Nike Dunk Low Hyper Cobalt

Looks: 

The Nike Dunk Low is a rather simple sneaker, especially in the non-SB version. It could be fooled for any leather early 1980s basketball shoe if the swoosh was removed.

The shoe's upper is entirely made up of two colors: black and cobalt blue. The blue mudguard panel starts at the front and wraps all the way back to near to mid-foot, cutting up to reach the eyelets. Before meeting the third blue panel at the top of the eyelets, Nike continued the blue on the eyelet panel, which had a slight wave.

The eyelets are one of the places where the dunk distinguishes itself from other sneakers. Rather than a single hole, as most retros have, or even two, as many running shoes do, the Dunk Low features four. If you're going to play basketball in them, you'll be able to fine-tune how the top of the shoe is laced. 

The blue extends around the back on the 34 panel, which is meant to look like the ankle panel on the Highs, the back tab, and (of course) the swoosh.

The perforated toe box, midfoot panel, and ankle region are all black leather, whereas the perforated toe box, midfoot panel, and ankle area are all black plastic. The concept is carried over to the tongue, with black as the dominant hue and blue as an accent.

There are a few intriguing embellishments on the remainder of the top that give the shoe a unique feel. The fact that the laces include a little quantity of reflective thread is maybe the most intriguing aspect for me. Unlike the Yeezy reflective laces, Nike has included enough normal thread in this pair so that tying them doesn't feel like raw spaghetti. Other notable features are the vivid orange Nike logo on the black insole.

A retro-style liner is used to finish off the top, both around the ankle and on the inside of the tongue.

The third and last color on the shoe is White, which is found in the mid-sole. This is the midsole's primary color, as well as the color of the thread that connects the midsole to the upper. Unfortunately, Nike did not stitch this pair very well. The stitching goes outside the channel on many occasions, which is very apparent.

Nike brings back the blue on the outsole, which is a true classic. Anyone who has been a fan of Nike retros over the past 35 years would recognize the design. The forefoot has a concentric circle pattern, while the heel features textured blocks. Between them, a traditional Nike emblem with the Swoosh ensures you don't forget who made the shoe.

Like nearly every Nike shoe, the Nike Dunk Low Hyper Cobalt has a long and thin fit. In comparison to a Jordan 1, the Dunk features a bit more room in the toe box, which is good news for people with broad feet. The fit is very forgiving if you're not wearing shoes to play basketball. This does, however, result in a sloppy fit. The leather is incredibly flexible, and the laces stop lower on your foot than many other shoes. These are combined with a shoe that will never be a perfect fit. I wear a size 13, which is the same as my Jordan 1 size, but I think I could get away with a 12.5 if necessary.

The Dunk Low's comfort is about as poor as it gets in a sneaker today. Only a few millimeters of rubber and a cheap insole stand between you and the earth. If you wear these for more than a few hours, your feet will feel it.

If there's one redeeming grace, it's that Nike's Dunks are made of very thin leather. Of course, there are drawbacks, but the benefit is that it is extremely flexible. These, unlike nearly every other mass-produced leather shoe, will mold to the contour of your foot over time. It's not prime-knit, but it keeps your feet from becoming uncomfortable on both the top and bottom.

Materials & Construction: 

As previously said, one of the excellent features of this pair is that the majority of the panels are made of real leather. It's flimsy, but it's genuine. Of course, the leather is covered with a plastic that allows them to achieve the vivid colors they desire, much like nearly every other Nike or Jordan vintage. Alternatively, in the case of these pair, deep black. However, the top isn't entirely made of leather. The back panel is made of a cheap-feeling black plastic.

A strong rubber composition is used for both the midsole and the outsole. True, this will be excruciatingly painful, but it should endure a long time. This is true in terms of both durability and age. There are Dunks from the initial run that are still wearing today without disintegrating, unlike from the Jordan 3 forward.

A stitched-on cup sole is used in the shoe's manufacturing. On a mass-produced sneaker, this is about the greatest type of construction you'll find. It means that the sole should remain connected to the upper for the duration of the shoe's life.

Ease of Care: 

One of the major advantages of the leather's plastic covering is that these shoes should be incredibly easy to clean. You'll probably only need water for virtually everything. Even the cheapest shoe cleaning products should suffice if you want to be extra cautious.

In fact, the white midsole is the only part of the sneaker you should look out for. Even with frequent cleaning, this is likely to yellow with time, but that is true of any white rubber midsole.