The year was 2007. Sneaker culture wasn't the trillion-dollar, bot-infested, mainstream behemoth it is today. Back then, if you wanted the heat, you were lurking on NikeTalk forums or camping outside a local skate shop with a folding chair and a thermos of bad coffee. Then, James Arizumi dropped a bomb. He created the Nike SB What The Dunk Low, a shoe so visually chaotic it looked like a sneaker factory had exploded and someone just stitched the debris together.
It was polarizing. Some purists hated it. They thought it was "doing too much." But for those who understood the DNA of Nike SB, it was a masterpiece. It wasn't just a shoe; it was a physical history book of the "Gold Box" era. Honestly, if you didn't know your history, the shoe just looked like a mess. If you did? It was the ultimate "if you know, you know" flex.
The Anatomy of a Frankenstein Masterpiece
So, what actually goes into a Nike SB What The Dunk Low? It’s basically a greatest-hits album for your feet. Arizumi took elements from 31 different SB Dunks. Think about that for a second. Thirty-one.
You’ve got the neon green "Buck" heel on one side, nodding to Phil Knight’s alma mater. Then there's the iconic "Pigeon" embroidery from Jeff Staple’s 2005 release that literally caused a riot in New York City. You can spot the "Jedi" neon laces, the "Heineken" color blocking, and the safari print from the "eBay" Dunk. It even pulls from the "Paris" Dunk—one of the rarest shoes in existence—and the "London" and "Tokyo" city series.
It’s asymmetrical. The left shoe doesn’t match the right shoe. Not even a little bit. This was a radical concept in 2007. While people were used to clean colorways and matching panels, the Nike SB What The Dunk Low demanded you look at every square inch of the suede, leather, and mesh. It forced you to remember the stories behind the shoes it was referencing. It wasn't just about fashion; it was about the culture of skateboarding and the community that grew around these specific releases.
Why It Almost Didn't Work
There’s a fine line between "artistic collage" and "garbage heap."
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The design team had to balance dozens of contrasting textures. You have the rough ostrich skin from one release sitting right next to the smooth leather of another. Somehow, the "What The" concept managed to feel cohesive despite being intentionally disjointed. It paved the way for an entire "What The" franchise that Nike eventually rolled out for LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant. But let’s be real: none of them captured the lightning in a bottle quite like the original SB Dunk.
The Market Reality: From $120 to Five Figures
When these first hit skate shops, the retail price was roughly $120. Good luck finding a pair for that now.
Today, the Nike SB What The Dunk Low is a grail. We’re talking about a shoe that routinely clears $10,000 to $15,000 on platforms like Sotheby’s or Christie’s if they’re in deadstock condition. Even "cooked" pairs—shoes that have actually been skated in and seen the pavement—fetch thousands.
Why the price hike? Scarcity is the obvious answer. They didn't make many. But the deeper reason is the shift in how we value sneakers. In 2007, sneakers were a hobby. In 2026, they are an asset class. The Nike SB What The Dunk Low represents the peak of a specific era of creativity that many feel Nike hasn't quite recaptured. It was the "End of Evangelion" for the SB Dunk craze—a wild, psychedelic finale to a golden age.
The Problem with Modern "What The" Releases
Nike has tried to recreate this magic dozens of times. We've seen "What The" Jordans, "What The" Paul Rodriguezes, and even "What The" Doernbechers.
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Most of them feel forced.
The original Nike SB What The Dunk Low worked because the 31 shoes it referenced were already legendary. Each panel represented a moment where a skate shop had a line around the block or a specific pro skater did something incredible. Modern versions often reference shoes that came out only a year or two prior, which feels more like a marketing gimmick than a tribute to history.
Real-World Nuance: The "Fakes" Problem
You can't talk about this shoe without talking about the replicas. Because the design is so complex, early fakes were easy to spot. The "Pigeon" was too fat, or the "Buck" green was the wrong shade of lime.
But as the years passed, the "super-fakes" arrived. High-end counterfeiters have spent years perfecting the specific embroidery and material transitions of the Nike SB What The Dunk Low. If you’re buying a pair today, you basically need a DNA test for the leather. Professional authentication services like CheckCheck or the teams at eBay and StockX look for very specific things:
- The density of the stitching on the heel tabs.
- The exact texture of the "MediCom" fur panels.
- The scent of the glue (yes, seriously).
- The pattern of the internal lining, which features a collage of even more logos.
If you’re looking to buy, never do a "friends and family" payment on PayPal. Use a platform with a guarantee. There are more fake "What The" Dunks in the world right now than there are real ones.
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How to Style a Shoe That Hates Matching
Honestly? You don't.
If you're lucky enough to own a pair of Nike SB What The Dunk Lows, the shoe is the entire outfit. Don't try to wear a loud, graphic hoodie or camo pants. You’ll look like a circus performer. The move is usually black jeans or simple work pants and a plain white or black tee. Let the shoes do the screaming.
Some collectors refuse to wear them at all. They keep them in climate-controlled clear boxes like museum artifacts. I get it. But there is something incredibly punk rock about seeing someone actually walk through a grocery store in a pair of $15,000 sneakers that look like a preschooler’s art project.
The Legacy of James Arizumi
We have to give credit to Arizumi’s vision. Before this shoe, "mismatched" was a mistake. After this shoe, it was a genre. He took the "Be True To Your School" ethos of the original 1985 Dunks and turned it on its head. He proved that Nike SB wasn't just a skate brand—it was a design house that could rival the high-fashion labels in Paris or Milan.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Collector
If you're serious about hunting down a Nike SB What The Dunk Low, stop looking for "deals." Deals for this shoe don't exist. If someone is selling a pair for $800 on Facebook Marketplace, they’re fake. Period.
- Verify the Box: The original came in the "Gold Box." Check the label for the correct font and spacing. The color code should be exact.
- Inspect the "Pigeon": The bird on the lateral heel is the most common fail point for replicas. The legs should be thin, and the embroidery should be crisp, not "puffy."
- Check the Insoles: The insoles feature a printed collage. On real pairs, the print quality is high-resolution; on fakes, it often looks blurry or "pixelated."
- Reference the "Paris" Panel: Look at the canvas sections that mimic the Nike SB Paris. No two real pairs have the exact same cut of the artwork, but the style of the print (the Bernard Buffet-inspired art) is very specific.
- Use a Middleman: For a purchase this size, use a service that offers physical inspection. Do not rely on photos alone.
The Nike SB What The Dunk Low remains the ultimate trophy. It’s a chaotic, beautiful, expensive reminder of a time when Nike was taking massive risks and the "sneakerhead" community was just a small group of weirdos obsessed with skate shoes. It’s history you can wear—if you can afford the entry fee.