Matt Varga Through controversy and the most public of hip-hop feuds, Nike has stuck by Aubrey “Drake” Graham, maintaining the relationship and the NOCTA sub-brand handed to the Canadian hitmaker uninterrupted since its 2020 debut. Arguably, it’s only gotten stronger in the time since, with Drizzy affiliates like Lil Yachty and Central Cee led to their own Swoosh deals on top of continued releases, be it for the artist’s signature Hot Step or his reformatted Air Force 1 series.
All that said, the Nike NOCTA story may have its most notable chapter(s) still ahead of it. Though forging friendships with Stephen Curry and LeBron James, in recent years his closest pro compatriot has been Kevin Durant, and this summer their mutual respect officially hits the market.
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
Pictured here are preliminary colorways of the NOCTA x Nike KD 19, bringing vibrant purple and orange overhauls to KD’s latest effort. To be sure, much of what we’ve seen of the molded silhouette to date has featured this sort of comprehensive, flooded blocking, namely with a capsaicin-coated run of all-red, all-orange, and all-yellow. Where the collab energy sneaks in is with off-tone sunny Swooshes on either side, and subtle sword branding on a jeweled patch anchoring the lace unit.
We will note that the dead giveaway for these shoe’s factory sample status comes underfoot; Nike’s official announcement of the Nike KD 19 showcased the lightning bolt motif embedded into the outsole traction, something omitted with these two pairs in favor of a more traditional gridded layout.
Based off of leaked reports from last year, we’re still expecting the NOCTA x Nike KD 19 collection due out this Fall, landing somewhere between July and September. Whether the final product will reflect what’s shown here is a different story entirely. Durant’s 19th signature, broadly speaking, will start its market run this June.
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
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- NOCTA x Nike KD 19 @always_first_kd_ h/t allinliveee
