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| Meta Title | Nike Book 2 Denim IB6687-900 Release Date | |||||||||||||||
| Meta Description | Devin Booker's Nike Book 2 will get a new denim upper as a nod to the University of Kentucky's uniforms from its 1996 national title. Find out how to buy the sneaker here. | |||||||||||||||
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Footwear News
Sneaker News
Devin Bookerâs Nike Sneaker Throws It Back to the â96 Kentucky Wildcats With a Denim Upper
The men's basketball team won a national title in the polarizing uniforms.
Antoine Walker in the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats uniform that inspires the Nike Book 2 "Must Be the Denim."
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Courtesy of University of Kentucky
Denim keeps rearing its head on sneakers under the
Nike
umbrella, appearing in three
Leviâs collaborations
in the last year alone, as well as several different in-line releases.
Devin Bookerâs second signature sneaker
will soon join in the trend and with a deeper story for his alma mater.
The
Nike Book 2
âMust Be the Denimâ celebrates the 20th anniversary of the University of Kentucky menâs basketball teamâs national title in 1996 by replicating the famous, or infamous, uniforms it wore that season. It joins this monthâs revival of the Converse Cons Blue âKentucky Denim,â a shoe made for the team and incorporating the material.
Faded denim defines the upper of the Book 2, and the rest of the sneaker features hits of proper Kentucky blue and white. Hibbett hosted an exclusive early release of the shoe early in February, and itâs now set for a wider release in March.
Kentuckyâs denim uniforms were quite polarizing at the time, primarily because of the deviation from the schoolâs true color, but time has been kinder to them. The blue home kits used a pseudo-denim mesh because the material would be too heavy to play in, as confirmed by the players in testing prototypes, while the side panels on the white away uniforms were made of actual denim.
The original plan was to wear the denim kits for just one game, but the Wildcats ended playing in them for the rest of the season and didnât lose a game in them after their Feb. 11 debut. This year, the team brought them back for a single game Feb. 7 to officially celebrate the title from 20 years ago.
The
Nike
Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ will release March 20 through Nikeâs website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $145.
Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (medial)
Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (above)
Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (heel) | |||||||||||||||
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# Devin Bookerâs Nike Sneaker Throws It Back to the â96 Kentucky Wildcats With a Denim Upper
The men's basketball team won a national title in the polarizing uniforms.
By [Ian Servantes](https://wwd.com/wwd-masthead/ian-servantes/) Plus Icon
[Ian Servantes](https://wwd.com/wwd-masthead/ian-servantes/)
Senior Trending News Editor
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March 2, 2026, 2:35pm
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Antoine Walker in the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats uniform that inspires the Nike Book 2 "Must Be the Denim."
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Courtesy of University of Kentucky
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Denim keeps rearing its head on sneakers under the [Nike](https://wwd.com/tag/nike/) umbrella, appearing in three [Leviâs collaborations](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/levis-air-jordan-3-collection-release-date-1238443535/) in the last year alone, as well as several different in-line releases. [Devin Bookerâs second signature sneaker](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/devin-booker-nike-book-2-release-date-1238354045/) will soon join in the trend and with a deeper story for his alma mater.
The [Nike Book 2](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/devin-booker-nike-book-2-phoenix-suns-pe-1238431737/) âMust Be the Denimâ celebrates the 20th anniversary of the University of Kentucky menâs basketball teamâs national title in 1996 by replicating the famous, or infamous, uniforms it wore that season. It joins this monthâs revival of the Converse Cons Blue âKentucky Denim,â a shoe made for the team and incorporating the material.
### Related Stories

### [Nike Cuts 1,400 Jobs in Operations and Tech in Latest Round of Layoffs](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/shoe-industry-news/nike-layoffs-job-cuts-operations-technology-1238927553/)

### [Is Nike's Next Focus an Expanded Presence in Team Sports?](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/shoe-industry-news/nike-team-sports-soccer-lacrosse-brand-building-1238926612/)
Faded denim defines the upper of the Book 2, and the rest of the sneaker features hits of proper Kentucky blue and white. Hibbett hosted an exclusive early release of the shoe early in February, and itâs now set for a wider release in March.
### You May Also Like
Kentuckyâs denim uniforms were quite polarizing at the time, primarily because of the deviation from the schoolâs true color, but time has been kinder to them. The blue home kits used a pseudo-denim mesh because the material would be too heavy to play in, as confirmed by the players in testing prototypes, while the side panels on the white away uniforms were made of actual denim.
The original plan was to wear the denim kits for just one game, but the Wildcats ended playing in them for the rest of the season and didnât lose a game in them after their Feb. 11 debut. This year, the team brought them back for a single game Feb. 7 to officially celebrate the title from 20 years ago.
The [Nike](https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/lululemon-heidi-oneill-ceo-wall-street-skepticism-1238927176/) Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ will release March 20 through Nikeâs website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at \$145.

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (medial)

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (above)

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (heel)
### Read More:
- [Devin Booker](https://wwd.com/tag/devin-booker/)
- [Nike](https://wwd.com/tag/nike/)
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## Devin Bookerâs Nike Sneaker Throws It Back to the â96 Kentucky Wildcats With a Denim Upper
The men's basketball team won a national title in the polarizing uniforms.

Antoine Walker in the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats uniform that inspires the Nike Book 2 "Must Be the Denim."
Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Courtesy of University of Kentucky
Denim keeps rearing its head on sneakers under the [Nike](https://wwd.com/tag/nike/) umbrella, appearing in three [Leviâs collaborations](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/levis-air-jordan-3-collection-release-date-1238443535/) in the last year alone, as well as several different in-line releases. [Devin Bookerâs second signature sneaker](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/devin-booker-nike-book-2-release-date-1238354045/) will soon join in the trend and with a deeper story for his alma mater.
The [Nike Book 2](https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/devin-booker-nike-book-2-phoenix-suns-pe-1238431737/) âMust Be the Denimâ celebrates the 20th anniversary of the University of Kentucky menâs basketball teamâs national title in 1996 by replicating the famous, or infamous, uniforms it wore that season. It joins this monthâs revival of the Converse Cons Blue âKentucky Denim,â a shoe made for the team and incorporating the material.
Faded denim defines the upper of the Book 2, and the rest of the sneaker features hits of proper Kentucky blue and white. Hibbett hosted an exclusive early release of the shoe early in February, and itâs now set for a wider release in March.
Kentuckyâs denim uniforms were quite polarizing at the time, primarily because of the deviation from the schoolâs true color, but time has been kinder to them. The blue home kits used a pseudo-denim mesh because the material would be too heavy to play in, as confirmed by the players in testing prototypes, while the side panels on the white away uniforms were made of actual denim.
The original plan was to wear the denim kits for just one game, but the Wildcats ended playing in them for the rest of the season and didnât lose a game in them after their Feb. 11 debut. This year, the team brought them back for a single game Feb. 7 to officially celebrate the title from 20 years ago.
The [Nike](https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/lululemon-heidi-oneill-ceo-wall-street-skepticism-1238927176/) Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ will release March 20 through Nikeâs website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at \$145.

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (medial)

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (above)

Nike Book 2 âMust Be the Denimâ (heel)
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