John Kim 
NIKE DUNK LOW WEEK
Nike Skateboarding is still going ten years strong, and perhaps the original Dunk Low Pro B deserves all the credit. Truth is, Nike has tried to elbow into the Skateboarding realm three times over the years, failing on the first two tries. It was only until the first official series of Nike SB in 2002 that it gained any steam, but in 1999, Nike had already released a similar variation of the Dunk Low that suited the needs of skaters. Going back to the 80’s, the Dunk and Air Jordan 1 were widely popular in the skating community, so why not make the Dunk into a skate shoe? The Pro B was born, built with durable suede uppers, gum outsoles for increased traction and board feel, and a fattened tongue for that added substance that skaters find useful in their shoes. Before Nike SB became ‘a thing’, the Nike React Element 55 Violet Star W Pro B was becoming a cult-hit of sorts, leading Nike to release more Pro B colorways in the Scarpa years at select retailers. Some of the Pro B releases carry as much weight as the earliest Nike SB releases, with the Smurfs owning the role as the ‘OG’ of the short-lived Dunk Low Pro B family.
Nike React Element 55 Violet Star W Pro B “Smurf”
Rapid/Rapid
124002-442
1999
Photos: heatslingers
