As one of the more overtly promotional LEGO creations in recent memory, this modular, three-part Nike Dunk x LEGO (43008) set for ages 10 and above — the first of several builds launched as part of the duo’s summertime partnership — kicks off the pair’s joint initiative to promote youth sport and creative play, unsurprisingly complementing this drive with co-branded apparel and bricks.

However cynical you may be about this set, it isn’t LEGO’s first collaboration with a massive sportswear brand. It presumably signals the end of its work with Adidas, which reached a high and/or low with the bizarre and somewhat ugly Adidas Originals Superstar (10282), complete with actual laces. It bore only a passing resemblance to the shoe (even the 40486 miniature LEGO Superstar promo set was more recognizable); LEGO 10282 will be remembered as an 18 set for a niche audience of Run-DMC fans and anyone else who liked street clothes popularized over 40 years ago (guilty!).

Unlike the LEGO Superstar, and whether you’re a sneakerhead or not, the Nike set isn’t just great to look at — it’s an absolute pleasure to build.

Three’s no crowd

The Nike Dunk x LEGO (43008) set comes in at 1,180 bricks, separated into three separate builds over ten bags: the Nike Dunk shoe (bags one to three), the Dunk stand (four to seven), and the rotating basketball (eight to ten). With three separate instruction booklets, it’s a good project for families or groups to work on together.

Straight out of the box — thankfully, another sliding-lid package that avoids you having to tear it open — you realize that LEGO is still in a transitional phase with its sustainable packaging. The excellent Mario and Standard Kart (72037) set went all-in on the paper-style packets, but the Nike LEGO set still has plastic polybags. Still, there’s a sustainability advert in the instruction booklets, which themselves are wrapped in a new-style paper pack.

One thing immediately worth noting about the build as a whole is that it comes in at around 8.5 cents per block, which is great value for a branded set — especially a debut collaboration with another major label like Nike — but from the first moments of the build, it’s surprising how many large pieces there are, particularly with the “DUNK” stand.

Giving it the boot

The star of the show — the Nike Dunk — is first up. You know it’s going to be a good build when the first bag has only four stud bricks. Over these three packs, you get to appreciate a combination of clever design and outright simplicity.

The build itself is surprisingly quick, and the only part of the set that requires stickers. There are 18 in all, with eight for each set of laces, and a further pair for the top strap eyelets; the toecap, tongue, rear, and foothole cover are all printed.

It’s a steady but occasionally tricky build. The tongue uses a Technic-style hinge to reveal the central compartment, but you never feel like you’ve placed it back correctly. The Nike swooshes are a bit hard to attach until you realize they line up with the back design. The heel cap, too, is prone to exploding in your hands due to the force you need to put on two side-by-side 90-degree-curve towers, which are only connected at the top and bottom.

The most impressive technical feat of the entire Nike Dunk x LEGO build can be found on the toecap and heel connectors: incredibly clever, light-touch solutions that combine the classic modified 1x2 horizontal clip (6313116) with the 1x2 hinge clip (6266209), providing just enough resistance to keep it in place while allowing for easy separation with minimal force and no wiggling.

Admittedly, though, the “storage” chambers are a little silly. The toe cap seems purposefully reserved for the bonus extra teal-sea-colored laces for “custom color swap-outs,” which I personally don’t think match the set. You also can’t use it as a pen pot. Luckily, the instructions and promo videos suggest wireless headphones or keys; Nike suggests “championship rings.” Hmm.

The Nike Dunk’s biggest strength is its symmetry. Whereas the much larger Superstar was modelled after a right foot, this keeps things simple, meaning it’s gorgeous from any angle.

Making a stand

The real value of the set comes with the DUNK display. Building up from a subtle exclamation mark base, the Nike Dunk x LEGO (43008) set’s middle four bags are full of chunky pieces, but they’re still delicately used to deliver the effortless italicization of the “DUNK” letters.

It takes you a little while to fully appreciate it, but by bag six, you really respect the cleverness of the display — it’s a feat of engineering, and you see where the LEGO team has carefully prioritized sturdiness while simultaneously preserving the final finish.

Topping things off is the basketball’s mechanism, which is tucked away at the back and overlaps the stand’s brace piece. It doesn’t work until the final stage, and you’ve got an ironically deflating finish to the build before you see it in action.

Not having a ball

The Nike Dunk x LEGO 43008 set ends on the most boring part of the build. The basketball looks great once everything’s said and done, but it’s repetitive and technical, with multiple smaller pieces that demand your full attention — I don’t make building mistakes often, but I had three during this final section.

The center of the construction is a surprisingly strong six-way Technic spoke, which makes the build look more like an orange TIE Fighter after you’ve completed the first two panels.

Still, you once again appreciate the design of the basketball’s iconic black lines, and a single hole for the connector piece, which slots straight into the stand without affecting the ball’s design. Much like the Dunk shoe, this section is surprisingly heavy, but it feels safe and secure, and no amount of fast spinning will throw the build off its center of gravity.

Fun for everyone

When it’s all said and done, the Nike Dunk x LEGO (43008) set is stunning to look at, and just about the right size — given the DUNK lettering already makes it a statement piece, you wouldn’t want it any bigger.

There are a couple of criticisms. The storage elements of the Nike Dunk are remarkably limited, so don’t buy this if you expressly hope to use it as a desk tidy. Similarly, it’s hard to understand why Nike and LEGO have emphasized the ability to swap four blue, three-piece laces for a quartet of slightly different green ones, which themselves don’t look all that great on a high-top that’s essentially perfect in a two-tone finish. Finally, if you’re building it as a group and you’re the sole adult, let the younger ones build the shoe and stand — those final three bags are a bit of a chore.

Still, my head’s been turned by this one. The Nike Dunk x LEGO 43008 set is a joy to build and looks great anywhere. It’ll be interesting to see where the Nike x LEGO partnership goes next; Air Jordans may be too similar, and Air Max may be a little dull. The NBA may be an obvious next step — both for collectible team-based minifigs, or maybe we’ll see something like the Icons of Play (40634), but on a basketball court. The minifigure from this Nike Dunk set would fit right in.

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