Nike and Tekken Team Up For a King-Inspired Air Max Shoe

Nike’s dotswoosh division has confirmed an upcoming collaboration with Tekken, featuring the fighting game franchise’s iconic masked pro wrestler, King.

Nike’s dotswoosh Instagram account posted a (possibly AI-generated) video showing King wearing an alternate version of his iconic Tekken 3 alternate outfit on November 9, 2026. The short clip is quite grainy and taken from afar, as though the viewer is spying on King as he takes a break from doling out Knee Crushers and Cobra Twists.

As pointed out by SneakerNews, King’s sweatsuit is a Nike Tech Fleece getup, and his kicks are an as-yet unseen variation of the Air Max 1s. The grainy, short video shows that the shoes have a jaguar-print mudguard with navy blue, gray, and red coloring, though any other details are hard to make out.

SneakerNews also confirmed that Nike is releasing two colorways for the Tekken Air Max 1; one of these is a variation of the Low Poly edition that first launched in 2024, which the outlet assumes is what King is wearing in dotswoosh’s video. A second version is expected to be revealed at a later date.

What’s more, King’s Tech Fleece ensemble suggests that a Tekken-themed apparel line could be on the way — but for now, we’ll just have to wait for Nike's official reveal.

While this isn’t the first time Tekken has partnered with Nike, it doesn’t make it any less fitting. Tekken fans will know that Kazuya — the series’ protagonist-turned-antagonist — is a huge sneakerhead. In fact, his hobby was listed as “collecting sneakers” in the official character booklet all the way back in Tekken 1. And in Tekken 8, he takes players on a brief tour of his insanely huge shoe closet.

If we’re going by King’s sweatpants and T-Shirt outfit from Tekken 3, it would be kind of a bummer if Nike didn’t make an official version of his shoes from the game. The black-and-white high-tops weren’t based on any real-life shoe at the time, though various merchandisers and clothing designers have made their own versions of the sneaker over the years.

Tekken has been doing some big collaborations lately, and another one is on the horizon. Yujiro Hanma, a popular character from the Baki franchise, is making his way to Tekken 8 in early 2027, while Reina, an original character from Tekken 8, is making her way to SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

For more Tekken news, check out our interview with Tekken 8’s producer, where we quizzed him on all things Yujiro and how the team plans on putting the “world’s strongest man” in a situation where he can feasibly be beaten.