Nike Is Bringing Back A Court Icon – The Tennis Classic AC

The 1981 silhouette returns in three colorways.

Matt Varga May 17th, 2024 (updated)

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With models like the adidas Samba and New Balance 550 dominant as ever, the public has never been hungrier for no-frills lifestyle shoes. Taking notes from their competitors, Beaverton creatives are seemingly primed to bring back one of their best products in that category. The Nike Tennis Classic AC is beginning to crop up overseas, hinting that a wide comeback is on the horizon.

First donned by John McEnroe, the Nike Tennis Classic AC speaks to the simple construction en vogue during the early days of tennis shoes. There’s clear resemblance to the adidas Stan Smith, predating the Tennis Classic by more than a decade. But be it the single ply siding, perforated branding or overall shape, you’ll find comparison points to plenty of other on-court styles from the time- there was a clear blueprint established for that vertical. In this new run, the three pairs in question lean heavily on that archetypal formula. Two opt for tone-on-white treatments; the “Light Olive” edition solely relies on a titular heel tag for color while the other matches an ecru rear section with a gum bottom underfoot. The odd man out is the pair in “Sanddrift,” evoking Vachetta leather with an all-beige upper and a classic white vulcanized rubber sole.

All three pairs featured here have already dropped in Asia, leading us to believe that a stateside release is coming soon. Neither a concrete date nor a retail price are confirmed.

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WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Tennis Classic AC

SKU: N/A

RETAIL PRICE: $N/A

RELEASE DATE: 2026

US 2026

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore US	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

1 of 8

WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Tennis Classic AC

SKU: N/A

RETAIL PRICE: $N/A

RELEASE DATE: 2026

US 2026

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore US	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

1 of 8

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.