The Air Jordan 5 “What The” and a Look Back at Previous “What The” Nike Sneakers

Lionized in sneaker culture, the Nike SB Dunk “What The” holds court as one of the most memorable skate shoes ever made. Why? Because it combines 31 of the most storied SB Dunks ever created.

While skaters and collectors were camping out in an effort to score “Pigeon,” “HUF” and “Raygun” Dunks, the “What The” hybrid offered a shortcut colorway for those late to the line or the ultimate flex for those that truly knew the game.

LeBron James not winning the NBA MVP Award in 2020 was most certainly a “What The” moment for many hoops fans, including the King himself. Ahead of the curve and on point with the accolade, 2013's Nike LeBron X “What The MVP” carried over the collage colorway introduced by the SB Dunk and reappropriated it to the themes and silo of James’ tenth signature.

Previous pairs such as the "Area 72," "Prism," and "BHM" releases all collided on a singular LeBron X to cap off one of the King’s greatest seasons. When it comes to the Nike LeBron legacy, this “What The” colorway captures James at the top of the mountain with the heat and hardware to prove it.

Stakes were high on the Nike Kobe 9. Coming back from an Achilles injury that could’ve been a career-ender, Kobe Bryant and Eric Avar went deep into the Batcave (or rather, the Innovation Kitchen) to deliver an above-ankle model made in stark contrast to his previous signatures. Built like a boxing boot and showing his scars, the Nike Kobe 9 High was fully Flyknit and obtuse by all accounts. 

After almost an entire year in circulation and countless can’t-miss colorways, the Nike Kobe 9 High Premium received the ultimate curtain call with this “What The” release. While previous “What The” Nikes were right on the nose in regard to patchworking multiple colorways in the bluntest of fashions, the Kobe 9 elected to cool down the theme with icy white trim and 3M detailing. The result was a frosted funfetti finish that still takes the cake.

The Nike Air Max 95 has taken on muted approaches and it even ventured away from its original arrangement in favor of leather pairs. However, the 1995 model remains its most loved in grey gradient suede with highlighter hues on the branding, bubble and eyelets. After years of reviving the “Neon” theme with a singular swap on the subject shade, Nike got “Greedy” in 2015 by combining them all on one shoe.

Less abrasive than your average “What The” colorway, the “Greedy” Nike Air Max 95 kept the tried and true foundation of the original “Neon” 95s only alternating the eyelet, Swoosh, tongue, and Air bubble coloring with each rotation. These are any of your favorite Air Max 95s depending on your vantage point, hoarding all the heat for themselves

Kobe Bryant has always been a student whether in sports, arts, or business. Pulling from soccer to drop the top on his signature series in 2008, 2012’s Nike Zoom Kobe VII System “What The” found him drawing from skate in styling.

Using the same collage colorway approach introduced on the epic SB Dunks, Bryant brought to life "Mamba Snake," "Cheetah," "Poison Dart Frog." and "Shark" themes from previous Kobe VIIs all on one animal of a shoe.

The City of Angels is once again the City of Winners as Los Angeles has taken home championships in basketball and baseball in 2020. The chaotic year and collage colorway all come together on the Nike Air Force 1 "What The LA," an homage to the California city’s colorful array of pro sports clubs. 

Originally released in 2019, nods to the Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Dodgers, Angels, Rams, Chargers, Kings, and Galaxy all appear in shade and sentiment. Details such as speckled soles, mini Swoosh toe box branding and city stamping on the heel cap off this colorway with an abundance of Air Force 1 reverence.

In film and footwear, very rarely do sequels live up to the hype. The Nike SB Dunk High “What The SB Chronicles” could easily be cast as a part two to the famous “What The” Dunk Lows, but instead serves as a savvy spinoff. Dropping in conjunction with the SB brand’s 2017 feature film and highlighting the works of Lance Mountain, Omar Salazar, and more, the celebratory sneakers elected not to pull from recent rarities but rather from the film’s poster art.

Created in collaboration with art director Thomas Campbell, the mismatched myriad of brand font and logo work proves both loud and limited. Only 100 pairs were available for this very rare release, making the bold SB seldom seen in the wild.

The Nike Kobe 8 System saw enough colorways released to keep PJ Tucker taken care of on a road trip. Spanning themes from Venice Beach to outer space, Zodiac calendars to Easter Sunday, the Kobe 8 released at the height of Nike Basketball’s thematic boom.

What better foundation for a “What The” launch then that? Choosing to fuse color stories rather than just puzzle them together, the Nike Kobe 8 System Premium “What The” melted nearly 30 different Kobe 8 motifs on one release.