From the Vault: Nike SB Dunk Low “Hunter” By Reese Forbes
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By Stadium Goods |From the Vault: Nike SB Dunk Low “Hunter” By Reese Forbes
An in-depth look at one of the best, most influential Dunks ever.
Matt DeSciora
If you dig into the archives of the Nike SB Dunk, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the venerable skate shoe was way, way ahead of its time. A lot of what’s trending in sneakers today is directly or indirectly inspired by concepts that were explored on the Dunk ten, fifteen, and even twenty years ago.
Case in point: former pro skater and original Nike SB team rider Reese Forbes created three classic Dunks in “Wheat,” “Denim,” and “Hunter” colorways (in that order) from 2002 through 2004. Is it a coincidence that wheat colorways, like the Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Wheat,” or sneakers constructed from denim, like the Levi’s x New Balance 990 V3 collaboration, are desirable in 2022? Or are brands taking design cues from the Dunk’s back catalog?
Feel free to convince me otherwise, but I have a strong conviction that it’s the latter. You can’t tell me that something like Tyler, the Creator’s Golf le Fleur x Converse One Star “Burlap” would exist if it weren’t for Forbes’s “Hunter” SB Dunk paving the way for sneakers in nontraditional materials. That’s no shade on Tyler or Converse, because the “Burlap” is a great shoe. It’s more an indication of the “Hunter’s” trailblazing ways.
This would be a great opportunity to go even further down the rabbit hole of comparing current sneaker trends versus SB Dunk’s of yesteryear. But that’s something to unpack on another day. Let’s instead take this opportunity to revel in the uniqueness that is the Reese Forbes Nike SB Dunk Low “Hunter.” The shoe migrated into the Stadium Goods photo team’s studio recently, and they took some awesome pictures that shouldn’t be overshadowed by my own biased opinion on how the Dunk is the greatest sneaker in the world.
As you can see, the “Hunter” combines a nearly indestructible burlap base with contrasting brown-and-white camouflage overlays. A fiery Orange Blaze canvas Swoosh appears on the sides, and an orange quilted textile makes up the interior lining. Clearly, Forbes and Nike SB were going for a rugged, hunting-inspired look. Which is funny because, lo and behold, performance outdoors footwear is all the rage in 2022.
The SB Dunk isn’t breaking any new ground performance-wise these days (and hey, it doesn’t need to), but in regards to colors and materials? The sneaker industry still has a lot of catching up to do.
Shop Reese Forbes’s rare Nike SB Dunk Low “Hunter” at Stadium Goods