10 Classic Nike Sneakers That Should Be SB Dunks

Nike SB is in the middle of a comeback. The skateboarding offshoot, which first launched in 2002, had been mostly irrelevant for a handful of years, but is making headway through a reignited interest in its past sneakers and newer product that’s been well-received at market. A few of the newer designs have riffed on Nike’s back catalog, using sneakers such as the Air Max 90, the “Safari” Air Max 1, and Griffey Max 1 as inspiration.

But those aren’t the only old Nike sneakers that we’d want to see reincarnated as SB Dunks. Here, we imagined 10 different versions that we’d like to see hit store shelves and our feet.

Atmos just had its “Safari” Air Max 1 collaboration turned into a Nike SB Dunk. People seemed to like it, so it makes sense for Nike to rework the “Viotech” Air Max 1 from Atmos that released in 2003. Tan, brown, purple, gum sole. The combination just works. - Matt Welty

We’ve seen this before. There has been a “Space Jam” Dunk Low, “Bred XI” Dunk High, and even a Dunk High inspired by the “Black Grape” Air Jordan V. There was also a collaboration with FPAR last year that turned the Dunk into a partial Air Jordan VI. Following that trend, this outfits the high-top in one of the most iconic Air Jordans of all time, the “Black Infrared” Air Jordan VI that MJ captured his first title wearing. Historical context aside, the black/infrared color combination will just always look clean. - Mike DeStefano

Andre Agassi: Hair legend, style legend, and the Armenian-American in a pre-Kardashian world. He’s also a sneaker legend that helped change the perception of tennis as a conservative, country club sport. His sneakers were loud, especially the Air Tech Challenge II in its "Hot Lava" colorway. You don’t need to pitch me on why this is a good idea. I don’t think you need a spiel on this, either. - Matt Welty

The Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard is a grail for many—one that you’ll need to shell out thousands to acquire these days. Nike SB should give people a solid consolation prize by crafting a Dunk Low in similar fashion. They released a Team Classic in 2019 that resembled the Sachs collab, but nobody cares about that shoe. Instead of space camp training, have customers do some skating to get their pair to make them extra special. - Mike DeStefano

The Sacai x Nike LD Waffle was arguably the best shoe of 2019, at least we thought so. A layered SB Dunk with dual Swooshes and tongues would be a cool idea on its own. The fact that it’s inspired by one of the most popular collaborations would make the hype crazy. This is a no brainer. - Mike DeStefano

It might be too easy to take an Air Force 1 and turn it into a Dunk. People like Mayor even took Nike SB Dunks and put Air Force 1 soles on them already. The Playstation Air Force 1 is a mythical shoe to many. It even had a moment on the Tyra Banks show. It’s likely never going to be retroed, so putting it on an SB Dunk would be the next best thing. - Matt Welty

“I’ll serve your ass up like John McEnroe,” Everlast once said. And it personified the man who would throw his racket, yell at tennis umpires, and go on to wear one of the greatest Nikes of all time (and the first crosstraining sneaker) in the Air Trainer 1. The sneaker’s colorway—a mix of white, grey, black, and a green known as Chlorophyll—was equally as eye-catching. The forefoot on the strap was the chef’s kiss. Nike’s put the same concept on other sneakers in the past, and it’s worked. Why not a Dunk? - Matt Welty

LeBron James’ signature line has been rejuvenated in recent years, thanks in part to the LeBron Watch series of colorways pulling inspiration from Nike’s archive. So why not flip the formula and toss the biggest color scheme from LeBron’s line onto the SB Dunk High? He’s a lifetime Nike athlete, so the brand might as well start using his signature models in some new ways. Now, almost a decade removed from the “South Beach” 8, this one could be big if executed properly. - Mike DeStefano

The Union x Air Jordan I was a polarizing collab when it was first revealed that quickly grew into a highly sought-after Air Jordan I in an endless sea of Air Jordan Is. Dunk Highs are almost the same, right? Drop these with a set of extra yellow laces to toss in, and watch them fly off shelves. This would also be a cool way for SB to nod to the Air Jordan 1’s history in the skate world, as it has done many times in the past. - Mike DeStefano

The most coveted Air Jordan IV of all time, and maybe the most sought-after Air Jordan ever. 72 pairs. Impossible to find a pair these days, especially deadstock. It’s cheap sometimes to take good colorways and put them on other shoes, but I don’t think that would be the same with these. People will still want them. - Matt Welty