Sneaker News Many point to the early-mid 2000s as the start of the Dunk mania, but experts know that the seeds were planted years before. Prior to Nike SB being officially established in 2002 with the SB Dunk making profound waves still felt today, Nike had been experimenting with the Dunk in the late 1990s as regional exclusives. They were limited in nature not as a strategy; in fact, the exclusivity of Japan-exclusives and fat-tongued Pro B variations was simply due to Nike having little faith in sales.
However, the co.jp “City Attack” series of Dunks grew in legend and became some of the most sought after pairs in the early 2000s, even generating a buying craze in the late 2010s and into the early 2020s. The fat-tongued version officially tagged with a “Pro B” designation were adopted by the skating community for obvious reasons, while sneakerheads took to the model for the chunkier look. Without a doubt, the late 1990s Dunks is the reason why Dunks even matter today, and why the Panda “pandemic” has been occurring over the last few years.
While Nike SB continues to remain strong with its Orange Label skateshop-only offerings and its collaborative affairs, Nike could be looking to revive the forgotten Pro B model. The simplest way to describe the Pro B Dunk, at least superficially, is that they’re basically an SB Dunk, but without the Nike SB tongue label and without a Zoom Air insole. Some Dunks with the Pro B label did not have a fat tongue.
Recently, images of a recent sample pair of a fat-tongued Dunk Low has appeared, bearing an SB-less tongue logo. The insoles reveal a modern Zoom Air insole used in current Nike SB footwear. Clad in a monochromatic khaki suede and gum soles, this unreleased sample pair shares a similar attitude as many Dunks of yesteryears.
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- Nike Dunk Low Fat Tongue Sample @bitchlikemykicks
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- Nike Dunk Low Fat Tongue Sample @bitchlikemykicks
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- Nike Dunk Low Fat Tongue Sample @bitchlikemykicks
By no means does the surfacing of this sample confirm the return of the Pro B, but a Retro is definitely an untapped resource that could re-energize the Dunk fanbase.
