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Timing is everything. With the Detroit Pistons in the middle of their deepest playoff run in nearly two decades, Nike is set to drop Cade Cunningham’s very own PE edition of the ST Charge.
Cunningham debuted the latest silhouette from Nike Basketball’s “Street Tough” series during the 2026 All-Star Game, where he rocked his own “Warning Label” PE colorway on court.
While that version isn’t currently slated for public release, a retail launch of a second Player Exclusive, dubbed “Detroit Tough,” has been announced.
The “Detroit Tough” colorway doesn’t need much explaining once you see it. The icy blue sole, cream white upper, and bold red details are pulled straight from the Pistons’ jersey palette, grounding the shoe in the city Cade now calls home. But the story doesn’t stop in Detroit. The design also reaches back to Arlington, Texas, where Cunningham came up, with the color palette also matching the city’s flag, threading both chapters of his life into a single pair. The red heel tab stamped with the Nike ST globe logo and Cade’s number 2 on the pull tab seals it all together. Every detail is deliberate.
What makes the ST Charge worth paying attention to beyond the PE status is the technology underneath it. Nike introduced a new Monster Skin construction on this one, a textured scale-like upper engineered for blacktop or hardwood through the use of XDR-X rubber, no switch needed. It’s the kind of shoe made for the player who’s dangerous on both ends, no matter whether the game is played indoor or outdoor.
The Cade Cunningham Nike ST Charge “Detroit Tough” PE lands at Foot Locker stores and online on May 20th. Check out the pair below.
Cade Cunningham x Nike ST Charge “Detroit Tough” PE
Color: Sail/Thunder Blue-Aluminium
Style Code: IZ6735-100
Release Date: May 20, 2026 (Foot Locker)
Price: $140 USD
Photos via Riccardo Mestre/uninstructedvision:
