Nike is bringing back the Nike Air Bakin Varsity Royal on November 12, 2026, and the shoe will be sold through Foot Locker online and in stores for $170. The release puts one of the model’s original colorways back in rotation after an 18-year gap, with unisex sizing and the link set to go live at 10:00 AM EST.
That matters because the Air Bakin sits inside Nike Basketball’s late-1990s run, a stretch fans still circle back to whenever the brand revisits the era. The Varsity Royal pair first arrived in 1997, then returned once in 2008 during the sneaker’s first retro run. After that, it was left out when the Bakin came back again in the mid 2010s, which makes this release feel less like a routine restock and more like Nike finally filling a missing piece in the shoe’s history.
Nick Vlahos noted the timing most plainly: the link will go live at 10:00 AM EST on November 12. For buyers, that leaves a narrow window to plan for a pair that has spent most of its life out of circulation, especially since the Air Bakin Varsity Royal is not just another color swap. The shoe keeps the varsity royal wavy panel running across the midfoot, up to the collar and out toward the toe, with black and white details finishing the look.
The odd part is how selective Nike has been with this colorway. The Air Bakin has been revisited, but the Varsity Royal version was not part of the mid-2010s return, even though it was already known as an original colorway with limited retro history. That omission is what gives the 2026 drop its weight: this is not a broad revival of the model, but a specific return of the pair collectors were still waiting on.
So the next step is simple. On November 12, Foot Locker will have the Nike Air Bakin Varsity Royal online and in store, and if the shoe moves the way rare retro pairs often do, the real story may be how long this one stays available after the clock hits 10:00 AM EST.
