Dunlop obviously hasn’t always made bags, in fact it was originally set up to capitalise on the patent of John Dunlop, who had thought he’d invented the pneumatic tyre for his grandson. While the patent was eventually taken away, due to the discovery of an earlier patent, the Dunlop name and company lived on. While it is in no way the same company as it was in its infancy, it has developed into a brand legend, especially when it comes to Dunlop bags.

While there are a number of different bags that Dunlop make, it is the messenger or flight bags that makes it stand out from other designers on the marketplace due to their look, size and fit. They don’t feel too chunky by any stretch of the imagination, but you can definitely squeeze a lot in them when you need to.

One of the qualities that Dunlop has built into its bag design is variation to create an overarching concept that has many different styles. From faux leather to matt plastic, they can range from the smarter end of the spectrum, right the way through to Sunday league football kit bag. There’s also a good range of different colours to choose from, so whether you support Chelsea or Stoke City there’s a Dunlop bag that will go with your team colours.

However, perhaps the best fit of the bag is to the needs of a student. Firstly, they’re on the affordable side of the men’s bags market, so they don’t break the bank, but more importantly, they’ve got just the right shape to fit books, notepads and laptops in them. The number of different pockets adds to their potential for stashing all of your University kit away at the end of a beast of a day at the library.

They’re also pretty handy for carrying music in, with enough room for records and CDs, and the adjustable strap makes it easy to get comfy with one on your back no matter what shape or size you are.

The most important thing is that they look good. It doesn’t seem to matter what you wear with a Dunlop bag, just as long as you’re there. Jeans are an obvious winner, but they also go with work-wear like shirts & trousers or a suit really well. In the winter they match up with thick coats and in the summer they can be slung around t-shirts and shorts.

Dunlop bags may well have their routes in a bicycle tyre, but they’ve definitely gone beyond that now. A big part of Dunlop Sports’ place in fashion is thanks to it’s history in sport; Fred Perry won Wimbledon in a pair of Dunlop green flash 1555’s way before Fred Perry was ever a brand of trainer, bag or t-shirt itself. There’s obviously a lot of competition in the baggage industry, and while Fred Perry makes some nice bags too, it’s Dunlop bags that are the original messenger bags for the masses.