Nike SB Dunk High (Dream Team Red) Shoe Review/Wear Test
Nike SB Dunk High(Dream Team Red)
Shoe Review/Wear Test
By: Jason Lee
Initial Impression
After switching from a deck/boat shoe(Vans Authentic) to the Dunk, I immediately felt like I had more support and less board feel. Being a cupsole shoe, it was very stiff and took me about a week to break in the shoe. Being a hightop, I felt that my ollies changed because of the lack of ankle mobility; however, the added support prevented shark bites. The shoes also came with a spare set of laces.
Sizing
Fits true to size.
Shape
The shoe fits pretty well for people with wide feet. Its toe is shaped similarly to the Air Jordan 1. The shape stays the same for the most part thanks to it's multiple eyelets. Flick feels good and the leather remains grippy throughout the wearing process.
Durability
The Dunk High excels in durability in all aspects. It never got an ollie hole within the month that I skated it. Around the two month period, I had just started to break into the white leather underlying the initial layer of leather. The kickflip area of the shoe faired worse however, a strange split appeared on the shoe. The shoe featured double-stitching on the toe cap which added to the shoe's life. Thankfully, the white leather reaches all the way down to the sole of the shoe, which prevented blowouts, a problem seen in Adidas' Samba ADV. The sole was equally long-lasting as well, showing signs of life past the two month mark.
Breathability
The shoe has an average amount of breathability thanks to the air holes at the toe of the shoe. The mesh tongue also helped to prevent the foot from overheating too much. I think the shoe could benefit from some more holes on the inside side panel of the shoe.
Grip/Support/Comfort
The shoe's grip was above average, but not quite at the level at the Van's waffle sole. The sole was extremely grippy at the beginning and wore out to an average level at around the two week stage. However, the sole maintained its average grippiness past the month of wear-testing. Being a cupsole shoe, the impact protection was superb. The zoom-air insole added to the support of the shoe and the board feel on the shoe felt stellar once broken in. The puffiness in the ankle limited mobility but added to the placebo effect of support for the ankle. After a couple of days or so, the limited ankle mobility no longer felt troublesome. As mentioned beforehand, the cushion around the ankle added to its comfort, as did the zoom air insole.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the shoe is a great shoe, it features average breathability and support. The shoe exceeds expectations in durability, grip, and comfort. The shoe could benefit from added breathability and perhaps triple-stitching, but this is not imperative to the shoe's performance.
Shoe Review/Wear Test
By: Jason Lee
 |
| 5 hours of wear. Wear is apparent, but shows no sign of a soon to come ollie/kickflip hole. The laces show some wear. |
Initial Impression
After switching from a deck/boat shoe(Vans Authentic) to the Dunk, I immediately felt like I had more support and less board feel. Being a cupsole shoe, it was very stiff and took me about a week to break in the shoe. Being a hightop, I felt that my ollies changed because of the lack of ankle mobility; however, the added support prevented shark bites. The shoes also came with a spare set of laces.
Sizing
Fits true to size.
Shape
The shoe fits pretty well for people with wide feet. Its toe is shaped similarly to the Air Jordan 1. The shape stays the same for the most part thanks to it's multiple eyelets. Flick feels good and the leather remains grippy throughout the wearing process.
 |
| 1 month of wear(40+ hours of wear). White leather underlays the initial red layer of leather. Not pictured, but a split occurs perpendicularly to the red leather around the 1 1/2 month mark by the kickflip area. As a result, there is a red flap on the kickflip area. Laces shoe no continued signs of wear, but that could differ per person. |
Durability
The Dunk High excels in durability in all aspects. It never got an ollie hole within the month that I skated it. Around the two month period, I had just started to break into the white leather underlying the initial layer of leather. The kickflip area of the shoe faired worse however, a strange split appeared on the shoe. The shoe featured double-stitching on the toe cap which added to the shoe's life. Thankfully, the white leather reaches all the way down to the sole of the shoe, which prevented blowouts, a problem seen in Adidas' Samba ADV. The sole was equally long-lasting as well, showing signs of life past the two month mark.
Breathability
The shoe has an average amount of breathability thanks to the air holes at the toe of the shoe. The mesh tongue also helped to prevent the foot from overheating too much. I think the shoe could benefit from some more holes on the inside side panel of the shoe.
Grip/Support/Comfort
The shoe's grip was above average, but not quite at the level at the Van's waffle sole. The sole was extremely grippy at the beginning and wore out to an average level at around the two week stage. However, the sole maintained its average grippiness past the month of wear-testing. Being a cupsole shoe, the impact protection was superb. The zoom-air insole added to the support of the shoe and the board feel on the shoe felt stellar once broken in. The puffiness in the ankle limited mobility but added to the placebo effect of support for the ankle. After a couple of days or so, the limited ankle mobility no longer felt troublesome. As mentioned beforehand, the cushion around the ankle added to its comfort, as did the zoom air insole.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the shoe is a great shoe, it features average breathability and support. The shoe exceeds expectations in durability, grip, and comfort. The shoe could benefit from added breathability and perhaps triple-stitching, but this is not imperative to the shoe's performance.
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