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When it comes to Nike SB Dunks, there is always a debate as to whether lowtops or hightops are better. While it ultimately comes down to preference, on newer releases generally we find SB Dunk Lows more expensive than Highs.
Newer SB Dunk Lows Are More Expensive Than Highs
While older SBs are a bit more of a mixed bag regarding aftermarket prices, newer SB Dunk releases tend to price higher for Dunk Lows vs Dunk Highs.
If I sort SB Dunks on most aftermarket sites by highest bid (i.e. the highest people have said they want to pay for each shoe), out of the top 20, only a few are highs and the rest are lows. On average, the lows beat out the highs on price, especially in the aftermarket.
By the way, if you want a pair of SB Dunks for yourself but are struggling to get a pair, check out this article.
Why Lows Are More Expensive Than Highs
There are simply more well-known, desired collabs and colorways of the SB Dunk Low in Nike SB’s catalog vs Dunk Highs. Additionally the Lows mostly feature the signature padded tongue and SB “look”, while Dunk Highs look more like their non-SB counterparts.
When I first started collecting, there were a number of legendary pairs in both cuts. 15 years ago, you might pay more for certain SB Dunk Highs, however the most popular pairs have continuously been lows.
Some of my first “grails” were SB Dunk Highs. Sea Crystals, Supremes, Wheats and Tweeds were legendary pairs to me that I had to have in my collection. And I still have all of them!
Still, the most desired pairs I own currently are my SB Dunk Lows. The most expensive pairs in my collection as far as resale prices are the Supreme Dunk Lows, Heinekens, Travis Scott, Chunky Dunky and Grateful Dead.
I suspect that lowtop Dunks are more popular for 3 reasons:
- Most people find lowtops less “extreme” looking and easier to rock
- More iconic collabs and colorways have released on Dunk Lows
- SB Dunk Lows have a more identifiable look as uniquely “SB” while Highs tend to look closer to non-SB Dunks.
SB Dunk Lows are “Easier” To Rock
Plenty of people easily pull off hightop sneakers, particularly the Air Jordan 1 High. However, many if not most people seem to prefer lowtops for casual wear. The lower cut makes them easier to get into and easier to style in an outfit.
First SB Dunk High, note padded tongue.
Makes these an interesting experience to rock
Shop SB Dunks: eBay
As a longtime collector, I’m good with lowtops and hightops. After all, some of the most popular sneakers of all time are high cut. That said, even for me at my age the lowtop is the preferred daily sneaker.
Sure, I can lace up a nice pair of SB Dunk Highs that likely top some people’s grail lists, however for simplicity and ease of blending into my typical outfits, low cut sneakers are easier and often work out better.
My general feeling here is that a hightop is more of an advanced look. There’s more to worry about such as how pants sit with the higher collar and how far up to lace. The higher lacing structure generally makes highs a bit harder to take on and off. Whereas for most lowtops, I just have to lace them the first time and they generally perform like slippers after that!
Although SB Dunk Lows can look pretty extreme, Dunk Highs by their very nature automatically look extreme thanks to the higher collar. Most people simply aren’t out here rocking hightops around. While many may dabble in collecting sneakers, those that have committed to it as a hobby (a smaller group) are the ones more likely to try a pair of SB Dunk Highs. Your typical sneaker fan that just wants a cool pair to rock is going to go for something closer to what they are used to; a lowtop.
SB Dunk Lows Have More Iconic Releases
While there are plenty of famous SB Dunk Highs, when it comes to collabs and colorways, SB Dunk Lows have outshone their hightop counterparts over time.
The hype around these was crazy when they
released. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Shop SB Dunks: eBay
I mentioned a few classic SB Dunk Highs above, and there are certainly several others. The list could take up more than one article! That said, there are simply more SB Dunk Low releases and out of those, the amount of well-known and sought after collabs and colorways is larger.
For every pair of Wheat Highs, there are 3 kinds of Wheat Lows. Tiffany Highs exist, but don’t come close to Tiffany Lows as far as iconic collabs go. As mentioned above, the Supreme Lows in my collection rise above all others as far as value, including the pair of Supreme Highs in my collection. Other pairs like Stussys and Travis Scotts are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to well-known Dunk Low colorways.
Of course this comes down to opinion, but from my observation, we have way more famous lowtop SB Dunks as compared to Dunk Highs. While the hightops are no slouch on colorways, I can think up famous lows way more easily.
SB Dunk Lows Represent SB Dunks More Clearly
While those in the know can easily tell an SB from a non-SB Dunk, it is generally way easier to tell the lows from the highs. The puffy tongue and laces look way more “SB” on Dunk Lows.
The SB Dunk is based on the Nike Dunk, which was originally a basketball sneaker. Skaters used to chop down Air Jordan 1s or Dunk Highs, or simply rock Dunk Lows to skate. Nike started with the SB Dunk Low and even added the puffy tongue to the highs in the first series of SB Dunks. The tongue and laces are what help separate the sneaker visually from it’s casual/basketball counterpart.
Eventually, the puffy tongue was ditched on the SB Dunk High except in a few instances, and way more colorways of the lowtops were produced. This is still true for modern releases today. When one thinks of Nike SB, the SB Dunk Low with the puffy tongue is generally what comes to mind. An SB Dunk with a big tongue is the iconic look for this model.
When you have an iconic look, non-collectors that want in on the SB action are going to go for that. This, combined with the reasons above make the SB Dunk Low the target cut to grab for the average sneaker fan. You get the “SB” appeal to the sneaker without having to go too extreme as far as a higher cut with more lacing options that people might not even recognize as an SB right off the bat. If you get an SB Low, anyone with even slight familiarity with the model is going to immediately recognize the look. This is not necessarily the case with Dunk Highs.
In Conclusion…
While both cuts are great sneakers with plenty of well-known releases, the Dunk Low SB stays more popular and in higher production that the High. The dichotomy has gotten pretty extreme as far as how much people prefer the Lows to the Highs. This is actually great news for fans of the SB Dunk High, as it often means prices are cheaper and colorways are fewer and farther between as far as rarity. Still, we can see that the Lows are more expensive than Highs overall.
Shop SB Dunks Here:
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