Nike React Presto Receives Official Release Date, Character-Inspired Colorways

Nike‘s latest hybrid silhouette, the React Presto, is set to launch this month. Blending the sneaker giant’s cutting edge React technology with the classic styling of the Presto, the shoe is abetted by a playful marketing campaign that hearkens back to the Presto advertisements debuted alongside the sneaker in Fall 2000.

Each original Presto colorway was accompanied by cartoonish characters that each came with their own backstory, including the “Shady Milkman” and “Unholy Cumulus.” To launch the React Presto, Nike is retooling this concept, delivering Animoji-like 3D characters inspired by the new silhouette’s colorways.

“Brutal Honey,” for instance, naturally draws inspiration for its black and yellow hues from the bumblebee, represented by an irritated insect. Similarly, “Rabid Panda” takes some cues from a mad bear, with hits of black against its white midsole and navy upper, utilizing a splash of orange at the outsole to add an angry flair. Meanwhile, “Psychedelic Lava” incorporates pastel blends akin to a lava lamp, delivering a pale yellow upper and orange accents grounded by a white and grey midsole. Each sneaker offers a Presto-inspired plastic lace cage and the comfy React outsole, with an inner bootie for a flexible fit.

The Nike React Presto launches on Nike’s site on May 9 in “Brutal Honey” and “Rabid Panda.”

Nike by You variations, including “Rogue Kielbasa,” “Shady Milkman” and “Unholy Cumulus” also arrive the same day. More personalities will debut on May 16, including “Psychedelic Lava,” “Chatty Matador,” “Breezy Thursday” and “Witness Protection.” Check out some of the Nike By You makeups below.

Most recently, Nike’s React Element 87 emerged in a pair of citrus-splashed colorways.