Nike isn’t going to stop digging into its archives, cracking open the vault, and re-releasing grails to the masses—whether you like it or not. Retroing sneakers has long been part of the brand’s business, but the return of the Air Max 90 “Bacon” in 2021 kickstarted this modern era of returning classics.
The returns have only gotten bigger and higher profile since, with legendary sneakers like the “Galaxy” Foamposite Ones, Undefeated x Air Jordan 4, and even Wu-Tang Dunks making their way back. We’re sure there are people who don’t like this—especially those who paid top dollar for the originals—but there’s no arguing that it’s enabled more fans who’ve only dreamed of owning sneakers like these to acquire a pair, and that feels like a good thing.
When these sneakers originally released (or didn’t), they felt untouchable, with no chance of returning, but the shark has just about been fully jumped at this point and almost anything seems possible. With shoes like Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x Air Jordan 1 and “Space Jam” Air Jordan 11 both scheduled to be back this year, we put together a list of 10 more sneakers we want to see return. You may or may not agree with this list, so vote in our poll and tell us which ones you’d like to see return instead. Here’s a list of 10 more sneakers we want Nike to bring out of the vault.
Every Air Jordan Releasing in 2026
10 Sneakers We Want Nike To Bring Out of the Vault
Air Jordan 5 'Laser'
Year: 2007
Last time we did this I wrote about how the “Laser” Jordan 4s need to come back. The only reason I did that was because I got outvoted and wasn’t able to convince the rest of the team that this is actually the pair that needs to return. Laser 5s dropped in 2007, right in the middle of an insane AJ5 retro run. “Grapes,” “Laneys,” “Dark Armys,” the list goes on. This time though, it's the "Laser" Air Jordan 5 we want Nike to bring out of the vault.—Ben Felderstein
Nike Air Force 1 Low 'Ueno Sakura'
Year: 2005
What is it about Japan-exclusive pink and tan Nike Air Force 1s? On the heels of 2001’s “Linen” AF1 came the Ueno Sakura in 2005, and it took the formula to an even higher level with better materials, special packaging, more exclusivity. The shoes featured premium leather with lasered graphics, came in a straw-filled wooden crate decorated with matching detailing, and were rumored to be limited to just 500 pairs. Unsurprisingly, Fat Joe was the individual to immortalize them in pop culture, wearing them in the “Make It Rain” video with Lil Wayne. Most importantly, it looked great then, and it still looks great now, making it an easy choice for sneaker we want to see Nike bring out of the vault. —Zac Dubasik
Air Jordan 11 IE Low 'Referee'
Year: 2015
The Air Jordan 11 IE Low occupies a rare space in Air Jordan history. It first released in 1996 during the 11’s original run and was the only low-cut version of the shoe at the time—five years prior to the standard low-cut 11 that would come later. Yet, it’s still viewed by some as an outlier. It’s no Team Jordan, but it’s not exactly a real Air Jordan either. While it’s always had its fans (and detractors), it’s arguably never looked better than in the all-black version originally worn by NBA referees. The sneaker finally dropped to the public in 2015 with a few tweaks to the material textures, but it’s been long enough now to welcome the sneaker back from the vault again. —Zac Dubasik
Nike LeBron 10 ‘Gold Ceremony’
Year: Unreleased
Remember when Nike decided to introduce the LeBron “Vote Back” program in 2021, where fans voted on SNKRS for a LeBron PE to get a formal retail drop? We’re four years removed from when the brand confirmed the “Ring Ceremony” LeBron 10 as the winner, and now feels like a good time to release that shoe. Not only will fans get the chance to buy a previously unreleased colorway, but this also means a retro of the LeBron 10, which hasn’t dropped since 2013. —Victor Deng
Travis Scott x Jordan Trunner LX
Year: Unreleased
