How Do Nike Dunks Fit? Your Size, Fit, and Care Guide
By
By Stadium Goods |How Do Nike Dunks Fit? Your Size, Fit, and Care Guide
A full guide to Nike Dunk sizing, care, its different styles and more.
Matt DeSciora
There’s no “Mount Rushmore” dedicated to the best sneakers in the world. But if there was, the Nike Dunk would be a candidate to have its likeness etched into the side of a mountain somewhere. Why the Dunk? No shoe has lived as many lives or been included in as many creative collaborations as the model has in the last 30 years. To us, the Dunk makes the cut for our proposed “Mount Rushmore of Sneakers” off the strength of those two accomplishments alone.
Which is to say, the Dunk—whether it be the skate or standard version—is absolutely a shoe you need to know about. It has the pedigree that veteran sneaker collectors obsess over, has been released in collaborations with the likes of Off-White, Travis Scott, and Ben & Jerry’s (yes, that Ben & Jerry’s,) and is available in colorways for everyone.
Whether you’re new to the sneaker collecting hobby or need a refresher on all things pertaining to the Dunk, you’ll find everything you need to know about the model with our handy buyer’s guide below.
Nike Dunk Low “Syracuse” and Nike SB Dunk “Chicago”
What are the Different Dunk models?
Before we get into more specific Dunk info, let’s start with the basics. There are two versions of the shoe: the standard Dunk and the SB Dunk. The standard Dunk was the original iteration of the shoe that was released in 1985. The SB Dunk is the skateboarding version that debuted in 2002. Both are technically performance shoes, and you can absolutely play basketball in the Dunk and skate in the SB Dunk, but most wear the silhouettes casually as lifestyle sneakers these days.
What are the Different Dunk Heights?
Just like the two sneakers the Dunk is commonly compared to, the Nike Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 1, it comes in three different heights: low, mid, and high. The two most popular Dunk styles are the low and high. The Nike SB Dunk Mid is the rarest Dunk silhouette, and has been seen only sparingly over the years.
How to Clean Dunks
The Dunk comes in materials such as leather, suede, mesh, and more. So there isn’t a “one size fits all” guide to clean the shoe. But that doesn’t mean caring for your Dunk(s) is impossible. For leather models, using a simple wet rag or towel with a drop of dish detergent on dirty areas works well. We suggest using a proper suede cleaner for Dunks with suede—the material doesn’t take to water too kindly.
Nike Dunk Sizing: Do Dunks Run Big or Small?
So far we’ve discussed the different Dunk models, the heights it comes in, and cleaning information. Now it’s time to talk about sizing. Are Nike Dunks comfortable? Yes, as long as you are wearing the correct size! The Dunk, which goes for all three low, mid, and high-top versions, including both the SB Dunk and standard Dunk, fits true to size. That means when purchasing the shoe, go with your regular sneaker size. No need to size up or down with the Dunk. However, if you like your sneakers to fit a little looser, you may want to go a half size up for the SB Dunk, as it does have more padding within the tongue and collar than standard Dunks.
Dunk Colorways: A Handy List of All 20,019 Colorways
Just kidding. It would be impossible for us to review every Dunk release, but we have no problem pointing out some essential colorways.
For the standard Dunk: Any shoe released from the college basketball-inspired “Be True to Your School” pack from back in the day is a go. As are the many two-tone, retro-inspired colorways like the “Midas Gold” and “Coast” that play off the classic vibe as their “BTTYS” brethren. Of course, we’d be remiss to not mention the TikTok-famous “Black/White” makeup.
For the SB Dunk: Collaborations are king. Any of the SB Dunk’s releases with streetwear brands like Supreme, Stussy, Diamond Supply Co. are worth taking a look at. As are the colorways from the “Orange Tab” label. Those are released exclusively in skate shops, and usually come in traditional Dunk colors. On the hype side, Ben & Jerry’s “Chunky Dunky” is about as notable a release as there is. Ditto to Travis Scott’s “Cactus Jack” SB Dunk, and anything from the “Orange Box,” “Silver Box,” “Pink Box” eras
What Is The Difference Between Nike Dunks and Air Jordan 1s?
Nike Dunks and Air Jordan 1s are two popular sneaker models that share similarities in design, but they also have distinct differences. The Jordan 1 is a member of the Air Jordan line of Michael Jordan's signature shoes, while the Dunk is strictly a Nike model. Unless a collaboration with another brand, the Dunk will only have Nike logos on its design, whereas the Air Jordan 1 features Air Jordan branding, including the iconic “Wings” logo. The Nike Dunk is most popular in its low-top version, while the Air Jordan 1 is favored in its high-top design.
As for sizing, the Nike Dunk and Air Jordan 1 both run true to size. Purchase your normal shoe size when buying either model.
Shop all Nike Dunks and Nike SB Dunks at Stadium Goods
See also: Explaining the Differences Between the Nike Dunk and Nike SB Dunk