Kendrick Lamar Laced up a Legendary Nike Football Sneaker for the Super Bowl
StyleHidden beneath those viral Celine jeans, KDot sported a pair of Deion Sanders’ most beloved signatures.By Calum MarshFebruary 10, 2025Photographs: Getty Images, Nike; Collage: Gabe ConteSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.During last night’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, Kendrick Lamar took yet another victory lap—following his Grammy win last weekend for “Not Like Us”—to cap off one of the most heated feuds in recent hip-hop history.He did so in an oversized Martine Rose leather varsity jacket and baggy Celine denim, complemented by a backwards cap and several supersized chains. As far as eagle-eyed sneakerheads were concerned, however, KDot’s biggest flex of all was just barely peeking out from beneath those flared cuffs: a clean pair of Nike Air DT Max ’96s in black and white. Given the outsized bombast of the rest of Kendrick’s fit and performance, this was a surprisingly understated footwear choice—albeit one with deep connections to football history.Even just peeking out from beneath some seriously flared jeans, the Nike Air DT Max '96 makes an impact. Kevin Sabitus/Getty ImagesThe Nike Air Diamond Turf Max ’96, first released in—you guessed it!—1996, was created by legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield as the third signature sneaker of NFL legend and all-around fashion icon Deion Sanders. The silhouette’s distinctive claw mark design, partly inspired by the popularity of Jurassic Park, was meant to evoke cleats tearing through grass. The shoe boasts a visible Air unit in the heel, an oversized strap over the laces, and a taller-than-normal tongue, all of which adds to the delightful ’90s vibes.More of a cult classic than a mainstream smash, the Nike Air DT Max ’96 nonetheless has developed enough of a diehard fanbase that the Swoosh has seen fit to re-release it relatively frequently over the past several years. In fact, if you hurry, the the two-tone “Colorado Away” version that Kendrick sported last night is still available right now for $170 at Foot Locker in a whole bunch of sizes.NikeNike Air DT Max '96$170 Foot Locker
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
During last night’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, Kendrick Lamar took yet another victory lap—following his Grammy win last weekend for “Not Like Us”—to cap off one of the most heated feuds in recent hip-hop history.
He did so in an oversized Martine Rose leather varsity jacket and baggy Celine denim, complemented by a backwards cap and several supersized chains. As far as eagle-eyed sneakerheads were concerned, however, KDot’s biggest flex of all was just barely peeking out from beneath those flared cuffs: a clean pair of Nike Air DT Max ’96s in black and white. Given the outsized bombast of the rest of Kendrick’s fit and performance, this was a surprisingly understated footwear choice—albeit one with deep connections to football history.
The Nike Air Diamond Turf Max ’96, first released in—you guessed it!—1996, was created by legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield as the third signature sneaker of NFL legend and all-around fashion icon Deion Sanders. The silhouette’s distinctive claw mark design, partly inspired by the popularity of Jurassic Park, was meant to evoke cleats tearing through grass. The shoe boasts a visible Air unit in the heel, an oversized strap over the laces, and a taller-than-normal tongue, all of which adds to the delightful ’90s vibes.
More of a cult classic than a mainstream smash, the Nike Air DT Max ’96 nonetheless has developed enough of a diehard fanbase that the Swoosh has seen fit to re-release it relatively frequently over the past several years. In fact, if you hurry, the the two-tone “Colorado Away” version that Kendrick sported last night is still available right now for $170 at Foot Locker in a whole bunch of sizes.
