Style
Nike's mismatched, ostrich leather Dunk sneakers are an instant classic
The "Flip the Old School" pair references a 1999 pack and the original Dunk campaign.
Nike will dare you to wear a pair of mismatched sneakers, packing a whole lot of Dunk history as motivation. A "Flip the Old School" Dunk Low applies ostrich leather and an upside down Swoosh to a pair referencing both sneakers from the 1999 "City Attack" pack. Released exclusively in Japan, the pack featured two Dunk Highs that were an inverse to each other's purple and white color schemes.
The upside down Swoosh only appears on the primarily purple left shoe, adding weight to the imbalance between the two sneakers. And both will come wrapped in tissue paper, which suggests the temporary design flourish from the "Keep 'Em Fresh" Air Force 1s may become a repeating motif going forward.
'Be true to your school' — The tissue paper shroud, which is intended to be removed at the wearer's discretion, features a hand-drawn graphic of a full basketball team wearing the Dunk High on-court. It serves as a nod to the Dunk's original "Be True to Your School" campaign from 1985, with the tagline appearing beneath the "Flip the Old School" stamp.
Because the tissue paper isn't long for wear, the graphic also appears on the sneaker's insole. This internal design is one of the only consistencies between the mismatched shoes, the others being a white midsole and purple outsole. Looking closer at the two kicks, you'll appreciate the lengths Nike went to in a bid for counterbalance.
They thought of everything — One of the cooler details on the "Flip the Old School" Dunk comes on the tongue. The Nike logo appears in yellow over white on the left shoe and is then flipped upside down over a purple patch on the left. You'll also find an upside down Nike spellout on the left shoe's heel, making it the true odd ball.
Nike has yet to announce official release details — and besides the date of release, what I want to know most is if the Dunk uses real ostrich leather or if it's just an effect. Whichever it is will likely have a huge effect on the price, as authentic ostrich would push the price higher.
Until Nike says more, we'll just have to enjoy the images surfaced by the leaker US11. All Dunks these days are hyped, much to the chagrin who remember the shoe's run from the aughts, but the "Flip the Old School" may end up being one of the most coveted of the year.
