Nike Dunk Review

By Anthony Levine, longtime sneaker collector.

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Everytime I get a new pair of Nike Dunks, I create a new review. As one of my favorite sneaker models of all time, I own and have owned dozens of pairs. Some of the pairs are reviewed at the bottom of this article and some have their own article on this site.

What Year The Nike Dunk Debuted

The Nike Dunk debuted in 1985. Several college-themed Nike Dunk highs released. Apparently, some lows also released although they are not as celebrated as the original set of highs.

Who Designed The Nike Dunk

Elements from the Air Jordan 1, Nike Terminator and Air Force 1 were combined by Nike designer Peter Moore into the Nike Dunk High we know today.

The oldest dunks I have in my collection are pairs from 1999 when the original set of highs got a retro. The dunk’s popularity exploded in the early 2000s, especially in Japan. A lot of well known dunks from that time are in fact co.jp releases!

Nike Dunk High Iowa Goldenrod on Feet WDYWT — 1999 Dunk High LE “Goldenrod”

Nike Dunks would continue to evolve in different directions. Some stayed the same of course with respect to the mold and shape, but others began to try new materials and alternate shapes. For example, the Dunk Low Pro and Pro B seem to be precursors to the almighty Nike SB Dunk. Suedes began being used more frequently on dunk releases and the colors began to get more creative as well.

The popularity of the dunk ebbs and flows but overall is always at least on a few people’s radars. These days, Nike releases a lot of dunks of all different looks and materials.

Nike Dunk Fit Guide

Nike dunks fit big or true to size depending on materials and release year. Newer dunks overall tend to be on the stiff side for me, while older dunks are more pliable. Newer dunks tend to have springier padding and stiffer materials while older releases tended to use more pillowy padding and pliable materials.

So, do Nike dunks run big, small or fit true to size?

Nike Dunk Low Co.jp Argon — Nike Dunk Low Argon

The answer is it depends! On older dunks (pre-2010) and newer dunks (2016-onward), half size down or true to size (roomier fit) works. From around 2010-2015, the releases are so stiff, half size down is to be avoided if you want to save your pinky toes. In general, the stiffer the material (patent leather, stiff synthetic leather), the more likely true to size is the move. On thinner leathers and more pliable materials like suede, half size down might provide a more true fit.

The comfort on a pair of dunks is going to be super basic. The tech hasn’t changed since the mid-80s and it’s still just a basic midsole/strip of rubber under your feet. If the upper is pliable and comfortable, that’s going to be the indicator for me as to how comfy the shoe is going to be. Underfoot it’s just a basic casual shoe.

Why Nike Dunks Are So Expensive

Celebrity hype, limited availability (real or imagined) and resellers who buy massive amounts of stock, inflating the price and rarity.

Nike Dunks Are Not Overrated

While they can be overhyped, Dunks are not overrated as far as casual sneakers. They experience changes in popularity but have proven to return from every low point stronger than ever.

Where To Buy Nike Dunk Lows and Highs

Some Nike dunks release on Nike’s website or on the SNKRS app. If you don’t hit for retail, aftermarket sites such as eBay can help.

Shop for Nike Dunks on: eBay

See below for links to get individual colorways.

Nike Dunk Low UNLV (2021)

Colorway: Medium Grey / Varsity Red – White
Style Code: DD1391 002
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $100
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Low University Red

Nike Dunk Low White University Red WDYWT On Feet

Colorway: University Red / White
Style Code: DD1391 600
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $100
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Low x Off White The 50 (3 of 50)

Nike Dunk Low x Offwhite The 50 (lot 3) WDYWT On Feet

This Nike Dunk x Offwhite collab’s called the 50 as you randomly get one of fifty possible colorways when you order. I randomly got a notification from SNKRS app for access to these. Features include a piece showing which pair you got (mine’s lot 3), the trademark offwhite zip tie, dual lacing setup (both laces say “SHOELACES”), silver writing towards the back, green mini tag, insole graphic and special box and paper. The leather and canvas used are very soft and feel very nice including the ankle collar. My pair fit pretty true to size and a little on the snug side as far as recent dunk releases go.

Colorway: Sail / Neutral Grey – White
Style Code: DM1602 118
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $180
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Scrap Seaglass

The Nike Dunk Scrap feature a patchwork upper inspired by a shoe cobblers’ cutting room floor. The wing flaps are loose like a pair of dunk highs. Insoles contain a slightly different Nike logo with a split design. The leathers, suedes and nubucks used here seem decent and there are some reflective materials as well. To me these feel slightly less roomy than a regular dunk but still fit at true to size with similar comfort.

