From the Vault: Nike SB Dunk Low "Takashi"
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By Stadium Goods |From the Vault: Nike SB Dunk Low "Takashi"
A look back at the super clean Dunk from 2003.
Matt DeSciora
In 2022, the Nike SB Dunk is among the greatest sneakers in the world. But it wouldn’t be without a few key co-signs by respected skate shops and skateboarders back in the day. Oh, and one very influential Nike SB sales rep, too.
Before it commanded celebrity collaborations and caused “riots” for limited edition releases at stores, the SB Dunk was looked at skeptically by skateboarders, its intended audience upon its 2002 debut. And for good reason. Nike’s previous attempts to break into the sport included shoes like the Choad, which were, quite frankly, loudly mocked by skaters.
In order to get into the good graces of the skateboarding community, Nike SB teamed up with respected skate shops and skateboarders to come up with colorways of its new flagship shoe: the SB Dunk. It worked. Co-signs by Supreme and Danny Supa, and others, including Takashi Hosokawa, Nike SB’s first sales representative in Japan, were the confirmation needed for sneaker enthusiasts to accept the Dunk as legitimate.
Nike SB Dunk Low Pro “Takashi”
Released in March 2003, a year after the SB Dunk debuted, the “Takashi” succeeded the original collection of Dunks designed by pro skaters like Danny Supa and Reese Forbes. Just like those early skater-designed colorways, the “Takashi” pushes the envelope of design but in a tasteful way. Takashi’s version is deeply personal yet subdued. It features a clean, black leather base with tonal suede overlays and just enough Metallic Gold accenting on its branding elements, including “Family” embroidery on the medial side that commemorates the Nike SB team and “its push to new territories.”
In a way, the black-and-gold look is a call back to another black-and-gold shoe that also debuted around the same time in 2003: the Air Jordan 1 Mid “Metallic Gold.” Inspired by the mythical, original Jordan 1 “Metallic Gold” from 1985 that went unreleased, the Jordan 1 Mid channels its predecessors look, which may or may not inspire Takashi’s SB Dunk’s color choice.
Without folks like Takashi Hosokawa, who wasn’t a sneaker designer—or skateboarder, even—the SB Dunk wouldn’t be what it is today.