Alright, so I’ve been seeing Drake everywhere plastered in that NOCTA gear. You know the stuff – usually black, bit of yellow, that swoosh. And I thought to myself, what’s the actual deal here? Is it any good, or just another celebrity cash grab? So, I decided to do my own little deep dive, my own “practice run” if you will, to figure it out.
First off, I started just by looking at the pictures, really observing. Drake’s obviously the main model, and he makes it look cool. That’s his job, right? But I wanted to see beyond the hype. I went online, started digging around. Found out NOCTA is his sub-label with Nike. Stands for “Nocturnal Creative Process,” apparently. Sounds a bit much, but okay, branding is branding.
Then, my process involved actually checking out the collections. The tracksuits, the puffer jackets, those weird-looking sneakers he did. Some of the designs, I’ll admit, caught my eye. Clean lines, a bit tactical, a bit sporty. I get the appeal for a certain crowd. I even went as far as looking at where to buy it, just to see what the availability was like. And man, some of that stuff sells out fast. Or the resale prices are just insane. That told me a lot about the demand, or at least the manufactured hype.
My Journey Trying to “Get” NOCTA
So, did I buy anything? Nah. Here’s why. As part of my “record-keeping” on this, I started comparing. Price points are up there. We’re talking Nike, but with that Drake premium slapped on top. I asked myself, am I paying for significantly better quality, or am I paying for the NOCTA logo and the Drake association? Honestly, I lean towards the latter.
I looked at reviews, what people were saying. Mixed bag, as always. Some folks love it, swear by the quality and the fit. Others say it’s decent, but not worth the premium price tag over other high-end Nike stuff, or even other brands.
My “practice” involved imagining myself wearing it. Would I feel good? Or would I feel like I’m trying too hard to latch onto a trend? For me, it felt a bit like the latter. It’s a very specific aesthetic. If you’re all in on that vibe, cool. But it’s not super versatile, in my opinion.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I gathered:
- The designs are definitely Drake-influenced. If you like his style, you’ll probably like NOCTA.
- It’s very focused on a “uniform” or “collection” feel. Pieces are meant to go together.
- The hype is a huge part of it. Limited drops, celebrity endorsement – classic formula.
- Quality is likely good – it’s Nike, they generally don’t make trash. But “good” enough for the price? That’s the real question.
So, my final take after going through this whole process? NOCTA is a masterclass in branding and leveraging celebrity. Drake and Nike knew what they were doing. They created something desirable for a specific audience. For me, personally, as someone who’s seen a lot of these collabs come and go, it’s interesting to observe. I went from seeing it, to getting curious, to researching, to forming my own opinion. And my record shows that while it looks cool on Drake, and it’s clearly popular, it’s not something I’m rushing out to buy. I’ll stick to my usual gear. But hey, it was fun to investigate and see what all the fuss was about. That’s my two cents on it, anyway.
