Nike Dunk Pro SB Shoe Review

Nike's most popular skateboarding shoe, Nike Dunk SBs have all the the high quality design features that Nike offers. Nike Dunk SBs have been available for over 3 years now, and come in over 65 different color variations and styles. No other skateboarding shoe has so much variety. I really enjoyed testing these shoes out - I used the Nike Dunk Low Pro SBs. They were just thin enough to give great feedback, but also strong enough to not wear through durring testing.

Nike Dunk Pro SB Features

Nike Dunk Pro SBs are well made, and deceptively simple feeling skateboarding shoes. All are double stitched, action leather and suede. From there, each of the Nike Dunks has its own style. Like I said, there are over 65 different styles of Nike Dunks available at this moment - some are high tops, like the Dunk High Pro SB, with the stylish old school solid profile sole. Others have a more sporty look, like the Dunk Low Pro SB with stitched sole and a multi purpose design. Nike even has Baby Dunk SBs that only come in baby sizes.

Nike Dunk Pro SBs are most definitely skatable. The thin Zoom Air soles give great board feedback while still maintaining cushion. The only problem here is that the uppers are fairly thin - you will wear out your Nike Dunks pretty quick if you do a lot of flip tricks. But this thin-ness is what allows for better control. It's a trade off.

Nike Dunk Pro SBs are also more long and narrow than most other skateboarding shoes. If you have wide feet (like me), you might want to get a half size larger shoe than you usually would. You also might want to stop by a show and try them out before you buy them, just to make sure you get the right size.

Nike Making Skate Shoes

Only a few years ago Nike decided to enter the skateboard shoe market (Read about it). One of their first shoes was the Nike Dunk. Dunks were originally basketball shoes (thus the name "Dunk") back in the 80s, but the shoe worked fairly well for skateboarding too, having a flat sole that allowed for good board feel. Since the Dunk's evolution into a skateboarding shoe, the letters "SB" have been added to signify their link to Skateboarding. Nike Dunks now feature the Zoom Air sole, suede toe caps for better board grip, and nice puffy tongues.

However, since the start Nike has had the stigma of a big company coming into skateboarding just to make some money. I was apprehensive at first about Nike skate shoes, but I like the way they've gone about it. Instead of making cheap crap skateboarding shoes and trying to undercut the skate shoe market, Nike has taken the high road. Nike Dunks have their own unique style, and while some of their shoes look like a pack of crayons left on a stove burner, some of them look pretty cool. And all of them are well made. Whatever your take on Nike being in the skate market, it is nice that they actually took the time to make skateboarding shoes that work well.

The Bottom Line

Like everything with skateboarding, you should do what you want, and express yourself. If you like the look and feel of Nike Dunk Pro SBs, go for 'em. I like the strong response and board feel that Nike Dunk SBs give, and some of the colors are sick. It's also ice to have a pair of skate shoes that can double for other sports - most large puffy skate shoes don't work that well for other sports. And, to top all of this off, the Nike skate team is very strong with guys like X Games gold medalist Paul Rodriguez.

Nike Dunk Pro SBs work great for skateboarding, are comfortable, and there are so many out there that even your grandma could find a pair that she likes. Not many skate shoes last for three years on the market, but Nike Dunk Pro SBs are still going strong. There's a reason for that - Nike spent some time on these, and is dedicated to making sure Nike Dunk SBs work well for skateboarding. I really enjoyed testing these shoes out. They get scuffed up fast, and I can see that they will wear out sooner than puffy moonboot skate shoes, but the responsiveness and feel are perfect. I would prefer if they were a little wider, but that's only if I'm looking for something to whine about. Nike Dunks work - see what you think.