kobe 7 black paint colors | The allure of Nike Dunk: an interview with Luis Miguel Lozano

What do you look for in a pair of sneakers? Is there a difference between choosing a pair for your collection and choosing a pair to wear?

Mainly I have to like them and identify with them. For my collection I have always looked for OG models but for everyday use, to be honest, I have a wide range of preferences that go from retro models to cutting-edge ones. Currently, the sneaker offer is affable, just choose wisely.

You are one of a select few people in the world that has an exclusive pair of the original Nike Dunk from 1985, tell us what makes this release so special? Other than the obvious, of course!

Well, what is special about this particular model is that it’s 36 years old and still DS, with its box and double set of laces. In 1985, when it was dropped on the market, each Dunk came with a color-matching box –as you know each color represented different universities in the USA. The fact that I own a pair of Dunk UNLV in perfect condition makes them a little gem.

If you had to compare it to other Nike models, where does the Dunk fit in the brand’s impressive history of design and innovation? What do you think its lasting legacy will be?

The Dunk didn’t really represent any technological innovation in its time. Back then, it was produced for a very short time as it came out at the same time as the first Air Jordan, and ended up being paint to university players and little else. But years later there was a resurgence of the Dunk showing that it was a model that was destined to make a name for itself beside the Air Jordan, Air Force and Blazer, among others.

In the last few years, this model has become a cult item for both sneaker and fashion aficionados, why do you think that is?

I still remember when I saw the Dunk for the first time in 2002, at the NikeTown in London, before it became part of the SB line. To me, it was a Jordan 1 Low. I was left with the feeling I should have gotten a pair. A year later it was launched in many OG colors and didn't have much success, but in recent years we have seen how it has become an object of desire for many sneakerheads thanks to interesting collaborations and re-edition of OG colors, both in the Hi and Lo versions. Its success is even more evident thanks to the latest collaborations with Travis Scott V. Abloh.

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Many people may have only associated it with Nike SB, because since 2002-03 most of the versions came from this subdivision of Nike, but actually the Dunk comes from basketball. It has always been considered as the little sister of Air Jordan 1, but in the last few years there have been very powerful collaborations with the Dunk that are making its status rise.

The Nike Dunk has been rereleased and reimagined many times, including a new set of models due to release in January 2021, do you have a particular favorite and why?

My favorite colors are OG, but I would also choose a white, beige and black Dunk Low that I had in 2003. I still have them —destroyed, of course—, but it was a model that I was very excited to get, because before that date it was almost impossible to see Dunks in the stores of Spain. I would say that they marked a turning point despite not being an iconized model. They were the link between the traditional Dunk and the Dunk SB.

Sign-ups for the latest Nike Dunk releases close January 12th at 10:59pm.