{"id":12856,"date":"2022-05-05T14:12:09","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T06:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/?p=12856"},"modified":"2022-05-10T09:27:28","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T01:27:28","slug":"wacky-history-of-nikes-what-the-colourway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/2022\/05\/05\/wacky-history-of-nikes-what-the-colourway\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wacky History of Nike’s \u2018What The\u2019 Colourway"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Anton Karve<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quick Look<\/span><\/h2>\n
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  1. 2007: When it all began\u00a0– ‘What The Dunk’<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. 2012: From tarmac to hardwood\u00a0– ‘What The Kobe’, ‘What The MVP’<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. 2015: Back to the streets\u00a0– ‘What The Doernbecher’, ‘Greedy’<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. 2016: Off the tarmac, on the grass\u00a0– ‘What The Mercurial’<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. 2022: What’s next?\u00a0– ‘Safari Mix’<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u201cWhat the?!\u201d <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    That’s probably the most common reaction when you first lay eyes on one of Nike\u2019s sneakers featuring their iconic \u2018What The\u2019 colourway. The design is both <\/span>a bold rebellion against its own design norms as it is a fond remembrance towards previous generations of sneakers: Nike\u2019s \u2018What The\u2019 theme features a unique mish-mash of previously used colourways all within the footprint of a single sneaker.\u00a0<\/span>
    \nFollowing the upcoming release of Nike Dunk Low “Safari Mix”, sporting a \u2018What The\u2019 colourway in all but name, we dive into the history of these iconic sneakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2007: When\u00a0it all began<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    It all started with the Nike SB Dunk Low \u2018What The Dunk\u2019. Its design mixed and matched many classic colourways, such as \u2018Heineken\u2019, \u2018Raygun\u2019, \u2018Huf\u2019, \u2018Pigeon\u2019, \u2018Tweed\u2019 and \u2018California\u2019. Nearly a decade and half later, these sneakers are still a grail to sneakerheads, and with pop culture icons such as Travis Scott and Wale seen wearing them, it\u2019s not hard to understand why.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Travis<\/a>

    Travis Scott wearing Nike SB Dunk Low ‘What The Dunk’. Image:\u00a0Nicekicks<\/p><\/div>\n

    \"Wale<\/a>

    Wale wearing Nike SB Low Dunk ‘What The Dunk’. Image: Complex<\/p><\/div>\n

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    2012: From tarmac to hardwood<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    After a long 5 years break from the theme, Nike made a surprising move to push this design from the skatepark into the basketball court, releasing 6 back-to-back \u2018What The\u2019 court shoes within 2 years. The Nike Kobe VII System \u2018What The Kobe\u2019 (2012) introduced this colourway into the basketball world, featuring previous Kobe System colourways such as \u2018Mamba Snake\u2019, \u2018Shark\u2019 and \u2018Poison Dart Frog\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Nike<\/a>

    Nike Kobe 7 System ‘What The Kobe’ shoes. Image: Sneaker News<\/p><\/div>\n

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    The success of this drop set the precedent for the following wave of \u2018What The\u2019 court shoes, with Kobe, LeBron, KD and Air Jordan mashing designs together for multiple limited-edition releases. Highlights include Nike LeBron X \u2018What The MVP\u2019 (2013), mixing and <\/span>mis<\/span><\/i>matching iconic LeBron colourways \u2018Prism\u2019, \u2018BHM\u2019 and \u2018Area 72\u2019:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"LeBron<\/a>

    LeBron wearing his ‘What The MVP’ LeBron Xs in-game. Image: Sole Collector<\/p><\/div>\n

    Another highlight was the Nike Kobe 8 System \u2018What The Kobe\u2019 (2013), combining a whopping 30 different Kobe 8s colourways into an absolute neck-breaker of a design:<\/span><\/p>\n