The 27 Best Nike Dunks of All Time, Ranked

It’s hard to place the origins of sneaker culture as we know it today. You could say it started with the original Air Jordan or Nike’s Air Max line. You could argue it really got going via the NikeTalk forums and the resale industry and SNKRS, with social media and cell phones acting as the great equalizer in a retail world once built on knowing the right person who could get you the right pair of shoes at the right time. Still, if you want the closest parallel to the sort of creative energy, hype, and ethos that the current sneaker world exists in, it’s the Dunk Era.

Dunks first exploded in the ’80s as a basketball shoe, with high- and low-top variations fusing function and aesthetic like few other sneakers of the era. What started as a shoe made for the court eventually planted the seeds of the culture, largely thanks to the ’90s-era CO.JP line. Through this project, Nike produced a series of exclusive colorways (with some choice Dunks among them) for Japanese retailers that soon became the stuff of sneaker legend, creating a sense of elusiveness to new colorways and fueling a community of Western fans eager to find a way to track down a pair from the other side of the planet.

Along the way, the silhouette took on immense popularity in an unexpected place: skate culture. The flat, traction-friendly sole and lightweight nylon tongue (a new addition to the silhouette in the nineties) made it as perfect for riding a board as it was for the court—not to mention the shoe had become incredibly accessible as Jordans and signature basketball sneakers took over the market. It was easy to walk into a sneaker store and find Dunks on a discount rack, meaning nobody had to feel any type of way about thrashing their pair on a sesh.

When sneaker legend Sandy Bodecker took over the burgeoning Nike SB line in 2001 (the official brand launch came in 2002), he saw incorporating the Dunk into the line as an obvious move. So with some choice modifications (namely a fat padded nylon tongue) the SB Dunk hit the scene, changing the course of sneaker history. Throughout the aughts, Nike SB Dunks became the centerpiece of sneaker culture, thanks to an unrivaled run of visionary designers, skaters, collaborators, and a tendency to embrace chaos. Shoes drew inspiration from cult cinema, cities, music, and more. In an era in which so many of these worlds were colliding with each other and that of streetwear, SB Dunks became everything. For a specific generation of sneakerheads, this era is ground zero for their obsession with shoes.

After the aughts the Dunk fell off, going largely dormant throughout the 2010s as Yeezys, FlyKnits, and UltraBoosts moved to the center of the culture. But you can’t keep a good shoe down. Dunks—both the classic and SB iterations—made a comeback in a big way around 2019, with retros of the original ‘Be True’ line and a series of hot collaborators in the SB division recapturing the vivacious spirit of decades past. With more hits certainly on the way in the years to come, it’s safe to say the Dunk will never die.

For the old heads, skate rats, and resellers alike, these are the 27 best Nike Dunks of all time.

HONORABLE MENTION: Nike Dunk Low ‘Panda’ (2021)

Never has such a simple sneaker generated such controversy. Is it played out? Is it basic? Is it ugly? Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, we say. The most ubiquitous Dunk of the modern era has its acolytes and its haters. Ultimately? It’s a black-and-white shoe that goes with just about any fit. It’s hard to judge it against the standard of some of the most exciting and creative sneakers of all time, but it deserves a mention on this list.

26. Nike SB Dunk High ‘Thrashin’ (2008)

The best SB Dunks reject subtlety and embrace kitsch and loud homage. Count the gnarly ‘Thrashin’ colorway amongst them. It takes its inspiration from the 1986 skater film starring Josh Brolin, a bonafide cult classic and a staple of Los Angeles skate culture.

25. Nike SB Dunk High Pro ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (2007-8)

If you wanna talk sneaker history, well, the ‘Heaven’s Gate’ Dunk certainly contends for the most morbid colorway of all time. The black and purple kicks are inspired by the notorious Heaven’s Gate cult, who infamously included a specific pair of Nikes in their uniform right until the grisly end. It’s the sort of shoe you kind of can’t believe got signed off on—and in fact, it didn’t. This one never made it to retailers, with most of the pairs out in the wild marked as samples (some are dated 2007, others 2008).

24. Ben & Jerry’s x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Chunky Dunky’ (2020)

SB Dunks experienced a minor renaissance a few years ago, thanks to a handful of unique colorways that captured the spirit and heat of Nike SB’s 2000s golden age. One of the biggest drops of that moment were the Chunky Dunkys, a crazy loud pair of kicks designed in partnership with ice cream maestros Ben & Jerry’s.

23. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Raygun’ (2005)

The Rayguns dropped in the original heyday of SB Dunks with a cool story behind the colorway. The shoes imagine a fictional ABA basketball team called the Roswell Rayguns (which starred Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, and more in the commercials) and are decked out in their hypothetical colors. Over the years, a slew of Rayguns apparel and sneakers have dropped, but the originals remain the best of the bunch.

22. Nike SB Dunk High ‘Ferris Bueller’ (2008)

Draped in chocolatey brown and cheetah print—à la Matthew Broderick’s fit in the ’80s comedy classic—the Ferris Bueller Dunks might not be the most high-profile of the SB line, but real ones know they can hang with the best of them. From the top-tier storytelling to the undeniable colorway, they’re a slept-on classic.

21. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Grateful Dead’ (2020)

Released in an array of bright colorways to coincide with the legendary stoners’ unmistakable iconography, the Grateful Dead Dunks were a smash hit upon release. Featuring fuzzy exteriors and a goofy vibe, they captured the essence of SB Dunks during the line’s 2020 renaissance.

20. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Danny Supa’ (2002)

You gotta give it up for the original. Pro skater Danny Supa collaborated with Nike on the first-ever SB Dunk, ushering in one of the most important eras of sneaker culture of all time. The shoe itself, legend aside? Turns out it’s pretty great: that New York-inspired orange, white, and blue palette is pretty hard to screw up. Expect to see Timmy Chalamet show up in these if the Knicks make the Finals.

19. Nike Dunk Low ‘Stash’ (2006)

NY graffiti icon Stash is among the Swoosh’s most notable collaborators over the years. He’s had his hands on just about every classic Nike silhouette you can name, but his take on the Dunk (limited to only 50 pairs available at the Parisian boutique Colette) stands as one of the shoes that best captures his unique ethos.

18. Futura x Nike SB Dunk High ‘FLOM’ (2004)

Speaking of street art legends: Futura designed these currency-covered bangers (the lettering stands for “For Love Or Money”) to commemorate the opening of his store in Japan way back in 2004. The shoe was limited to a crazy low run of 24 pairs, making it one of the rarest Dunks in the world. You aren’t just gonna find a pair of these on StockX, brother.

17. Stüssy x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Cherry’ (2005)

One of the very first brands to ever collaborate with Nike, Stüssy is practically synonymous with the Swoosh at this point. Given their roots in surf and skate culture, Stüssy’s Neapolitan-inspired take on the SB Dunk still stands as the brand’s best-ever sneaker.

16. Nike SB Dunk High ‘Dinosaur Jr.’ (2007)

Even before you get to the origin of these, the metallic upper and purple detailing instantly made for an all-time Nike Dunk colorway. When you take into consideration that they were designed by none other than J Mascis—frontman of influential indie rockers Dinosaur Jr., a staple of skate soundtracks and Guitar Hero games for decades—well, they’re undeniable.

15. Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low (2020)

Every shoe Cactus Jack touches turns to gold. It’s been true since he first started jamming with the Swoosh way back in 2017, but even with his collaborations marking the gold standard for the Swoosh for years now, his paisley-and-denim-covered take on the Dunk is 24 karats.

14. Nike SB Dunk High ‘MF Doom’ (2007)

The Villain is as synonymous with the golden age of Dunks as anyone, existing at the intersect between skate and alternative culture, sneakers, and music. His menacing Dunks, featuring a touch of faux ostrich leather at the toe, have long been some of the most sought after in the scene—and they’ve only grown more iconic following Doom’s untimely passing in 2020.

13. Nike Dunk Pro Low ‘Viotech’ (2002)

A perfect piece of color blocking and easily one of the highlights of the CO.JP era, the ‘Viotech’ Dunk dropped as part of the Japanese-exclusive ‘Ugly Duckling’ pack in the early aughts. It played a huge part in bridging the continental sneaker culture divide and became a hot subject on sneaker forums and trading circles. A 2019 retro made the shoe a bit more accessible in the modern era.

12. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Paris’ (2002)

The Paris Dunks would already be one of the most coveted sneakers of all time on the merit of their design alone—plus the fact that there are only a couple hundred out there on the streets (or, more likely, kept deadstock in climate-controlled storage units). When you factor in the uniqueness of the colorway, which features original art on the canvas from French artist Bernard Buffet, that desirability only skyrockets. A private sale for a pair of these came in at $150K, so safe to say most of these never touched a skateboard’s griptape.

11. Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Tiffany’ (2005)

Long before Nike ever sniffed an official collaboration with Tiffany & Co, LA streetwear staple Nicky Diamonds decked his SB Dunk out in the jeweler’s famed teal, offset by a gleaming silver Swoosh and luxurious faux croc leather. The result was an instant classic—one that continues to be referenced and iterated upon in the sneaker world today.

