Nike Is Dropping A “Watch Band” Sneaker For The Horologists

A return for McEnroe's silhouette with little telegraphing beforehand.

Matt Varga May 7th, 2026 (updated)

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The opinions and information provided on this site are original editorial content of Sneaker News.

4497

Update: The Nike Tennis Classic “Watch Band” drops on May 7th in both the black colorway originally featured here as well as in a white counterpart. Retail is set at $125 for either. The White pair is available HERE. The Black pair is available HERE.

1 of 8

WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Tennis Classic

SKU: IQ5786-100

RETAIL PRICE: $125

RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2026

US 05/07/2026 Thursday

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

1 of 8

WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Tennis Classic

SKU: IQ5786-001

RETAIL PRICE: $125

RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2026

US 05/07/2026 Thursday

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore	Standard	Check Site

Show All Releases

Get on the Where to Buy list

Original article published April 26th, 2026:

Truly, the story of Nike’s seasonal catalog beyond their forward-facing innovations is one of digging into their archives for forgotten designs that meet the trends of the modern landscape. Look to how they’ve entered the slim-soled space, making their first earnest stake into the revitalized lane with the Field General, once fitted for the gridiron, before turning tot heir earnest start with the Moon Shoe or similar track efforts with the Astrograbber.

No doubt, the Tennis Classic offers a bit more bulk in that underfoot regard, but the enduring appeal of their rival’s Samba has to be front of mind as the silhouette preps for its latest retro. Curiously, official images of new colorways first surfaced all the way back in 2024 without us catching wind of any actual release, but on-white retailer images signal preparations for a full-blown market debut (re-but?)

Hemming close to John McEnroe’s “Wimledon” in overall shape, that’s essentially where the traditional touches stop. The Tennis Classic “Snakeskin” almost offers a luxury aesthetic in this revitalized form, utilizing croc, reptile, and snakeskin textures across a blacked-out body before dipping into metallics for the eyelets and throwback branding hits. The finer product title might indicate where those elevated textures derive from, as this is listed as the “Nike Tennis Classic W(A)TCH B(A)ND.”

We’ll surely get more info as a wider launch nears closer. For now, hobbyists in Europe aim to pick this pair up via retailers on May 1st, retailing for €120. We’ll keep you posted as US particulars come to light.

1 of 5

See more Sneaker News in your Google results,

ADD TO PREFERRED SOURCES

Love Sneaker News? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. It only takes a click.

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.