The infamous Travis Scott x Jordan Trunner LX. You’ve all heard the story of that one lucky kid finding a pair of these at his local thrift store. Was this legitimate or was it just a marketing scheme to build hype around the early stages of Travis’ sneaker journey? I’m not here to make a claim one way or the other, you’ll have to be the judge for yourself. All of that aside, Travis’ Trunner is one of the most interesting sneakers that’s ever featured Cactus Jack branding. It doesn’t sport the usual neutral color scheme, it’s an out-of-the-box silhouette, and it doesn’t rely on the usual safety nets that most of the rapper’s collabs do. These Trunners never officially released, so they’re a bit of an exception to the rule for this list, but we’re going to count ‘em, and let me tell you—they’ll be an easy cop if Jordan Brand takes our advice. —Ben Felderstein
Nike SB Air Zoom FC 'Doernbecher'
Year: 2004
The Zoom FC is easily the most underrated model in Nike SB’s lineage. It was introduced really early on in the skate division’s conception and formally released in 2003. The silhouette itself was inspired by indoor soccer shoes but designed for skateboarding. There were a number of memorable colorways, including the Doernbecher version shown here. The model was eventually discounted around 2009 but with the trend of people wearing soccer sneakers outside again, Nike bringing these back would make sense. —Victor Deng
Nike Kobe 11 'FTB'
Year: 2016
When Kobe Bryant decided to end his historic 20-year NBA career in 2016, Nike rolled out a special 13-shoe pack dubbed “Fade to Black.” The range revisited the most memorable Nike sneakers he wore throughout his career, including the Kobe 1 through Kobe 11, the Hyperdunk, and the Zoom Huarache 2k4. When you put all the models together in chronological order from when Bryant first wore them, they don a gradient fade from white to black, ending on this Nike Kobe 11. Now that it’s been 10-years since the “FTB” Kobe 11 was released, this would be a great time to for Nike to bring it out of the vault and give the shoe a proper Protro treatment. —Victor Deng
Nike Hyperdunk
Year: 2008
I’m always a fan of introducing something new into the basketball sneaker space. I know some people get tired of “unnecessary” shoes coming back, but this feels different. The Nike Hyperdunk single-handedly changed the standard for modern basketball sneakers. Not only did it feature the best tech at the time, it also created a movement among basketball fans everywhere, and held some of the most memorable basketball moments of its era. If it were to come back, there’s definitely a market for a Protro. Classic colorways could be reintroduced with updated tech, and even rolled out as PEs for rising stars. It might sound a little selfish, but with Steph’s sneaker free agency shaking things up, this comeback feels like a layup. —Douglas Jase
Nike KD 2 'Creamsicle'
Year: 2010
The Nike KD 2 is notable for being one of the best performance values in basketball history. Prices started at just $85 in 2010, which got you Zoom Air, a comfortable mid cut, strap, and elite traction. While we’d welcome back any shoe from Nike’s vault offering that kind of performance-to-price ratio, the “Creamsicle” colorway is especially notable—not only for its unmistakable bright shade of orange, but for its on-court debut. When Durant laced up the sneaker for the first time in December 2009, so did almost the entire OKC Thunder roster, including Russell Westbrook and James Harden. As one of the most beloved sneakers from the early days of KD’s signature line, it seems inevitable that it’ll come back from the vault eventually, we just hope it performs as well as the original. —Zac Dubasik
Nike SB Dunk High 'Dunkle'
Year: 2004
We know one-to-one retros just aren’t something that Nike SB does, so asking for an actual return of the Unkle x Nike SB Dunk High likely won’t happen. But bringing it back with some adjustments? There is precedent for that. In fact, it happened with another of the best Nike SB Dunks of all time in the form of the “Tiffany” Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Dunk High from 2014. There are a lot of complications to the “Dunkle,” including multiple collaborative and artistic partners, but if switching up the cut of the Tiffany Dunk could happen, why not another from Nike SB’s legendary “Pink Box” era? —Zac Dubasik