Nike Air Bakin Reportedly Returning to Original Colorway Next Year, Reviving the Controversy That Pulled 38,000 Pairs Off Shelves
According to Sneakerfiles, the original "Varsity Red" colorway of the Nike Air Bakin may return in September 2026. The sneaker, pulled entirely from shelves in 1997 over a controversial heel logo, is now gearing up for its third retro release.
In 1997, Nike pulled 38,000 brand-new sneakers off shelves across the US — not because they weren't selling, but because of a seemingly innocuous logo on the heel. That shoe was the Nike Air Bakin, and according to Sneakerfiles, its original "Varsity Red" colorway is expected to return on September 28, 2026, under style code IQ5365-600.
Designed by Nike's Eric Avar, with Tim Hardaway as the first player to wear it, the Air Bakin launched in 1997 as part of a basketball shoe lineup inspired by outdoor cookware, alongside the Air Grill, Air Melt, and Air B-Que. The naming logic was straightforward: picture the basketball court as a backyard barbecue.
But the Air Bakin is really remembered for what happened on its heel — a flame-styled cursive "Air" that bore a visual resemblance to the Arabic script for "Allah," sparking protests from Muslim communities shortly after release. Nike first tried covering the controversial logo with a patch, but the fix failed to quell the backlash, and the team ultimately recalled all 38,000 pairs from circulation.
Every retro since has swapped that heel branding for a standard Nike Air logo. A Supreme collaboration dropped in 2023, followed by a 2025 colorway paying tribute to the KD 18. Now, the shoe rumored to return is the very original "Varsity Red" colorway that never truly got its footing on shelves — except this time, the heel will read the safer version of "Air."
As of now, Nike has not officially confirmed details on the 2026 release, and information remains based on outside reporting.
