Most 'heads credit the Air Jordan 1's infamous "Banned" make-up for injecting a dose of color into basketball sneakers. While they're not entirely wrong, it was actually the Nike Dunk that really started to experiment with different palettes.
Launched in 1985 and designed by Peter Moore (the man responsible for the Air Jordan 1), the Nike Dunk was first named the College Color High, a reference to the collegiate marketing campaign that would follow its release.
Although it bears a strong resemblance to 1982's Air Force 1, the Dunk took inspiration and design cues from a number of previous Nike designs. Its outsole was carried over from Moore's Air Jordan 1, while the upper blended both the AJ1 and Nike Terminator designs. Finally, the Dunk's last was co-opted from the Nike Legend, which was considered to be the best fitting basketball last of its time.
While the Air Jordan 1 turned heads with its black and red, the Dunk's "Be True to Your School" lineup showcased color in a way that basketball fans had never seen before. In August of 1985, Nike created Dunk High colorways for 8 college powerhouses, including Kentucky, Michigan, and UNLV, and suddenly basketball sneakers were more colorful than ever before.
For more on the history of the Dunk, including its impact on skate culture, head over to Nike.
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[via Nike]
