Nike is probably one of the biggest athletic shoe companies in the world. As a major player, it has battled it out with other players for a share of the basketball shoes market. The traditional white basketball shoes got spruced up when the Nike Dunks came to the scene through select university and college basketball teams. It wasn't too long before these shoes got discovered by enthusiasts of yet another growing sports culture that time - skateboarding.

Skateboarding traces its roots as far back as the 1980s. Since the following was relatively still small that time, major shoe companies weren't too interested. This paved the way for the smaller players so they took the chance to serve this niche.

Nike at that time focused its Nike Dunks on the basketball court but because of the technology used in the shoes to address basketball requirements, the riders were attracted. The shoes were designed for strong grips, durability where ankle support is, and for comfort during flips and pivots. These were the same shoe requirements for skateboarding but that time, it wasn't too desirable for the underground nature of the sport. Riders preferred to buy from the smaller shops rather than the big shoe companies.

When the skateboard industry grew to more than $2.5 by the early 2000s , so many brands like DC, Etnies, and Osiris got half of this growth.

The shoes made by Nike still had attracted hardcore skaters because of the shoes? lower profile and wider paneling. To cater to the new market, the Nike SB line was launched in 2002 during the time when skateboarding was peaking. The Nike SB line had everything a skateboarder ever needs for an active pair.

The shape of the shoes in the SB line was patterned after the original Nike Dunks for basketball.

Good cushioning was installed to protect from wear and tear

The science for low center of gravity was applied to these shoes through the Zoom Air Insoles.

Extra padding was placed around the ankle

Extra padding was placed at the tongue for extra cushion

Dunk SBs are stronger than the traditional as Nike took triple stitching to the next level

To bring these shoes to their real users, Nike started to sell them in the smaller shops where the riders usually go for their gears instead of the big mall chains and huge sporting goods stores. Cals Pharmacy of Oregon has found that the shoes are selling ridiculously well and that the true-blue skaters are buying them.

Dunk SBs are usually price-tagged at $59 to $99 depending on the demand. A lot of legendary Nike Dunk SBs have been produced and it is rarely that you will find one of these limited editions that sell for less than $150. Some of the most famous ones include the first Supremes, Heinekens, Supas, Forbes, Mulder, Tiffanys, and Calis ? some fo which are still in reproduction.

While style is still pretty much a major consideration by Nike, functionality is a huge priority too. In the company's continuous efforts to serve this market, skaters are being promised about more functional Nike Dunks that will address their knees. Skating after all could be harmful to the knees. It may not be very important now but the sport is harsh on the knees. Nike is working to address that so that young skaters can have fun skating until their 30s without having to worry is they can still walk properly in their 50s.