As Nike SB enters its 24th year next year and inches ever closer to a milestone Silver Anniversary, the Dunk continues to be the centerpiece of the brand’s skate movement on both a sport and cultural standpoint. With plenty more in store in terms of collaborations, in-line models, and the growing Orange Label series, Nike has been tasked with broadening its ideas in order to continue the Dunk’s legacy.
This upcoming 2026 sample provides a peek into some new color-blocking methods that you don’t see often in sneakers in general. Typically, Nike will arrange the colors based on each upper piece, but this never-before-seen sample cuts the shoe right down the midsole — Wolf Grey at the fore-foot and Lightning yellow towards the rear. The chop in colors doesn’t include the tongue as the fattened padding remains all yellow; the Swoosh follows suit by staying a solid silver. Black midsoles and grey bottoms complete this uniquely executed sample.
While an interesting design choice in general, it does appear that there’s some headier inspirations at play with the Nike SB “Lightning,” drawing from San Francisco’s MUNI Fast Passes used to access their network of street cars and light rail. Monthly passes alternated between colorways of this half-and-half design, with the December 2008 edition providing the closest comparison point. Finally, the serpentine SB logo seen on the inside tongue tag matches a similar Art Deco MUNI logo that appeared on the tickets.
It’s not clear if this Nike SB Dunk Low will ever hit the retail shelves, but if so, they’ll be landing sometime in 2026.







