The Top 5 Nike ‘What The’ Releases of All-Time
Everybody loves an epic crossover event, whether it’s in pop culture, or more specifically about sneakers. With more stars in their lineup than any other brand, Nike perennially brings them together via the ongoing ‘What The’ series. Mashing up iconic colourways, patterns, and design elements, ‘What The’ drops are some of most sought-after cops on the Swoosh’s annual release calendar, and it’s easy to see why.
Showcasing the unrivalled creativity of Nike’s colourists, these crep concoctions continue to turn heads and drop jaws. With that in mind, here’s five of the wildest and wackiest ‘What The’ sneakers to ever come out of Beaverton.
Nike SB Dunk Low ‘What The Dunk’ (2007)
This one started it all, and the Nike SB Dunk Low ‘What the Dunk’ quickly garnered legend status after its release in 2007. Known to fetch up over $5000 on the secondary market, the sneaker brings together some of the most iconic Dunk colourways ever, including the ‘Pigeon’, ‘Huf’ and ‘Heineken’.
Rumour has it only 500 pairs of the mismatched, mashed-up Dunks were ever made. Importantly, the success of the drop was enough to convince Team Swoosh to stick with the concept.
Nike LeBron 10 ‘What The MVP’ (2013)
The limited edition LeBron 10 Premium ‘What The MVP’ celebrated LeBron’s fourth NBA MVP Award. This sneaker brought together a number of fan-favourite LeBron 10s, including the ‘Area 72’, ‘Prism’ and ‘BHM’ colourways.
While its not at the upper echelons of ‘What The’ exclusivity, the ‘What The MVP’ is definitely one of the most striking designs in the series, with its wild multicoloured upper, pink midsole, and gold-plated ‘MVP’ lettering on the tongue.,
Nike Mercurial Superfly SE FG ‘What The’ (2016)
‘What The’ has been prominent on the hardwood, but the series made its first foray into the football world back in 2016. Using the Mercurial Superfly as the canvas, Nike designed a cleat combining 16 of the most memorable Mercurial colourways since its debut in 1998.
Limited to just 3000 pairs across the globe, the ‘What The’ Mercurials came with special custom insoles and a carry bag listing the models that inspired the look.
Nike Kobe 8 System Premium ‘What The Kobe’ (2013)
Taking the ‘What The’ ethos to the next level, the limited edition Kobe 8 System Premium ‘What The Kobe’ mashed together a staggering 30 colourways from previous Kobe 8 releases. The right and left pairs differ significantly, with the former wearing an ‘Electric Orange’ base with a ‘Volt’ Swoosh, while the left cools things down with a ‘Deep Night’ shade.
Nike LeBron 9 ‘What The LeBron’ (2012)
Perhaps the rarest ‘What The’ sneakers ever, the LeBron 9 ‘What The LeBron’ combines various renditions of ‘Bron’s ninth signature. Never released to the public (aside from leaked samples), it’s a true Grail for die-hard disciples of ‘The King’, with pairs up for grabs in excess of $9000.
Unlike other ‘What The’ sneakers, the LeBron 9 ‘What the LeBron’ doesn’t have mismatched left and right sides, opting for the same colours on each shoe. Interestingly, the insoles feature MVP Trophy logos detailing LeBron’s awards in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Considering the sneaker was revealed at the start of 2012, Nike must’ve been pretty confident ‘The King’ would reclaim the MVP crown.
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