The 10 Best Nike 'What The' Sneakers

Image via Complex Original

For the LeBron 16's "Pre-Heat" colorway, Nike decided to go with the the mismatched "What The" treatment. Officially dubbed the "1 Thru 5," the pair fused elements from the first five colorways of LeBron's 16th signature model that would be hitting retailers. Details included a cheetah print tongue, multicolored Flyknit on the left shoe, and colorful marbled sections on the outsole.  —Mike DeStefano

If the “What the” theme hadn’t jumped the shark by this point, 2014’s KD VI pushed the envelope as far as possible. Instead of mixing a few of the model’s more prominent looks, the sneaker packed a whopping 35 different details from previous colorways. Everything from the fan-favorite “Aunt Pearl” to the “Maryland Blue Crab” and “Meteorology” KD VI were represented here, and the references even extended to the outsoles, which featured a small nod to the sneaker’s “Christmas” colorway. —Riley Jones

The Jordan Brand never shies away from celebrating anniversaries. Any excuse to release new product is something the Jumpman is going to take advantage of and do well. 2019 is the 30th anniversary of the beloved Air Jordan IV and the masses have been greeted with countless new and original colorways. To celebrate the model’s glorious history, the AJ4 is wrapping up with its own “What The” iteration that fuses together the recognizable aesthetics of the “Bred”, “White/Cement”, “Military Blue”, and “Fire Red” iterations. A classic “Nike Air” stamp on its heel adds a clean finishing touch that is going to catch any diehard Jumpman fan’s eye. —Ben Felderstein

The LeBron 11 isn't necessarily considered one of the best models from LeBron James' lengthy signature line (he barely even played in them), but that doesn't take away from how well executed this "What The" colorway was. Rather than just pull together colorways featured on that particular model like the aformentioned "1 Thru 5" 16, this pair from elements from some of the most popular colorways across LeBron's entrie signature line up to that point. Details included tongues from the "South Beach" 8 and "Red Carpet" 7, all-over print from the "MVP" 6, and a rainbow outsole inspired by the "Fruity Pebbles" 4. Any fans of Nike LeBrons is sure to appreciate this release. —Mike DeStefano

LeBron James is one of those dudes that probably should be MVP every season. Not only is he going up against every other player in the league, but he is also being compared to prior iterations of himself which many say is the reason the King is only a four-time MVP. Anyway, I’m getting a little off track, I just had to force that in there. After winning his fourth MVP award honoring his memorable 2012-13 season, Nike made James a “What The” version of his 10th signature shoe. Like all the other “What Thes” out there it combined elements from prior LeBron X designs, but it was the signature MVP details that really helped this particular pair stick out. Reselling for the second highest average price on this list, the “What The MVP” LeBron Xs have to be considered one of the all-time greats.  —Ben Felderstein

"What The" releases are known for being vibrant and eye-catching, pairs that not everyone might necessarily be able to pull off. Jordan Brand changed that in November 2016 when it decided to release its first mashup colorway, the "Top Three" Air Jordan I. While not quite the same as a traditional "What The" release, we think it fits the bill. Like its nickname suggests, this pair combined color blocking from three OG Air Jordan Is: the "Chicago," "Bred," and "Royal." —Mike DeStefano

After taking what could be considered a reserved approach with the Kobe VII that came before it, this Kobe VIII looked like a bunch of spilled paint—but it worked. There were elements of Bryant’s soccer-inspired “Mambacurial” colorway along with a mix of graphics from prior make ups. It was the kind of sneaker that shouldn’t work, but in the “What the” canon, made perfect sense. It also holds the distinction of being the most valuable “What the Kobe" colorway on the aftermarket today, with pairs regularly surpassing the $500 mark.—Riley Jones

Released in 2015 for the Air Max 95’s 20th anniversary, this “Greedy” rendition combined four original style colorways—“Neon,” “Safety Orange,” “Grape,” and “Hot Red”—for a mash-up that was surprisingly wearable. Its outer lateral panels stuck with the Air Max 95’s OG grey gradient, while the inner section split things up with a more dramatic black fade. It was met with mixed reactions upon its release, but time has been kind to this pair, which is now tough to come by for under $500. —Riley Jones

Kobe Bryant had a pretty consistent signature line during his playing days, but many would argue the stretch from the Kobe 4 to Kobe 8 which helped break the stigma surrounding low-top basketball sneakers was his most memorable. One of the standout pairs from that time period is the "What The" Kobe 7. The 7 took cues from the animal kingdom for various colorways, which all came together on this pair that combined Poison Dart Frog patterns, cheetah print, mismatched paneling, and a new logo that fused all of the animals featured on each heel. —Mike DeStefano

The original still reigns supreme. While the "What The" concept has clearly been recycled over the year on numerous occasions, there has yet to be a pair that compares to the original Nike SB Dunk Low from 2007. The pair featured mismatched left and right shoes that combined aspects from 31 different colorways from SB's heyday. Supreme's Dunk Low and High collabs, the "Raygun," "Tweed," "California," and "Heineken" are just a few of the notable inclusions. The pair has seen a resurgence in the spotlight in recent years too, thanks to people like Travis Scott and Wale. Pairs are hard to come by, especially for an affordable price point, but there's a reason this pair is a grail for so many collectors to this day. —Mike DeStefano