Homegrown Dunk Highs for the discerning sneakerhead

Comfort, style, durability – of all the elements the classic Nike Dunk is known for, high-quality materials isn’t one of them. But the newest offering isn’t a straight-down-the-middle Dunk, and it’s worth exploring Nike’s complicated code system to find out exactly what makes these kicks so special.

Technically speaking, these sneakers are called the “Nike SB Dunk High Premium HG QS,” a long-winded name with a couple of important aspects hidden inside.

These are SB Dunks instead of basketball Dunks, and they’re Premium SB Dunks, which means skate-centric touches like a shock-reducing separate core, extra padded tongue, plus reinforced lace-holes and stitching.

The HG in their name refers to Nike’s collaborative partner for the makeup, Homegrown Skateshop in Ithaca, New York. The shop opened in 2005, and the colorway draws heavily on the forested, natural environment around the store for inspiration.

Finally, the QS means “Quick Strike,” a sign that there wasn’t a lot of warning between the shoes’ announcement and availability. In this case, it also meant a particularly limited release at the store in Ithaca, with hand-built wooden shoe boxes for a limited number of pairs.

But the most defining aspect of a pair of Dunks, as any sneakerhead will tell you, is their unique look. Everyone knows the classic Dunk shape, but over the years the color selection and blocking has stretched from tie-dye to wood grain and everywhere in between.

This pair picks up that tradition with an earthy, natural color scheme. Fuzzy browns and greens sit atop a white and gum outsole, an increasingly popular choice in Nike’s design scheme for the Dunk. The flat laces have been replaced with hiking laces as well, for a look that’s as at home in a skatepark as it is in the woods.

While the limited edition in-store pairs have come and gone, you can still get your hands on a pair of Nike’s newest from its website, or at your local skate shop.