What’s good, everybody?! It’s your boy Legendary Lade here checking in for another week of “Kickin’ Facts.” This week, it’s all about the Hot Step Air Terra sneakers in “Triple Black,” the third sneaker release from Nike and Drake’s Nocta brand. Drake’s style is low-key with understated elements, so it’s been interesting to see how that translates design-wise to his Nocta lifestyle and sneaker brand.

To start, the Hot Step Air Terras are made of quilted premium leather with puffed leather panels. It’s a weighty sneaker packed with a lot of details like oval perforations with reflective underlays and reflective tongue piping. Six small Nike swooshes adorn the lateral side of the heel and vamp, no doubt a nod to Drake’s “6 God” nickname. It also has a green air bubble in the heel and a rubber sole.

The outsole features a contrasting shade of navy blue, which offsets the black nicely. Its insole is also a shade of icy blue with dual Nike and Nocta branding — another detail that I like. You can tell it was a concentrated effort when designing these because the Hot Steps are equally stylish and functional, so I can see them becoming a staple part of my wardrobe. The leather quality lends to its durability, while the sporty but still classic shape makes it a perfect starting point in one’s uniform. I even like that he chose a different sneaker box instead of the standard Nike sneaker box. If you’ve been keeping up with my column, you know I’m an ardent fan of individualized sneaker boxes as it just adds flavor.

What are your thoughts on these? How would you style them? The Nocta Hot Step Air Terra in “Triple Black” was released July 7 for $180 via Nocta.com and is available now at multiple resale sites.