In 1985, Nike debuted a total of seven pairs (12 schools) of the Dunk in various college colors for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) sponsored college basketball league. The Dunk was a big hit in the U.S. at the time as a pair equipped with the latest shoe technology just established in the 1980s, including an ankle stabilizer strap that holds the ankle in place and a flex notch that promotes bending motion. The Dunk was also distributed in Japan in small quantities through parallel imports, and became a hot topic of conversation.