Kim Kardashian has built entire businesses on doing the most, so her latest move with Nike is a little shocking: a collab that mostly leaves the shoe alone. The new NikeSKIMS Waffle Racer is the second sneaker from the partnership, and instead of a futuristic Franken-runner, it leans into quiet tweaks on one of Nike’s most old-school silhouettes.
- Release date: November 10, 2026
- Price: $130 USD
- Colorways: Baroque Brown, Light Bone/Varsity Red, Thunder Blue
- Where to buy: Nike.com/NikeSKIMS, SKIMS.com/collections/NikeSKIMS, then select Nike and SKIMS retailers
NikeSKIMS Gives a Retro Running Classic a Minimalist Makeover
The twist with this shoe is how little it actually twists. The base is the classic Nike Waffle Racer, a low-profile runner that first hit tracks in the late 1970s with a grippy waffle outsole poured in a kitchen waffle iron. NikeSKIMS keeps that slim shape and tooling almost untouched, which instantly separates it from louder celebrity collabs.
Underfoot and on foot, this feels more like a true retro runner than the split-toe NikeSKIMS Air Rift that came first. You get a nylon upper with suede and leather overlays, a foam midsole and a rubber waffle outsole, so it looks and moves like an old-school Nike rather than a bulky lifestyle sneaker.
Visually, restraint is the point. Co-branding is mostly limited to the tongue label and interior hits, leaving the upper clean and logo-light. The personality shows up through color and through the extras: a dedicated NikeSKIMS shoe box, dust bag and extra laces that make the unboxing feel closer to a fashion purchase than a standard general-release Waffle Racer.
The Three Colorways, Three Different Wardrobes
Because the shape stays classic, the color story does most of the heavy lifting. NikeSKIMS offers three takes: Baroque Brown for earthy minimalists, Light Bone/Varsity Red for anyone who still loves a varsity jacket moment, and Thunder Blue for the woman who has sworn she is a neutrals girl but keeps flirting with cobalt.
Baroque Brown leans into deep chocolate and velvet-adjacent tones, the kind of sneaker that quietly replaces your ankle boots with ribbed tights and a long wool coat once temperatures drop. Light Bone/Varsity Red reads straight out of a college yearbook, all pale upper and sharp scarlet hits that play perfectly with straight-leg denim and oversized leather bombers.
Thunder Blue is the wild card, a saturated, nearly monochrome blue that lands in the same fashion-led lane as the Jacquemus Moon Shoe. It is made for grey sweats, navy tailoring or a simple black slip dress when you want your feet to do the flirting. If you are nervous, start with Baroque Brown; if you already own three pairs of silver sneakers, Thunder Blue is your energy.
