Response toThe 'Nike Dunk' in '06

The Dunks must be getting hot again...

Every time the heat starts coming off the road with new designs, I get a few emails about my article 'Preservation of the NIKE Dunk' that was featured in the summer issue of Sneaker Freaker Magazine in 2004.

My view is this on the new Dunk designs. Rock 'em..I'm not hatin' on your style.

However, I just want the sneakerheads to realize what really made the shoe special and how the customization centered around teams and college basketball not...Pharrell, Nelly, or other cornballs over the past few years.

I have to admit that I can be as attached to the old school like John Chaney. With that said, I certainly, don't ever want to be the guy who continues to caught in a time warp oohhhing for the days of past. However, before I wrote the piece, I never thought the shoe was given respect for what it was...An incredible basketball shoe solely designed and customized for incredible college basketball teams of the mid-80s. And I didn't want the legends who made that shoe special to fade away.



The Dunk was neither a skateboarder's shoe nor was it a glam shoe. The Dunk was and is a baller's shoe. The Dunk had respect than the Jordan or even a year later with the Revloution or the Assault because the shoe centered around the close-knit community of Nike's NCAA, AAU high-school, and camp sponsored teams. The Dunk was a team shoe.

If you were wearing that shoe, you either had major game or a major 'jones' for the school that the colors represented. If you were rocking the Dunk, you better have an elite level game, know someone who does, or have at least have a roundabout knowledge of those colors, because you were the dork who burns mad loot trying to be a baller.

Keep in mind that guys such as Antoine Joubert, Matt Roe, Walter Berry, or Matt Brust are the original artists of that shoe because they rocked them on the floor when it counted. I also don't believe that with eBay, sneaker boutiques, and hundreds of media channels that it will always be a challenge for Nike to create that secret cocktail of buzz, focus, magic, and exclusivity around a shoe in college basketball again.

That concoction of marketing and mythology is what made those shoes so dope, not the colors.

So, change it up...

What I would love to see is a new shoe model other than the AF1 or the Dunk be adopted by artists and sneakerheads as a design template. The FC Brasils are incredible...I love the Nike URLs and I love the new Free designs. Push the customized designs into the newer models. The technology is better and you can express your creativity with a shoe for....Today.

Now don't get me wrong. I can see the flip side...Just look at the case of customizing classic cars. Muscle car designs from the '70s are incredibly unique and fun. I can easily see how the argument can be swayed the other way of tricking out the designs of the past.

However, when it comes to my tastes for shoe models such as the Dunk or the AF1, I sway toward the belief that the shoes are built for the game and the myths centered around the teams of the time. That's why my preference would be to innovate around the new models and the modern issues...Leave the old ones alone. Show me the style on a shoe built for gamers of today.

Just remember...The shoe is built for 'Team'. As long as the Dunk is built around a 'team' essence, then I'm down with any design.



Let's Go Redmen,
IronDog

Nike Dunk
Sneaker Freaker

Whoa Nellie...

Look who's back in Oakland...

Yes, the Warriors re-hired Don Nelson as head coach today. And I don't what to think.

My head says that the game was passing him by in the past two seasons, and it was more of Mark Cuban's dollars and the talent surrounding Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki that gave him success at the end of Maverick reign. Yet, my heart still believes that he's still one of the most innovative and creative coaches in the NBA over the past two decades...If you're the Warriors, why not go with him?!

Here are the details from Janny Hu of SFGate.

Nellie knows the organization. He has a great relationship with GM Chris Mullin. More importantly, he seems to have the ears of absentee owner, Chris Cohan. He's a master at developing talent. Look at Mario Elie, Steve Nash, Rod Higgins, and Tim Hardaway...Hell, look at even Paul Mokeski and Sidney Moncrief.

Not a bad call by the Warrior organization. Roll the dice with the veteran and see how it develops. To see a case that worked, check out the Grizzlies and Hubie Brown. Meanwhile, nice payout for Mike Montgomery. He gets to chill out in the Bay Area and wait for Santa Clara, USF, or Cal to open up, and he'll be right in line. Not a bad gig for the next two to three years.

Big ups to Chris Mullin for making a move before training camp starts. Now, there's not a delay or big media circus erupting during training camp or before the start to the season. Let's hope that the Warriors can develop as a unit under Nellie. They need to break into the Playoffs. C'mon...they're due.

Check back in mid-Janurary. Let's see how many positions Troy Murphy will end up playing, and let's see if Jason Richardson can become the next Latrell Sprewell...I'm telling you...Nellie is a master for developing talent.

Run-TMC,
IronDog

Alright...It's Tight

Every time that I want to give the guy a chance...

Honestly, I was going to give Kobe a strong shot this summer for the World Championships, but he pulled up lame. So, who the hell knows if America will ever be able to adopt Kobe in the future.

With his shoes, the guy is always an Adidas guy to me. Yet, no one remembers the past, right?...Regardless of my thoughts, the guy puts up mad shots and mad numbers, and I have to admit this shoe release by Nike is pretty damn tight for the World Championships.



This is one of the better designs for a USA special edition for an Olympic or World Championshiop year that I can remember...Kudos.

Fix that knee. We need him for a run at the gold.

USA 2006,
IronDog

Footloose Needs to Hit Carrboro

Say whaaaa??....

This is a damn shame. One of the best public commons areas in the Southeast have duped the people of Carrboro. The management at Carr Mill have banned dancing and other public performances in front of Weaver Street Market.

I've been bragging about how Weaver Street Market is an incredible example for small towns to create a public place through creating an experience with commercial properties. Well, send this example down the drain because the experience is drying up.

The area's performance area that holds a cast of characters, which include Bruce Thomas otherwise known as the 'Dancing Man', is now closed for performers...Geezus. You have to be kidding me.

Check out the full story here from the Durham Herald-Sun. Some stiff guy had to make this call. If this continues, the commons area is going on one of my public places extinction list.

This is what happens when you have public places that are privatized. The property owners preach a huge game about how they want to create a public space for people to commune in order to ease the community's concerns when they develop the property. Yet, when it's all said and done, they control the uses and who's allowed to use a public place that is in the center of a highly trafficked area...Ridiculous.

By the way, I'm sending this to Project for Public Places...They should know about this. Put it on their awards list or something.

These clowns have even knocked out my Weaver Street hula hoop girl. Her crime is that she looks fly and gets everyone to work out with the hoops.

What the hell is going on here? God Save the Planet...I loved that place.

Dance, dance, dance...
IronDog

Cuban Mix

People don't realize how big of a complex animal that basketball, college basketball, and youth is today...

Maybe there is a solution that could straighten the mess out. Over the past few years, I've been stunned at some of the idiotic rules that are in place for student athletes to develop their games.

I guess that some day administrators will realize that the only reasons why most student athletes are in school these days is because of their sports skills not academic prowess...So, let them develop them, right?

Well, Mark Cuban touched on those points in his blog. Check them out here through BlogMaverick...I actually enjoy his thoughts on developing the NBDL team...Does anyone want to jump in and buy one with me?...I'm partially serious on that one.

Fix the Mix,
IronDog