Nike Dunk High Pro SB "Cheech And Chong" Sneakers

Recipe one: loose straight jeans stacked over the toe box, a plain white tee and an unbuttoned flannel, which is the period-correct way to wear an early SB high and the only way the thick tongue reads as intentional. Recipe two: black cargo trousers cuffed once with a plain hoodie, letting the collar and the tongue sit exposed. Sizing runs snug because of the padding, so go up if you are between. If this is a collector pair, be honest about age: older SB soles and midsoles can degrade with storage, so inspect before hard wear. Brush suede dry, never soak it, and store the shoe upright with the collar unfolded.

SB is where Nike, a company that by 1980 already held around half the US athletic shoe market, had to prove it understood a subculture instead of buying one. That was not smooth: in 2005 the line used Minor Threat's 1981 album art on a tour flyer, drawing a public rebuke from Ian MacKaye before Nike apologised on 27 June 2005 and settled out of court. Editions like this one come from the same instinct, borrowing a pop reference to speak in a language skaters already spoke. Some of those borrowings aged into affection and some into cautionary tales, which is exactly why early SB Dunks are studied as closely as they are.

Skate-specific Dunk High build: a leather and suede upper on the original basketball pattern, a heavily padded tongue and collar to absorb board impact, reinforced stitching at the high-wear panels, and a rubber outsole whose tread language traces back to Bowerman's waffle iron experiments, still the most useful grip pattern Nike has for a rough surface. Underfoot the cushioning is tuned for landing rather than running. On a high top the collar padding is the part that ages first, so check that it still holds its shape. The tongue on a Pro SB is noticeably thicker than on a standard Dunk, which changes the lacing tension you need and the way the shoe looks unlaced at the top.