We’re just a few days away from the long-awaited release of Drake’s ninth studio album, Iceman. With all the talk surrounding the Canadian rapper at the moment, we’ve decided to take a look back at his best sneaker collaborations with Nike and Jordan Brand.
Drake’s collaborative history in footwear is deep, ranging from a number of unreleased Air Jordan projects like the “Pink Snake” OVO x Air Jordan 11 that sells for thousands on the secondary marketplace to updated classics like his “Certified Lover Boy” Air Force 1s, and original silhouettes like his NOCTA x Nike Fins.
In celebration of his new album, Iceman, dropping this week, here’s our ranking of Drake’s best Air Jordan and Nike sneaker collaborations.
Nocta x Nike Swim Fins
Year: 2023
Are Drake’s Nocta x Nike Swim Fins ridiculous? Of course they are. But who else has a Swim Fin collab? The aquatic footwear released in 2023 as part of Nocta’s Turks and Caicos “Spring Break” collection. As for the actual Swim Fins, they released in t-shirt style sizing rather than the standard numerical scale, similar to the original Nike Air Presto. This isn’t a shoe we can say we’ve seen being used as a beater, or even worn, but the unconventional platform adds an element of variety we rarely see from celebrity partnerships, and that makes it unique enough to earn a spot on our list of Drake’s best sneaker collabs. —Zac Dubasik
Drake x Air Jordan 4 ‘Raptors’
Year: 2019
There’s a complicated history when it comes to this “Raptors” Air Jordan 4. The version with Drake’s signature on the tongue initially surfaced in early 2018, but then in August, an identical pair sans Drake’s name was released at retail. During that time, it was rumored that Drake’s version was scrapped after the rapper was reportedly getting ready to join Adidas, but he ended up signing with Nike. The version with Drake’s signature did eventually end up releasing in limited quantities in 2019 for those who really wanted his name on the shoe. —Victor Deng
Drake x Air Jordan 6 Low ‘Hot 100s’
Year: 2016
How did Jordan Brand celebrate Drake’s first Billboard Hot 100 single “One Dance” in 2016? By gifting him an exclusive pair of Air Jordan 6 Lows. The sneaker has a very simple color scheme, featuring a white leather upper with a red Jumpman on the tongue. The key element is “Views” written across the outsoles, which is a nod to Drake’s his fourth studio album that contained the aforementioned chart-topping single. —Victor Deng
OVO x Air Jordan 10 ‘White’
Year: 2015
Fans had to wait almost two years from when Drake first previewed his two “OVO” Air Jordan 10s in 2013 for the collab to finally release in 2015. The all-white colorway was the more popular version over the black pair, as it looked cleaner and better showcased its stingray overlays on the uppers. There really wasn’t much Drake branding on the shoe, aside from his owl logo printed on the insoles and the OVO branding at the forefoot of the outsoles. Now that we’re more than 10 years removed from the release, we can say that this is still one of Drake’s best sneaker collabs ever. —Victor Deng
OVO x Air Jordan 12 ‘Black’
Year: 2017
Sneakers are like chapters in a history book—they’re a great way to look back at a moment in time and understand what was going on. The OVO Air Jordan 12 was one of those collabs that told you exactly where sneaker culture was at. Originally released in 2017 during NBA All-Star Weekend, OVO added a small but high quality touch to the silhouette, a luxurious aspect that elevated it but also kept it grounded. The best collabs rarely break the mold of the silhouette; instead, they add a personal touch while staying true to the heritage. Following his Views era, this shoe matched Drake's vibe at the time. Dark and focused, but spacious and rich. —Douglas Jase
OVO x Air Jordan 8 ‘UK Away’
Year: 2016
Jordan Brand decided to celebrate Drake’s affinity for the Kentucky Wildcats and then-head coach John Calipari in 2016 with a two-shoe Air Jordan 8 pack. There was a white leather pair and a black nubuck version, but we’re focusing on the latter for this list. The black and blue color combination was inspired by the Wildcats’ team colors, and was paired with the OVO owl logo. The combination worked together really well here, particularly in the black colorway. Calipari himself revealed that only about 80 pairs exist. —Victor Deng
Nocta x Nike Air Force 1 ‘CLB’
Year: 2022
Subtle collaborations run the risk of being seen as too safe or even lazy, but Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” take on the Nike Air Force 1 features so many small details it’s hard to accuse it of being anything but being one of his best sneaker collabs. The Nocta x Nike Air Force 1 features understated branding like a tonal logo on the left heel tab, “Love You Forever,” molded into the midsole in place of the standard “Air,” and the most low-key of them all—tiny hearts rather than the typical stars as the sneaker’s traction pattern. It could be easy to dismiss the sneaker from afar as a run-of-the-mill white-on-white Air Force 1, but closer inspection reveals something much more special. —Zac Dubasik
Air Jordan 3 ‘Drake vs. Lil Wayne’
Year: 2014
Not only did Drake and Lil Wayne produce one of the more memorable shows in 2014 with their joint "Drake vs. Lil Wayne" tour but also resulted a Jordan Brand producing special Air Jordan 3 PEs to commemorate the moment. There was a white and black colorway made, but the latter was the better version of the two. It featured a premium leather upper, orange to yellow gradient details on the shoelaces, and custom "Drake vs. Lil Wayne" tour branding on the sock liners. These are still an amazing looking shoe even after so much time has passed. —Victor Deng
OVO x Air Jordan 11 ‘Pink Snake’
Year: 2017
This shoe is insane to me. Pink snakeskin high-top Air Jordan 11s? Even if these weren’t a Drake sneaker, people would be going nuts. These never came out—there’s a grey pair, too. But the pink pair blows my mind every time I see a pic of it. These shoes are truly a grail for collectors. Pairs go for north of $10,000. There’s not much of a story on these, much like most of Drake’s sneakers. But they just look amazing. What more do you need sometimes? —Matt Welty
OVO x Air Jordan 4 ‘Splatter’
Year: 2017
Drake’s OVO “Splatter” Air Jordan 4 first surfaced in 2017, but the history of the colorway actually dates back to 1989. While never released at retail, sample pairs of the style were created back during the Air Jordan 4’s original run. The connection to Drake? That’s never been clear—and by not being clear, we mean it doesn’t make any sense at all. But its historical significance to the Air Jordan line is what we appreciate so much here, and what makes it Drake’s best sneaker collaboration—we’d be happy to see any form of this sample hit retail eventually. This version stays true to the source material with the only Drake branding coming in the form of the OVO owl on the inside of the heel tab. Finding a pair for any price would be hard enough, but expect the price to be steep: a pair sold at a Sotheby’s live auction in 2020 for over $32,000. —Zac Dubasik
