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As May comes into view and the NBA playoffs settle into place, Nike is putting basketball sneakers both old and new front and center.
Kevin Durant’s KD 17 appears likely to generate the series’ most intrigue in years thanks to its incorporation of features from the Air Max Plus, while one of the most popular sneakers from his career is set to return for the first time with the rerelease of the KD 4 “Weatherman.” The Nike Kobe line will also add two brand-new colorways as its place on the release calendar becomes more steady.
Outside of hoops, Bode’s highly sought-after Astrograbber in two colorways will get a second release via the Snkrs app, and the famous Cortez from “Forrest Gump” will return to much fanfare.
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Below, Footwear News takes you through the best Nike sneakers releasing in May. The list will be updated as more information becomes available, and you can also check out the Air Jordan slate for May right here.
Bode x Nike Astrograbber “Light Cream” and “Black”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $160
After dropping through Bode in a somewhat fraught manner, the trendy label’s Astrograbber will release again through the Snkrs app and without the same hitches. That isn’t to say getting a pair will be easy, though, as demand is high for the return of the ’70s football shoe in two colorways.
Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacita”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $190
Nike’s tradition of honoring Gigi Bryant through a special-edition Kobe sneaker on her birthday continues for the third year with a Kobe 8 Protro featuring an all-over butterfly print on its mesh upper.
Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Fuchsia” and “Moss”
Release Date: May 1
Price: $150
Two more colorways come to CPFM’s Air More Uptempo-inspired Air Force 1, with two more possibly in the timeline in the near future.
Supreme x Nike SB Darwin Low
Release Date: May 2
Price: $118
Supreme and Nike SB bring back the Darwin Low, an outdoor basketball sneaker from 1994, for the very first time through four colorways dropping through the NYC streetwear brand. A later release of at least some of the variants could follow from Nike, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Nike Dunk Low “Ultraman”
Release Date: May 3
Price: $135
The revival of Dunk Low colorways originally released two decades ago as ultra-rare Co.Jp exclusives continues with the “Ultraman” edition from 1999, an unofficial homage to the sci-fi character from the ’60s.
PJ Tucker x Nike Air Flight ’89
Release Date: May 5
Price: $160
Just 472 individually numbered pairs, the same number of seats in a Boeing 777-300, will release for PJ Tucker’s first Nike collaboration. Detailing on the sneaker incorporates the story of his international basketball career and his home state of North Carolina.
Nike Cortez “Forrest Gump”
Release Date: May 8
Price: $110
Although the sneaker predates its appearance in the movie by decades, this Nike Cortez colorway has nonetheless become most closely associated with “Forrest Gump” and widely beloved among sneakerheads.
MMW Nike Zoom 6 Trd Run
Release Date: May 9
Price: $300
Alyx founder Matthew M. Williams and Nike made this running shoe in two monochromatic colorways specifically for treadmill workouts — which should save some wear and tear for the $300 trainers.
Nike Book 1 “Rattlesnake”
Release Date: May 11
Price: $150
A more subtle use of the texture comes with Devin Booker’s second Nike Book 1 featuring faux-snakeskin and taking inspiration from his love of hiking and Arizona.
Nike Air Zoom GT Hustle 2 “Victor Wembanyama”
Release Date: May 15
Price: $170
Before his eventual signature shoe, Victor Wembanyama’s first-ever sneaker release is a GT Hustle 2 flush with details invoking the “Alien” nickname given to him by LeBron James.
Nike KD 17 “Sunrise”
Release Date: May 17
Price: $150
Kevin Durant’s newest sneaker is grabbing attention not just because of what it borrows from the Air Max Plus, but because the KD 17’s campaign with Chet Holmgren has led many to believe Durant may return to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Futura Laboratories x Nike SB Dunk Low
Release Date: May 18
Price: $135
The legendary graffiti artist returns for another collaboration with Nike SB, with which Futura first partnered with just a year after the skateboarding line launched. An additional red variant of this year’s SB Dunk Low will also be doled out to friends and family.
Nike KD 4 “Weatherman”
Release Date: May 21
Price: $130
Durant and Nike are also looking back to earlier in his career for this KD 4 featuring a radar map getting a rerelease for the first time.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
