A Look Back at October’s Very Own x Air Jordan Retros

Long before artist collaborations became a common occurrence in sneakers, Drake and Jordan Brand were building one of the culture’s most recognizable partnerships through October’s Very Own and a growing lineup of exclusive Air Jordan Retros.

With Drake recently reigniting conversation around his music following the release of three new albums, attention has once again shifted back toward the archive of October’s Very Own x Air Jordan collaborations — a catalog that stretches from ultra-limited friends-and-family exclusives to globally released retail pairs.

The partnership officially took shape in the mid-2010s, shortly after Drake joined Jordan Brand, ushering in a series of premium takes on classic silhouettes. Early standouts included luxurious white-and-gold and black-and-gold versions of the Air Jordan 10 and Air Jordan 12, both featuring stingray textures, metallic finishes, and OVO owl branding. The gold Air Jordan 10 remains one of the rarest pairs tied to the partnership.

Over the years, the collection expanded into a much deeper catalog. There were clean takes on the Air Jordan 11 with subtle OVO monogram embossing, snakeskin-inspired editions of the Air Jordan 11, and special PE-style pairs of the Air Jordan 8 and Air Jordan 5 that leaned heavily into Toronto-inspired palettes and luxury materials.

Some pairs never officially released at all, existing instead as samples, friends-and-family exclusives, or rumored projects shown only through collectors and archival sneaker photography. That exclusivity only helped fuel the mystique around Drake’s Jordan line, especially during the peak OVO era when every teaser instantly became headline material.

Even as Drake’s relationship with Nike and Jordan Brand has evolved over the years, the October’s Very Own x Air Jordan Retro catalog remains one of the defining celebrity sneaker collaborations of its era. And with new music once again dominating the conversation, it feels like the perfect time to revisit the archive — especially knowing there are likely still more unreleased OVO Jordans sitting in the vault.

Enjoy a closer look at some of the collaborative Retros below credits to English Sole.

Aside from OVO, Drake's NOCTA is expected to release a collaborative Nike KD 19 collection soon.