The Nike Dunk Low “Iowa” Salesman Sample is a rare early example of one of the most important collegiate colorways from Nike’s original Be True to Your School program. Marked 9 851111-TYSS and dated November 1985, this pair was produced at the Tong Yang Rubber factory as a salesman sample, placing it within the earliest developmental and sales history of the Dunk line.

Originally introduced in 1985, the Dunk was conceived as a performance basketball shoe designed to align with the colors of leading college programs, a sharp break from the more generic team footwear that had preceded it. The black and yellow palette of the 'Iowa' directly reflects the school’s athletic colors and stands among the most recognizable and enduring expressions of the model. In both design and cultural afterlife, the Dunk helped establish a new visual language for basketball footwear, one rooted in team identity, collegiate loyalty, and bold color blocking.

As a salesman sample, this pair carries added significance beyond that of a standard original release. Early sample pairs offer a direct link to Nike’s internal product and merchandising process during a formative period for the brand, and surviving examples from the first year of the Dunk are especially scarce.