Nike introduced the Nike Dunk basketball shoe in 1985.
The Dunk was created during a period when college basketball footwear and team identity were becoming increasingly important. Nike produced school-colored versions connected with prominent college programs, giving the shoe a strong visual link to basketball teams. Its simple high-top construction was suited to the demands of the court.
Although the Dunk began as a basketball shoe, its later history expanded far beyond the sport. Nike released skateboarding versions through Nike SB in the 2000s, and limited colorways helped make the silhouette a major fashion and collecting subject. This later popularity sometimes leads people to think the Dunk began as a skate shoe, but its original purpose was basketball.
The Dunk is also sometimes confused with the Air Jordan 1 because both emerged in 1985 and share a high-top basketball profile. They are separate Nike designs with different origins and branding histories.