There was a time when you could walk into any Nike store and grab a pair of Dunks off the shelf. No queues, no raffles, no resale markup. Fast forward to today, and Dunk drops in India sell out in seconds. What happened?
The College Basketball Origins
Nike released the Dunk in 1985 as part of their "Be True to Your School" campaign. The idea was simple — make the shoe in every college team's colours. It was a basketball shoe, nothing more.
The SB Era
In 2002, Nike gave the Dunk to their skateboarding division. They added a padded tongue, Zoom Air insole, and started doing wild collaborations. The Pigeon Dunk, the Tiffany, the Paris — these became grail-level pieces. But this was a niche market. Most people in India had no clue what an SB Dunk was.
The 2020 Explosion
When Nike brought back the Dunk Low in 2020 with simple colourways at ₹7,495, the whole game changed. Suddenly, Instagram was flooded with Dunk Low outfit posts. Travis Scott was wearing them. Every college student in Delhi and Mumbai wanted a pair.
The Indian Dunk Craze
In India specifically, the Dunk became a status symbol. The Panda Dunk (black and white) was THE sneaker of 2021-2022. Resale prices on pairs hit ₹15,000-20,000 for a shoe that retailed at ₹8,695. Stores like VegNonVeg and Superkicks could not keep them in stock.
Where Are We Now?
The hype has cooled a bit, which is actually great for buyers. You can find solid Dunk colourways closer to retail now. If you missed the wave earlier, this is your chance to pick up a pair without paying crazy resale. The Dunk is here to stay, bhai.
