Where to Buy the Nike Air Bakin Varsity Royal

Published November 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM

Quick Facts

The Nike Air Bakin Varsity Royal is returning to shelves for the first time in 18 years
Expect a release on November 12, 2026
Find a direct link to cop the sneaker below

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Nike Basketball’s golden age in the late ‘90s is something that fans are always happy to revisit. Some staple models in Nike’s lifestyle lineup from this era, like the Uptempo and Foamposite, are consistently on store shelves, but that hasn’t been the case with the Nike Air Bakin. Fortunately, Nike has decided to revisit the Tim Hardaway-cosigned sneaker, and after a release of the OG colorway, The Swoosh is dropping another original colorway with the Air Bakin Varsity Royal.

Nike Air Bakin Varsity Royal Details

Originally released in 1997, the Varsity Royal Air Bakin OG has only had one retro release since that first drop nearly 30 years ago. Nike dropped the pair in 2008 during the sneaker’s first retro run, but when the Bakin returned again in the mid 2010s, this pair was skipped over, making this 2026 release the first in 18 years. As far as the design is concerned, the model features a varsity royal wavy panel on the midfoot that wraps up to the collar and stretches to the toe. Contrasting this are black and white details throughout.