John Kim 
In 2001, Nike introduced the new Pro B line of Dunk Lows with slightly fatter laces and new materials on the upper – a clear skateboard-specific line of footwear that preceded the first official line of Nike SB Dunk footwear. In the mid-80’s, thee Dunk, along with the Air Jordan 1, was a rather popular selection as a skate shoe as they both formed a cult hype alongside its original intent of being a sporty basketball shoe. Hence the 2001 Pro B line was somewhat of a throwback to that earlier era, as they featured the aforementioned fatter laces and more durable materials on the upper, and a few versions of the Pro B even came packed with a fatter, padded tongue and more durable ‘grip-tape’ uppers; skateshops across the nation would begin to stock the Pro B Dunks prior to Nike SB becoming an official label, and they’ve have become quite the coveted item among Dunk loyalists and collectors.
This particular set of Dunk Low Pro B releases include a trio of wildly eccentric colorways dubbed the ‘Ugly Duckling’ Pack which include the ‘Plum’, ‘Veneer’, and ‘Ceramic’ colorways. Although these were not an official designated ‘Pack’ of releases, they were grouped together for their eye-catching color-blocking, exclusivity in Japan, and outstanding materials (the suede uppers were purely unmatched and the hit of mesh on the ankle and tongue provided the perfect balance). Hardly ‘Ugly’, but the releases were certainly against the norm of that era – even considering the rebellious history of Dunk colorways. In addition to the three Dunks, another wildly arranged Dunk colorway dubbed the ‘Viotech’ was released in 2002, and is often mistakenly included as one of the Ugly Ducklings. More of this set of Dunks from Classics Revisited below, so take a look and stay tuned for this week’s final Nike Pack feature!
Daybreak/Barn-Plum
624044-561
Black/Nori-Ceramic
624044-031
Veneer/Deep Purple-Autumn Green
624044-251
Photos: rakuten/thecoolshoeshine/koolkicks
