Nike To Bring Back The ‘eBay’ SB Dunk Low

It’s well known that the Nike SB Dunk has been the canvas for some of the most limited sneakers of all time, including the Freddy Kruger SB Dunk from 2007, Yellow Lobster SB Dunk from 2009 and the Paris SB Dunk from 2003. Despite seeing peaks and troughs in popularity, the SB Dunk has been a standout silhouette for collectors and fans alike.

At its inception, the SB Dunk aimed to cater to the skateboarding community who had adopted the regular 1985 Dunk silhouette after it was seemingly stumbling under the popularity of the Air Jordan 1 which had been released the same year. 

While the original SB Dunk colourways were dedicated to skateboarders from the industry including Danny Supa, Gino Ianucci, Richard Mulder and Reese Forbes who made Nike’s first officially signed skate team, there have been hundreds of colourways, collaborations and projects utilising the silhouette - each with their own story and influence. 

Danny Supa Nike SB Dunk Low, 2002

After joining Nike in 1982 as a wear tester, Sandy Bodecker (the SB in Nike SB Dunk) was one of the individuals responsible for launching the Swooshes (successful) participation within the skateboarding industry in 2002. 

Shortly after the development of Nike’s skateboarding line, in 2003, the co-founder and Creative Director of Nike SB, John Martin (also the creative director of Nike Snowboarding, Nike 6.0, Moto, Surf, and Outdoor ACG during his 12 years at the company), created one of the most limited SB Dunks of all time - the eBay SB Dunk.  

Taking the classic Nike SB Dunk Low silhouette, the release featured an all-over patent leather upper, colour blocked with the colours from the eBay logo. The first pair was auctioned off via eBay to an undisclosed buyer, suspected to be a director in Nike’s Beaverton HQ, for around $30,000 in aid of the Tim Braunch foundation with the money from the sale going towards building a brand new skate park in San Jose. 

The charity, named after pro skater Tim Braunch who passed away suddenly due to cardiac arrest at the age of 25, aims to assist young people in living an active lifestyle through skateboarding. 

At the time of the sale, it was believed that only two pairs of the sneakers were produced, with the original sample being sawn into three pieces live in front of the audience at the eBay auction, ensuring that the buyer was the owner of the only pair ever made. 

Following this, the eBay SB Dunk Low became largely forgotten about. That was until 2018 when Bodecker, who tragically passed away due to cancer the same year, uploaded an image of the elusive shoe with the caption “So these are my rarest SB’s one of a kind eBay Dunks...designed by @johnnymartinboy”, confirming the location of the second pair with questions arising as to whether it was Bodecker himself who had won the auction.

Due to the rarity of the shoe, it has mostly become a lost relic. However, following a post from a recent Instagram account @sandybodeckerproject, it appears that we may be getting a reimagined return to the limited release. 

Upon first details, the reimagined design takes inspiration from the OG sample that was sawn apart 19 years prior. Featuring many of the same details from the original pairs, the upper once again looks to be made of entirely patent leather sporting the eBay colours. Where the pairs previously had the ‘Nike’ logo on the heel in the eBay font style, the upcoming release features a small ‘SB’ logo along with a Swoosh stitched below it. 

Additionally, a velvet sock liner can be seen to provide additional textures. The most distinct feature of the upcoming design, is the three semi-translucent stripes, that wrap around the entire sneaker, acting as a nod to the demise of the OG sample. 

Little is currently known about the release at the time of writing. With the Nike SB Dunk celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022 as well as the anniversary of Bodecker's passing taking place in 2023, it’s plausible that we could see this as early as the end of 2022. 

Nevertheless, one thing is for certain, the eBay x Nike SB Dunk Low is an incredibly important release that celebrates one of the biggest pivotal figures in the history of Nike as well as wider sneaker history.