Summary
- Nike’s Air More Uptempo “30 Years of Uptempo” tribute replaces the silhouette’s famous oversized AIR lettering with a reversed PIP stamp — the first time Scottie Pippen is centred on the shoe itself.
- Details: Black/Sail-Anthracite colourway, Pippen’s script P logo on the heel, and an iridescent 30th-anniversary badge on the tongue.
- Release: December 23, 2026 via Nike.com and select retailers, in men’s sizing. Style code IX8627-010, retail $180.
Scottie Pippen wore the Air More Uptempo through the Bulls’ 72-10 season and the 1996 Olympics, and made its giant AIR lettering one of the loudest design statements in basketball history. The odd part: in thirty years, the shoe never actually carried his name. The 30th anniversary edition fixes that in the most literal way possible — the AIR is out, and PIP is in.
The reversed PIP lettering keeps the geometry of the original design, so the shoe reads as an Uptempo first and a tribute second. Pippen’s script P logo lands on the heel, and an iridescent badge on the tongue marks the anniversary. The colourway stays disciplined: black upper, Sail lettering, anthracite accents — a December release built for people who remember exactly where this shoe comes from.
December 23 is a crowded day on the calendar, but few pairs carry this much history per letter. Three letters, thirty years, one of the most underrated legacies in the game — finally spelled out on the shoe.
Release Details
- Name: Nike Air More Uptempo 96 “30 Years of Uptempo” (PIP)
- Colourway: Black/Sail-Anthracite
- Style code: IX8627-010
- Price: $180
- Release Date: December 23, 2026
WHERE TO BUY
Source: Sneaker News, Sneaker Bar Detroit and Men’s Journal, cross-checked November 3. Photo: Nike via Sneaker News.
RELEASE INFO
Release date: December 23, 2026
Retail price: $180 USD
Style code: IX8627-010
Where to Buy:
