story

You thought it was too good to be true, but another cult classic has returned. From the vaults of Concept Japan, aka CO.JP - an exclusive initiative introduced in the late '90s to tailor unique designs to the Japanese market - this is the iconic Dunk Low.

First introduced in 2017, CO.JP's extremely sought-after What the Dunk was an asymmetrical tapestry of colourways from the 1985 'Be True to Your School' program, which was dedicated to college basketball fans.

CO.JP's first limited edition was the City Attack pack, made up of the omote and ura Dunks. Omote translates to front, and ura means back, or reverse. The entire pack established Japan as a globally recognised sneaker destination.

Although technically part of the City Attack pack, both colourways of this Dunk stand alone for the inspiration they took from a popular 1960s Japanese sci-fi franchise, which made them ultra desirable among sneaker collectors.

The unofficial nickname 'Ugly Ducklings' gained traction sometime after the 2001 fairytale release of the original plum, veneer, and ceramic colourways. The unsusual shades of butter-soft suede made them unconventionally attractive.

The aesthetics of a new-age material took centre stage in the design of this Dunk. The carbon fibre-textured Swoosh of the 'Samba' complemented the metallic silver upper and blue overlays, making this pair a modern classic.

Perhaps the most significant CO.JP release among Japanese Dunk enthusiasts, the plush suede Viotech, originally released in 2001, taps into their love of bold and striking colourways, using Viotech purple as its foundation.

And that's the history of the CO.JP Dunk Low, which set the scene for the return of a cult classic - the What the Dunk, now available globally for the first time.

Inside The Vault: Dunk Low co.jp "What the"