Colorway: Sail / White – Sea Glass – Seafoam
Style Code: DB0500 100
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $110
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Scrap Archaeo Brown

The Nike Dunk Scrap in Archaeo Brown feature the same design as the Seaglass colorway above, but with more browns, oranges and greens. The materials are pretty much in the same layout as well. Fit overall is true to size however the toebox is a bit stiff and narrow on this particular model.

Colorway: Archaeo Brown / Bicoastal
Style Code: DB0500 200
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $110
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Low Cider

These are listed as a “premium” release. The suedes and leathers used are not the softest I’ve ever felt. However, the materials are better than for example the UNLV release.

Colorway: Off Noir / Cider – Dark Chocolate
Style Code: DH0601-001
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $110
Buy on eBay

Nike Dunk Low Polar Blue

Colorway: Polar / Polar – White – White
Style Code: DV0833-400
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $115

Buy: eBay

I grabbed these knowing that they would not have any type of spectacular material quality to them, and I was right. We get a similar leather quality to the UNLV Dunks and similar as pictured above. Basic, vaguely plasticky leather overlays and underlays with a nylon tongue. The exterior QC seems decent on my pair at least.

Material quality is not why we get these types of kicks though! It’s all about scratching that Dunk itch with a clean colorway. I was deciding between these and a white and clear jade colorway, and ultimately went with these for wearability. I can easily see me pulling off a fit with some khakis wearing these!

True to size is the route I went with these and they fit fine at that size. Same old basic Dunk Low comfort here, nice but no frills.

There are a couple of interesting things about this pair. First, they come with basic white laces, but the laces have Polar Blue aglets which really help accent the shoe in a subtle way. Second, the box label refers to these as “Nike Dunk Low Retro BTTYS”. The BTTYS stands for Be True To Your School, which leads me to believe these are meant to be a “Carolina” colorway as BTTYS pairs are traditionally modeled after a college basketball team colorway.

Nike Dunk Low Clear Jade

Colorway: White / Clear Jade – White
Style Code: DV0833-101
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $110

Buy: eBay

More basic quality Dunks, and this pair has the BTTYS on the box label like the Polar Blue pair I reviewed above. Just like those, don’t expect good leather or any extra special features. These don’t even have colored aglets like the Polar Blues, just plain white laces.

All that said, I didn’t get these for quality and extras. I got them for the colorway. My advice here is don’t expect crazy quality on this level of Dunk release, and only get them if you like how they look. These types of Dunks have the lowest grade leather with a shiny plastic-like coating over the top. But for me, the color scheme hits!

I went true to size like I normally do on modern Dunk releases, and these fit fine at that size. They are a bit stiff as far as step-in comfort but they break in and have a pretty standard “retro casual shoe” type of fit.

Nike Dunk Low Autumn Gentleman

Colorway: Midnight Navy / Ale Brown
Style Code: FQ8746-410
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $125

Buy: eBay

I love a tweed pattern on a Dunk! Additionally, corduroy is a welcome addition on this silhouette. Put them all together on a new release and you’ve got something perfect for fall. Which makes sense, since the nickname on these is the Autumn Gentleman. It’s like Nike was thinking of me specifically when they made these!

These actually released in a pack alongside some Air Force 1s. I went with the Dunks as I think they take the mixture of colors and materials on well. We get corduroy on the tongue, swoosh and underlays, with tweed on the back wing and denim on the eyelets and around the toebox/toecap area. We have a felt hit on the backtab. These come in a plain orange Nike Sportswear box with one set of soft, offwhite laces.

I love the combo of materials on colors on here, especially how the navy pops against all the browns and greys on the shoe. They also have a vaguely SB-ish feel to them, with the tongue being ever-so-slightly padded. The soft materials make for a very comfy fit at true to size, moreso than either of the two Dunks I had picked up previously (see Polar Blue and Clear Jade above). Highly recommend this pair.

Nike Dunk Low White / Hyper Royal

Colorway: White / Hyper Royal
Style Code: DV0831-104
Year of Release: 2023
MSRP: $110

Buy: eBay

Sometimes you just need a really plain, straightforward Dunk colorway to rock, and these are that! These white and hyper royal Dunks are super clean and vaguely remind me of Medicom 1s and Mulders. I waited until these were on super sale on Nike’s site for around $75 shipped and then pounced.

These dropped in September 2023 which is interesting since this colorway screams “summer” to me. As far as material quality goes, these are nothing special, although the outside of the leather doesn’t seem to have as shiny of a coating as the Clear Jade or Polar Blue pairs I grabbed a few weeks ago. No extras here either, just plain white laces as shown and a regular orange Nike box.

The comfort here is nothing special. We get that stiff, slightly narrow feel right out of the box that is now the standard for many GR Dunks. The narrowness will break in fairly quickly and I still recommend going true to size on these unless you have an exceptionally wide foot. Underfoot, the cushioning is basic. I’m not going to walk around too much in these, so they should be good enough for just hanging out.