Nike

A counterpart to the Nike Dunk Low Pro B ‘Putty’, the ‘Smurf’ earned its moniker from its deep blue color, which resembles the popular cartoon characters The Smurfs.  Like the Putty, the Smurf has an all suede upper and rests atop a gum sole. Nike branding can be found on the tongue and heel in black.

Before the formal creation of Nike SB, the sneaker brand catered to the skating community by updating the beloved Dunk Low in the 1990s. By adding nylon to the tongue of the shoe, Nike improved the fit for skaters. As demand for this “new” Dunk surged, Nike doubled down on their success by releasing the 2001 Dunk Pro B. These were the first Dunks to feature extra padding in the tongue and elastic straps to boost performance and fit. 

Pairs from the Pro B Series from 1999 are particularly sought after, as they were explorations into Nike SB before it was ever created. Offered here is one of the first silhouettes that experimented with premium materials, fat laces and a padded mesh tongue, which is shorter than those typically seen on SB Dunks.