10. Nike SB Dunk High ‘Skunk’ (2010)

Hey man, don’t be a drag. Chill out. Take a puff. It’s just a pair of sneakers. It’s just a pair of skunked-out SB Dunks released to commemorate the holiest of holy days, 4/20. Mellow out. Don’t stress a list of sneaker rankings. Everything’s copacetic.

9. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘De La Soul’ (2005)

What do you get when you pair the album cover from one of the greatest LPs of all time with a classic Nike silhouette? You get the De La Soul Dunks, wrapped in 3 Feet High and Rising’s vibrant art, a shoe for the real heads if there ever was one. With the crew’s music finally getting added to Spotify recently after years off the grid, maybe it’s time to show some love to one of the coolest pairs of Dunks to ever hit shelves.

8. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Heineken’(2003)

The SB Dunk era elicited its fair share of controversies, and the ‘Heineken’ Dunk ranks among the biggest. The colorway itself is a heater, drawing inspiration from the German beer manufacturer’s iconic green bottles. The problem? Nike didn’t exactly clear this one with legal, resulting in legal action from Heineken. The shoe slipped out into the wild eventually, though in highly limited quantities, and stands to date as a particularly elusive pair of Dunks.

7. Nike SB Dunk High ‘HUF’ (2004)

Much of the culture surrounding skating and sneakers as we know it today wouldn’t exist if not for Keith Hufnagel, the legendary skater, mogul, and founder of the brand HUF. He was also an early adopter of Nikes as skate shoes, with his tie-dyed signature HUF Dunks marking a high point in the early era of Nike SB. Hufnagel passed away in 2020 after a prolonged battle with brain cancer, lending even greater weight to these kicks. As they say, heroes get remembered, but legends? You know the rest.

6. CNCPTS x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Red Lobster’ (2008)

The CNCPTS lobster line is one of the most famous in the world of Dunks, with the Boston streetwear hub producing a small array of colorways that each coincides with the most common lobster colors—complete with a thick rubber band across the toe box. While the purple and yellow renditions have plenty of heat to spare, it’s hard to argue with the original.

5. Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Freddy Krueger’ (2007)

One of the most elusive Dunks of all time, the Freddy Krueger Dunks remain something of a sneaker horror story. After shipping out the shoes paying homage to the gruesome slasher of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, producers at New Line Cinema caught wind and sent the Swoosh a cease and desist for this unlicensed collaboration. Amidst the recalled pairs, a few managed to make their way out into the world. Today, those pairs—some samples, some retail that missed the memo—are insanely valuable and hard to come by.

4. Nike Dunk High ‘Wu-Tang’ (1999)

A F&F exclusive for Nike and the greatest rap crew of all time, the Wu-Tang Dunks are a sneaker unicorn. If you see an original pair in person, you best pinch yourself to be sure you aren’t dreaming. Decked out in the Clan’s signature black and gold, they’re one of the best sneakers of all time—and while you can’t touch the original, a general release in 2024 finally made the shoe accessible to the common man.

3. Nike Dunk High ‘Be True To Your School’ Collection (1985)

Legend has it Nike created and shipped the original Dunks on a breakneck six-week timeline—maybe Rome was built in a day. Released in a group of seven sneakers (six Dunks plus a pair of Terminators for Georgetown, who’d demanded their own model), each paired to a juggernaut college hoops team, the Nike Dunk ‘Be True’ line set the stage for one of the greatest sneaker runs of all time.

2. Staple x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘Pigeon’ (2005)

I mean, you know the story, right? Jeff Staple’s eponymous streetwear hub released 150 pairs of these tonal, suede-happy beauties in New York in 2005 and they caused a full-fledged riot, with the NYPD having to step in and the New York Daily News slamming the scene on the front page the next day. They’re synonymous not only with the heyday of SB Dunks but with sneaker culture run rampant—and hey, beneath all that, the shoes themselves are pretty damn cool.

1. Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Low ‘White Cement’ (2002)

It was the best of times. It was also probably the worst of times but nostalgia’s a hell of a drug. Supreme’s 2002 take on the SB Dunk draws inspiration from classic Jordans, draping the silhouette in white, black, and cement print. They dropped at a moment when all this—sneaker culture, skate culture, Nike SB as an endeavor—was in its infancy, and everything that followed exists in the shadow of this collaboration. Everything was new, Supreme was still an IYKYK brand, and resale culture hadn’t taken the sneaker world in a vice grip. Skate culture is often about challenging the status quo and rejecting the idea of a canon. Still, in this case? You don’t disrespect the original.