunk drop.
How is the Quality on the Nike Dunk Low UNDFTD Canteen?
Besides the nylon tongue, we basically get canvas and leather with a small hit of suede.
The canvas looks really cool! I think it’s the pattern, it sets it off from other more regular canvas kicks. As for the quality, the canvas seems thick and durable, yet pliable and soft. I normally am not really worried about creasing, and I’m still not here, although I can see it happening a lot faster. While it’s not a dealbreaker, this is part of the reason I tend to avoid canvas kicks.
The leather on the back panel is smooth while the swoosh seems to be a bit more textured. Still, the quality here seems good. Not amazing, but better than many of the recent GR dunk releases Nike has been putting out. The suede seems ok, it’s not particularly buttery but then again it’s just a small hit on the backtab. Not enough to really analyze too deeply.
Overall I think considering that this is a collab at $120, the materials do a good job of making the shoe feel special. While nothing individually sticks out as premium, the shoe as a whole gives off a well thought out vibe. Even if those thoughts originated with a previous collab. This shoe pretty much looks the same in person as in pics online, so you probably will get pretty much what you expect from these. The quality, while not next level, is still good for a mostly canvas shoe.
The QC and craftsmanship are ok. Typical Nike flaws are there to some degree but nothing majorly eggregious, at least on my pair.
Fit
I recommend true to size with these. Which I of course did in order to save some money in resale. The toebox isn’t nearly as stiff as I thought it might be given the materials. That in addition to the overall roomier fit of non-SB dunks usually works out for me.
Comfort
The comfort here is basic. The Nike dunk is kind of a no-frills type of feeling underfoot, it’s just a basic midsole and insole combo. It’s not uncomfortable, but not really noteworthy either. Just a basic bit of support to keep your feet off the ground.
The upper here is somewhat pliable which aids in the fit and also is decently comfy. This is a relief; stiff uppers is the other reason I don’t like canvas for a shoe material quite as much. In this case though, the feel is not as sturdy as it looks. I’ve definitely felt more comfy uppers, especially coming off buying some Ultraboost and Flyknit pairs recently. Still, as long as the uppers can move with my foot instead of being like a stiff cast, I’m ok with the fit and feel of the dunk.
Are there more comfy shoes out there? Sure. Are these still wearable for a few hours at a time? Of course!
Final Thoughts
This colorway is really sharp in my opinion. That combined with the extra branding and collab callback elements jammed into the shoe make this a nice pickup.
It’s kind of annoying that my chances of a retail cop on a pair of dunks like this are pretty low, but at least certain dunks get slept on a bit now. Meaning at least some colorways are attainable at prices that don’t seem that outrageous.
The materials and comfort here are a bit better than the standard general release dunk fare, nothing spectacular, but still nice and interesting. When it comes to dunks though, one of the most important things for me is that they are gonna look great on feet, which these do!
Where To Cop the Nike Dunk Low UNDFTD Canteen
As of the writing of this article, you can find them on eBay
Colorway: Canteen / Lemon Frost – Palomino
Style Code: DH3061 200
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $120