Who should not buy
When we think about former basketball shoes, sometimes our mind goes to big and cushy models that usually pivots wear. Well… just delete that image from your head if you’re thinking about the Nike Dunk High. If you’re looking for a comfy and plush ride for your feet, we believe you should have a look at the Nike Zoom Vomero 5. If you want to walk around town all day long or you usually spend many hours standing, our recommendation is that you check our walking shoes catalog. You’ll definitely find your new pair there; and don’t worry, there are some stylish models too!
PS: Many of those shoes don’t require a break-in period, which is always great news!
High-top shoes are sometimes harder to style than low-top ones due to their design. If you’re a fashionista but you want those extra 20 minutes as sleeping time instead of “oh no my outfit is not working” time in the morning, then you should check the Nike Dunk Low. If you don’t like the Panda look or any other colour combination, as you’d rather go for a clean style, then the Air Jordan 1 Mid is what you need. Extra points for being budget-friendly!
Breathability
Our first test analyses the shoe’s breathability skills. We fill up one of the kicks with smoke using a machine and check how much it lets out. We also pay special attention to the key spots where you can see the smoke coming out, as some models are not well-ventilated overall and just let the air flow through some parts.
You can clearly see what we were talking about just now in this video. Look at the Dunks (left), the smoke comes mainly from its tongue area; and then we have the New Balance 57/40 (right), which lets the air out in a constant flow throughout the whole shoe, and not just a specific section.
Consequently, we’ve given this pair a 3/5 in breathability, which is… actually not bad at all! Don’t forget it’s a leather sneaker we’re talking about. In order to know a bit more about it, we performed our light test. Check it out!
We put the shoe right in front of a light to see if there are any other ventilation holes. We all could see the line shine through the holes of the lace structure, but once the laces are there… that’s not gonna do much!
But wait, doesn’t this shoe have holes all over its toebox? Microscope, please!
Oh, okay, okay, we get it. Those are not actually holes! There’s a layer underneath that won’t let the air come through.
Look at that! Well, on the bright side, this detail is perfect for winter, as it’ll help your feet stay warm.
| Dunk High | 3 |
| Average | 2.9 |
Durability
Leather/Suede quality
Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to check if a shoe’s leather is authentic/real or synthetic/fake? Maybe you have, and we’re here to unveil the mystery!
We grab a torch and put it close enough to the material to see if it catches fire or if it doesn’t. If you can see a flame dancing around, then the leather is fake.
And… the white pannels have passed with flying colours! What about the black parts?
Also authentic! Wow, Nike, we couldn’t be any happier. Now this is quality!
| Dunk High | Real leather |
Toebox durability
It’s finally time for the moment that many of our shoes fear: the Dremel test.
Leather usually performs well, as it’s a durable material. Alright, let’s get down to it, we can’t wait any longer!
The white debris flying around made our legs shake. But we could finally wipe our sweat away when we lifted the tool and blew the “leather snow” away.
The Dremel managed to get rid of the first leather layer, but that was it! Its attack couldn’t do much more, just leave our Dunks with an aesthetically unpleasant mark. That’s why this pair has earned a 4/5 in our toebox durability test. Keep it up, Nike! We’re loving this quality!
The New Balance 530 (on the right) was not as lucky, as our tool managed to destroy the whole layer of material. But this is a mesh model after all, and even though it scored a 1/5 in our toebox durability test, it passed the breathability one with a wonderful 4/5!
So, you know what they say, different strokes for different folks.
| Dunk High | 4 |
| Average | 3.8 |
Heel padding durability
More good news on the way, it seems!
We took our Dremel all the way back and went for the heel padding. Even though this shoe can easily brag about its high-quality leather, the heel’s material is different. Alright, show time!
Hold on a second. That was not that bad, wasn’t it? Let’s have a look at it.
Oh, wow! Well, yes, indeed, it was not that bad at all! The material held up pretty well against our rolling tool. No wonder your shoes are this popular, Nike. With a wonderful 4/5 in our heel padding durability test, these Dunks sure are ready to be with you for a long time!
The New Balance 237 can show you what it looks like to score a 1/5 in heel padding durability. Just look at that!
| Dunk High | 4 |
| Average | 3.5 |
Outsole hardness
At 89.9 HC, this shoe’s outsole is slightly harder than average according to our durometer.
This means that it focuses on durability, which vibes with the whole concept of this iconic pair. And we LOVE it!
| Dunk High | 89.9 HC |
| Average | 85.2 HC |
Outsole durability
Now, now, let’s see if the outsole is actually durable. In order to test it, we grabbed our Dremel one last time.
We use the same parameters to test every shoe, so after the 22-second-long agony, our Dunks ended up with a 0.8 mm deep dent.
Which is not bad at all! This shoe’s outsole has proved to be durable. Great job, Nike!
| Dunk High | 0.8 mm |
| Average | 1.0 mm |
Outsole thickness
When the different brands use a hard type of rubber to make an outsole, sometimes they can just get a thinner layer of the material for this part. These Dunks are a perfect example:
