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Denim time? Trent Noah shows off '96 throwback sneakers from Devin Booker

Jack PIlgrimby: Jack Pilgrim09/26/25
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Photo via UK Athletics

Devin Booker has been very, very good to the Kentucky basketball program. He’s gifted the Wildcats multiple sets of his debut Nike sneaker, the Book 1, since its release back in 2024 — including a sneak-peek set before they went on sale to the public in December 2023.

We’ve seen them get the first limited-release set with just 500 total pairs, then a specialized pair of Nike Book Chapter 1 sneakers honoring the 1996 national championship squad with 34-2 on the tongue and the old Wildcat logo all over. He followed it up with a Valentine’s Day set sent to the Wildcats, those light pink with shades of dark pink and light orange called Nike Book Chapter 1: Sunrise.

Now, we knew a denim pair of Book 1s existed — they actually went on sale to the public back in April. Those were also a nod to the ’96 title team and their famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) denim uniforms worn on their way to banner No. 6 in Lexington. Those are called Nike Book 1: Blue Blood.

Why not send the Wildcats another set ahead of the 2025-26 season? That’s exactly what Booker did this week, gifting the team the Blue Bloods featuring various shades of blue denim with exposed foam on the tongue. Trent Noah was the team model as Kentucky acknowledged they were “throwing it back to ’96.”

A sign of what’s to come this season in the 30th anniversary season of that 1996 championship? We know denim uniforms exist, now we have the sneakers to match them. It only makes sense to unveil them in the CBS Sports Classic vs. Rick Pitino and St. John’s on December 20 in Atlanta, right?

Take a look at the full photo gallery from UK Athletics:

Pretty slick if you ask me — I may even need to buy a pair. In fact, they’re still available at a steep discount at the following retailers, as cheap as $60, depending on size:

Let’s sell them out and wear them to Rupp Arena this season, shall we?

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2025-09-28