Style
Here's the best look yet at Supreme's upcoming Nike SB Dunk Low sneaker
A callback to the brands' 2003 Dunk High collaboration.
Supreme's star-studded Nike SB Dunk Low has been the worst kept secret. Images of the sneaker, which calls back to the brand's Dunk Low collaboration with Nike in 2003, have been leaking since October despite the shoe still not being officially confirmed to release. Now we have our best look yet at one of the four upcoming color schemes, thanks to the ever-reliable PY_RATES Instagram account.
The latest images were taken by Nike itself and give the full scope of the shoe's detailing and packaging. Each of the Dunk's colored panels is done up in a faux croc texture, while gold stars appear on the white quarter. A dual-branded, plastic "World Famous" hangtag will come with the kicks, which also feature a gold block "Supreme" lace deubré.
The only noticeable deviation from the original Supreme Dunk, besides the fact that it's a Low, is that it'll come inside a purple box instead of the silver that defined that era. (Yes, Dunk aficionados split the shoe's history by the color of the boxes.)
About the OG — Supreme's starred SB Dunks released in three colors — orange, red, and blue — and marked the first time it worked with the high-top silhouette. In 2002, the same year that Nike's skateboarding division launched, the two brands kicked off their partnership with a Dunk Low that brought over the elephant print and "Cement" color schemes from the Air Jordan 3. Only 500 pairs of each version, "White Cement" and "Black Cement," released through Supreme's New York City and Tokyo stores, and they're still considered among the best Dunks ever made.
The 2003 Dunks referenced the shoe's original run in 1985, when it released in 12 color schemes pulled from college basketball powerhouses as part of the inaugural "Be True to Your School" campaign. Supreme originally intended to release both high-tops and low-tops with Nike logos instead of stars, but Nike brass rejected the idea and only the high-tops with stars ever saw a release.
The release will look a little different this year — Even though hype for Supreme and Dunks was nowhere near what they are today, Supreme staff did take measures to control the Dunk release in 2003. One color scheme per day was released consecutively, and employees looked out for familiar faces in the line to prevent anyone from getting more than one of the three sneakers.
That system seems novel now, and whenever Supreme does release its latest Dunks they won't be as easy to acquire. The good news, though, is that you'll likely have two chances to cop, as Nike typically releases at least one variant from the collaboration on the SNKRS app after the masses have descended on Supreme's site.
