Nike Air Dunk Jumbo

This Nike Air Dunk Jumbo brings a larger than life aesthetic to a classic colorway, while its inversion of the familiar black on white arrangement has brought it the name Reverse Panda. Everything has been enlarged on this sneaker, beginning with the sole unit, whose black outsole has additional rubber around the edge for even more durability. Underfoot, the traction patterns have been widened and the Nike branding in the center puffed up so that it only just squeezes into the debossed part in the center of the sole. Chunky Air lettering has also been etched under the heel to highlight the use of this bouncy cushioning system in the white midsole.

Bulkier pieces of material appear throughout the upper, whose base layer is made of a flexible black mesh. White tumbled leather panels have been placed over the top, forming the forefoot mudguard, the eyestay and the rear overlay. Aside from the eyelets in the top of this last feature, there are none on show in the eyestay, which has patches of zigzag stitching in their place. Rather, the updated lacing system incorporates loops of cord and a black woven strip that runs along the top of the tongue for the black and white laces to pass through. Either side of this, more white stitching zigzags along the length of the inverted tongue, which has been increased in size to almost twice that of other Dunk sneakers. Both its ends reveal the foam within, creating a slightly deconstructed effect, and the black mesh of the collar reaches away from its peak towards the heel. This soft fabric continues inside the shoe, covering the whole interior, and stout Air text highlights the insole in white.

As well as these bulked up features, this shoe has a number of elements that improve its comfort-giving properties. Firstly, there is the pull tab on the tongue, which facilitates easy on and off, then there is the Air padding in the midsole. Fluid movement is also offered by the notches cut into the leather overlays – a subtle touch, but one which makes a meaningful difference. Finally, the white leather swooshes that swoop along the sidewalls are nearly double the size of those found on other Dunks, thus completing the design with an impressive flourish.