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By the sales numbers, the Panda Dunks are likely the most popular sneaker of 2021 and 2022. They have become ubiquitous, which makes them a love-it or hate-it sneaker among collectors.
Panda Dunks Are Not Out Of Style
While Nike Dunk popularity ebbs and flows, the sneaker remains a relatively stylish sneaker to wear. The plain-jane Panda Dunk are keeping on trend, even after the hype has died down.
The number one most popular dunk for the past couple of years has been the Panda Dunks! I’ve been reviewing dunks for many years, and I’ve never seen a pair hold the top spot on resale sites and best-of lists as long as this pair. While the popularity of non-SB Dunks has gone down slightly this year, we will still see plenty of Pandas around for a while to come.
Why People Like Panda Dunks
The Panda Dunk colorway is so basic that anyone that wants to get into dunks without committing to an expensive limited pair can grab them and call it a day. The black and white color scheme pretty much goes with anything!
Nike Dunk Low Panda (photoshopped example)
The 2021 release has remained not only the most
popular dunk over the last couple of years, but also
the most re-released.
I’ve seen this pair out in the wild a bunch too. I’ve been to some touristy spots recently where a lot of the people walking around are not from the area, and even in a mix of people from all over, this shoe is commonly seen. People from every age group and all kinds of backgrounds can come together via the simplicity of this sneaker.
Those that want in on some “cool” Nikes or just in on the “Dunk trend” can easily find a pair of these. Additionally, due to constant restocks, the Panda Dunks have come down quite a bit on resale prices.
Why Panda Dunks Keep Restocking
The sneaker has been earmarked as a “carry-over” colorway of the Dunk for the time being. The continued popularity of the sneaker causes them to sell out. Nike is keeping up with demand by making more.
When the sneakers first sold out, the resale was crazy on them, but after multiple restocks, the resale prices have come down, allowing Nike to capitalize on the money-making potential of the sneaker for itself. While the resale game does help drive hype for the sneaker, at the end of the day Nike would prefer to keep that money in-house if possible.
The colorway is so popular that Nike is not only releasing it consistently, but also has released them in high top form. Highs tend to not be as desirable as lows as far as casual sneaker fans go. Possibly due to some not knowing how to pull off a high cut, or preferring the Air Jordan 1 as the hightop to get.
Why Some People Hate Panda Dunks
Many collectors dislike the Panda Dunks due to the perceived low quality of the materials, high accessibility and overall “basic” nature of the colorway.
Sneakerheads have their own reasons for disliking a sneaker. Obvious ones include that it is ugly or uncomfortable. The sneaker community at large tends to gang up on certain sneakers. Sneaker addicts also like sneakers that are limited and prefer a higher quality sneaker if possible.
When the Pandas first dropped, they sold out and commanded high resale prices. This is the type of thing that sneakerheads love to complain about, but also adds mystique to a shoe. “It’s hard to get and expensive… I have to have it!”
Still, even back then collectors were disappointed in the plasticky materials. The dunks from the previous year appeared to have way softer and nicer feeling leather. The Panda Dunk leather by comparison is thin and plastic-like. So wearability, rarity and Dunks being in style were the only things the sneaker had going for it as far as collectors were concerned.
Less than two years later, after multiple restocks and price dips on the resale market, the rarity of the sneaker has dissipated. Additionally, non-SB Dunks have fallen in popularity due to lots of colorways releasing, many with sub-par materials. The Panda Dunks weren’t just a fluke as far as QC, they were a preview of things to come! At this point, many non-sneaker collector types had a pair of Pandas. This is like kryptonite to a hypebeast and to many sneakerheads. At this point, many of the things Dunk collectors liked about the shoe are gone. Once everyone has the sneaker, sneakerheads begin to lose interest and eventually love turns to hate!
Conclusion
As always, my rule with sneakers is: if you like them, buy them. It’s your style and your wardrobe, so if you want a sneaker that is going to go with pretty much anything, you’d be hard pressed to find a better shoe than the Panda Dunks.
While the quality is pretty bad on the sneaker, it’s still a decent deal if you can find them for retail. I think when the sneaker was going for 4x retail, that was a bit much. I definitely don’t think the Pandas are worth it for the average consumer or sneaker collector at that price. But for around $100, its similar in value to other classic casual lowtop sneakers.
I don’t mind “everyone” wearing them. It’s cool to see non-collectors running around in a model that for a long time used to be the domain of collectors. Some may be put off by this, but I think it’s a nice way to bridge the gap between sneaker aficionados and your average person that just wants a cool shoe.
Sneaker collectors love to complain, so one could take their opinions with a grain of salt. Often times, the same people that complain about taking L’s are the ones irritated because a lot of people can get their hands on a shoe that used to be “limited”. It’s cool that there are sneakers that are hard to get. However, a plain sneaker like this with basic materials doesn’t need to be one of them.
At this point, not liking Pandas is like hating on Chucks or Air Force 1s because lots of people wear them. I understand the mentality, but there’s something to be said for sneakers that can bridge the gap between the hardcore hobbyists and the average person.