Nike Dunk High SB San Francisco Giants

First: loose fit dark denim with the hem stacked, a plain black hoodie and the collar left unlaced at the top eyelet, so the team colours read as a flash rather than a uniform. Second: black work trousers with a plain crew and a bomber that picks up one of the team tones without matching them all, since head to toe team colour turns dress into merchandise. Good for skating, ball games and city weekends. SB lasts run slightly narrow through the toe, so try true to size first. Suede needs a protector before the first wear, a dry brush after each one, an eraser block on scuffs, and no rain if you can help it.

Nike SB is where the company learned to work with subcultures instead of taking from them. That education was public: its 2005 appropriation of Minor Threat's album art drew a rebuke from Ian MacKaye and an apology from Nike on 27 June 2005, following the earlier pattern of the unauthorised 1987 Beatles Revolution advert that ended in a lawsuit and pulled ads in March 1988. Since then SB has anchored itself in cities, teams and shops that actually exist rather than in borrowed imagery. A regional Dunk High belongs to that lane, and its meaning is local rather than global, which is precisely why it holds value.

The SB build is the reason the High survives skating. A thick padded tongue takes the pressure of laces during flip tricks, the collar carries extra foam around the ankle, and a Zoom Air unit sits under the heel for landings, Nike Air being the sealed pressurised cushioning that anchors the brand's midsoles and became visible with the 1987 Air Max. The upper pairs suede and leather in the team palette, with suede chosen because it handles griptape abrasion better than smooth leather. The outsole is flat court rubber with a forefoot pivot circle, tuned for board feel rather than road cushioning. Expect a stiff first week and a high collar that needs breaking in.