Drake’s Unreleased Air Jordan 9 OVO PE From 2018 Surfaces

A previously unseen piece of the Drizzy x Jumpman puzzle.

Matt Varga January 2, 2025

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Ideally, 2025 will go better for one Audrey Graham, aiming to bounce back after some harrowing music industry moments in ’24. For our purposes, his first foray into the headlines is certainly a sparkling one, as a duo of Air Jordan 9 colorways bearing his “OVO” imprint have just emerged.

Sample collector @ayeelectric_ brings the reveal of these two shoes, noting that these are one of many look-see samples created for Drake as he filtered through which retro models he’d earnestly collaborate on. With the Jordan 8, Jordan 10, and Jordan 12 all receiving opposing “day/night” treatments, it’s only natural that those same palettes took over the Air Jordan 9. While the leather treatments here rely on the traditional matte finish, the mudguards of each shoe are where the elevated atmosphere of the OVO Jordan catalog comes into play.

Case in point: the speckles on the black edition’s suede mirror the stingray leather utilized on his AJ10. Alternating tongues sporting “Air Jordan” and “October’s Very Own” text, a co-branded outsole and the brand’s owl iconography on the insole close out each arrangement. Note that a “Holiday 2018” window is cited on the interior tag, which would’ve made these the most recent effort between Jordan Brand and Drizzy. It also aligns the timeframe with Drake’s split with Jordan and subsequent dalliance with adidas, a complication that could have potentially prevented this shoe’s release.

Since Drake landed back in Beaverton, his efforts have gravitated more towards the Swoosh rather than the Jumpman — the NOCTA Hot Step 2 and its surrounding enterprise are the foremost examples. However, the timing of these samples hitting the newswire is fortuitous, as the recent Air Jordan 12 “Phantom” relies on the same white and gold palette featured here.

Catch in-hand images of either shoe included below. While these will assuredly remain in the vault, keep our Jordan Release Dates 2025 page close by for additional info on upcoming releases like the Black Cat 3s.

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

: Air Jordan 9 “OVO” Sample (2018) @ayeelectric_

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Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.