Even if we don’t necessarily show our appreciation all the time, moms worldwide need to know how impactful they are on our lives. There are many ways we can convey our gratefulness to the women and mother figures who shaped us, and for athletes and designers, footwear has been a way to pay homage. Deion Sanders is the latest to partake in this celebration of mothers as he’s made a love letter to his mom, Connie, through his Nike Air DT Max 96.
Suede, tumbled leather, neoprene, and mesh all come coated in heart-red hues, with pops of white and pink found on select portions of the sneaker. The suede paneling on the toe, midfoot, and collar comes in university red, while the tumbled leather base layer below, visible through the scratch cut-outs, comes in a darker red crush shad. Moving up, we see more hits of university red on the neoprene tongue, laces, and forefoot strap, the latter playing host to a white Nike Swoosh.
White also covers the Deion logo along the tongue, the inside embroidery of the Swoosh on the collar, which is outlined in pink, and the Swoosh embroidered back on the heel. Sanders leaves a heartfelt message inside the sneaker to his mom, Connie, “Love you ma,” spelled out in pink cursive font. The red foam midsole finishes the design with a visible Air unit in the heel and a tonal outsole.
The Nike Air DT Max ‘96 Love Letter to Connie will release on May 7, 2025, through Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is $170. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via Nike
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
