The Nike SB Strange Love Dunk is a February 2020 SB Dunk Low made with Strange Love Skateboards, the label tied to artist Sean Cliver. Pale pink velvet-textured upper, translucent outsole with a heart graphic underneath, heart-eyed skull embroidered at the heel. US shops still get asked for it by name years after release.
What follows is the Buying side: what the shoe actually is, where demand sits across the size run, how to grade used pairs, and how to source stock without parking cash in sizes that will sit on the shelf.
What This Dunk Actually Is
Nike built the pair on standard SB Dunk Low tooling: Zoom Air in the heel, a padded tongue, a slightly thicker midsole than a mainline Dunk. The upper is the story. A pale pink velvet-like material covers most of the shoe, with darker overlays and a soft nap that shifts shade as it moves.
Two details drive most of the conversation around resale value. The outsole is translucent and shows a heart graphic from below, and the heel carries an embroidered skull with heart eyes. Both are also the first things counterfeiters get wrong.
For a shop, the velvet finish is a practical problem, not a cosmetic one. It scuffs, holds creases, and picks up lint and dye transfer from denim. A lightly worn pair can look tired fast, which changes how you buy used stock and how you photograph it for listings.
Where the Demand Sits
Valentine's Day timing gave this colorway a gift-buying audience most SB releases never reach. Buyers are not only skate customers. You get couples shopping for a matching set, pink-sneaker collectors, and SB completists chasing the 2020 box. Few pairs in the SB line pull that mix, and the Nike SB Strange Love Dunk does because the pink reads as a gift rather than a skate shoe.
That mix matters when you plan a purchase. Gift buyers want clean, presentable pairs and they shop hard in the six weeks before February. Collectors want deadstock with a clean box and all original contents. Worn pairs still sell, but to a narrower group and at a discount you have to build into your cost.
Seasonality also shapes cash flow. A lot bought in November can turn by mid-February. The same lot bought in April may sit until the next gift cycle, so factor holding time into your offer.
Fit, Sizing, and Size-Run Planning
Sizing on the Nike SB Strange Love Dunk follows standard SB Dunk Low fit, which most buyers treat as true to size. The padded tongue and insole make it feel snugger than a mainline Dunk, and wide-foot customers often go up a half size. Small sizes pull women buyers, so the bottom of the run is not dead weight the way it is on many SB drops.
| Size band (US men's) | Main buyer | Demand read | Stocking note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6.5 | Women buying for themselves or as gifts | Strong | Do not skip this band; it often sells first |
| 7 to 9 | General sneaker and SB buyers | Steady | Core of any lot and easy to move |
| 9.5 to 11 | Core men's skate and casual | Steady | Highest volume; inspect condition closely |
| 11.5 to 13 | Big-foot collectors | Mix | Thin supply, but slow if priced wrong |
| 14 and up | Niche collectors | Slow | Buy only with a specific buyer in mind |
Treat the table as a starting point, not a rule. Your own sell-through history beats any generic read, and regional differences are real. A store near a college campus will clear a 9.5 faster than a store in a retirement market clears the same size.
Grading Used Pairs and Spotting Fakes
Most lots you get offered are mixed, and a single price for the whole lot hides the ugly pairs. Sort before you negotiate, then price each grade separately.
- Check the velvet nap for bald patches, flat spots, and dye transfer across the toe box.
- Inspect the heel skull embroidery: dense stitching, tidy edges, clean heart eyes.
- Hold the outsole to light and confirm the heart graphic reads clearly through the rubber.
- Compare box label, size sticker, and style code against the pair in hand.
- Look at the midsole stitch line and the spacing where the upper meets the sole.
- Pay for an authentication opinion on any pair you plan to sell as deadstock.
Fakes of this colorway are common enough that a photo set alone proves nothing. The velvet texture is difficult to copy, so ask for daylight close-ups and a short video of the shoe being flexed before money moves. If a seller refuses either, walk.
Sourcing Without Tying Up Cash
You will not find the Nike SB Strange Love Dunk on a current Nike SB wholesale order form. It shipped in 2020 and sold through at retail, so stock arrives through resale, trade-in programs, liquidation lots, and collection buyouts. Every purchase is a negotiation rather than a catalog order.
Ask for a size-break price instead of one lot number. Full runs carry a premium, and gaps in the middle of the run cost more than they appear to on paper. Confirm in writing whether the lot is deadstock, worn, or mixed, and get the return terms before you pay.
Landed cost decides the deal. Freight, payment fees, cleaning, and any authentication spend all sit on top of the invoice, so run the math per pair rather than per lot. Duty and import treatment vary by shipment and classification, so confirm rates with a customs broker instead of assuming a number.
Set a floor margin before you shop and hold it. A practical approach is to price so that a modest markdown still leaves you whole, and to pass on any lot that only works at full price in perfect condition.
FAQ
Does the Nike SB Strange Love Dunk run true to size?
Most buyers take their usual SB Dunk size, and the pair fits true to size for regular feet. Wide-foot customers often size up a half. Always check the official size chart and, for used pairs, ask the seller for the insole measurement in centimeters.
Is this colorway still worth stocking?
Yes, if the cost and the size break are right. It has name recognition, a built-in gift season, and a buyer base outside skate. Skip lots that are heavy in size 13 and above, or that lean on worn pairs you would have to discount hard.
How should I price a used pair?
Start from current sold comps, not asking prices, then subtract your margin plus any cleaning or authentication cost. Condition, box, and complete extras move the number more than age does. Confirm live comps yourself before you commit.
Are fakes a real problem here?
They are. This is a popular pink SB Dunk with strong resale, which is exactly the profile counterfeiters target. Buy from sellers with a written return policy, request daylight photos, and use a paid authentication service on anything priced as new.
Should a small shop buy singles or a full run?
Singles in sizes 7 to 10 are the safest entry if cash is tight. A full run only makes sense when the middle sizes are complete and the per-pair cost stays low enough to absorb the slow tail at the top of the run.
If you are pricing a lot of pink SB Dunks or building a first-quarter buy list, send over your size break and target cost per pair. We will come back with current availability, per-size pricing, and condition notes so you can place a purchase order with the numbers in front of you.