Your Release Day Guide to the Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 Collaboration

Quick Fire° Facts

• AWAKE NY's Air Jordan 6 Collaboration arrives in two colors & is accompanied by matching apparel

• Product releases via raffles on Aug. 23 & 24, 2026

• Wider launch for "Blueberry" AJ6 on aug. 29, 2026

• "Bubble Gum Pink" pairs are exclusive to awake NY

• the project is inspired by luxury goods; the shoes feature saffiano leather seen on popular prada products

—

It's been an eventful 2026 for Angelo Baque and his Awake NY team. In addition to further reinforcing their New York City-based flagship store as a community hub, the 14-year-old label has been gearing up to release its long-anticipated Air Jordan 6 collaboration and matching apparel collection with Jordan Brand.

How to Buy: Awake NY x Air Jordan 6

Baque has shared that his brand's next Air Jordan collection will release exclusively via raffles. The first raffle takes place on Sunday, Aug. 23, coinciding with the AWAKE NY PARK JAM at Seward Park in NYC's Lower East Side. The event is free to the public, and includes food, music, games, and vibes.

The raffle for the "Blueberry" and "Bubble Gum Pink" sneakers takes place online via the EQL platform. The draw opens at 10 a.m. EDT and will ship globally.

A second drop will be for apparel, online and in-person at the Awake NY store in NYC (62 Orchard St.). The Awake NY capsule includes matching pull-over track jackets, polos, graphic t-shirts, and more. Winners of the local "Bubble Gum Pink" AJ6 raffle will be invited to pick-up their shoes at the Awake NY flagship on Monday, Aug. 24.

A Nike SNKRS and wider retailer launch is expected for the "Blueberry" pair on Saturday, Aug. 29; Baque has said that the "Bubble Gum Pink" AJ6 is exclusive to his store.

Behind the Design: Awake NY x Air Jordan 6

Rumors about Baque and company working on the sixth Air Jordan ahead of its 35th anniversary surfaced as early as November 2025, promising fans who missed out on that year's Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 another chance at owning a pair of pink Jordans. The collaborators finally gave the world a glimpse of what it could expect of its AJ6 duo during Spring 2026. An unveiling of Awake NY's "Blueberry" Air Jordan 6 retro divided audiences due to its use of multiple shades of blue ("Midnight Navy/Game Royal/Light Blue") and "Black/Infrared 23"-colored sole unit. Contrasting stitching seen across the pair received criticism as well, but Baque and team knew what they were doing.

Akin to one of last year's AJ5 offerings, the more widely-available AJ6 by the NY-based collaborator is rooted in Awake's signature blue color. The different shades across the upper allow Baque and company to flex their creative muscle, cement themselves in the annals of Jordan Brand history, and highlight the project's premium construction.

Over the last few months, Baque has gone on various platforms to share that a central theme behind the design of the Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 is luxury.

As a young adult working and participating in New York's downtown scene, Baque would hit up Canal Street to buy fake luxury goods from brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada.

In addition to featuring a high-quality, close-to-the-original nubuck across the Air Jordan 6's upper, Awake NY's two pairs also include genuine Saffiano leather panels along the profiles and around the heel.

"I wanted the first time that a kid [interacted with] or to [had] their first touchpoint with luxury to be through a Jordan," Baque told The Complex Style Podcast. "So, that's real Saffiano leather that you would find on a Prada wallet, that you're getting on a 6[...] for 230 bucks, [you can] get yourself a luxury sneaker."

The "Bubble Gum Pink" Air Jordan 6 is no different.

Officially clad in a "Playful Pink/Infrared 23/Shy Pink/Arctic Pink" color scheme, the Awake NY-exclusive style also sees three shades of pink across its luxurious upper. Baque also told Complex that an alternate nickname for the pair is "Strawberry 'quik" as a nod to the cups of flavored Nesquik his grandmother made for him growing up.

The use of pink is a reflection of Awake NY commemorating one of New York City's unofficial signature colors—most famously associated with rapper Cam'ron's style in 2002 and 2003. Baque and Jordan Brand's widely-successful pink AJ5 from 2025 was succeeded by other pink footwear styles from around the sportswear industry, which motivated the team to double down on its use of the vibrant color, as to not be written out of history.

Nevertheless, Baque shares that this year's "Bubble Gum Pink" 6s will likely be the last pink Awake NY Jordans for some time.

Other carefully-considered design details found on Awake NY's Fall 2026 Jordan Brand sneaker collaboration include:

• Nubuck material that gets as close-as-possible to what was found on OG pairs of the Air Jordan 6
• "Infrared 23"-colored accents that capture the model's first "Infrared" hue from 1991
• "AWAKE" wordmark on the milky tongue
• Paint splatter detailing across the midsole & on the "Nike Air" hangtag
• "AWAKE NY" branding on the spine
• Classic Awake NY "A" logo on the profile windows

Both special-edition pairs of the AJ6 are packaged in shoe boxes inspired by classic Air Maxes like the Air 180, a silhouette that also debuted in '91.

The shape seen on Awake NY's retro duo follows Jordan Brand's push to get as close-to-the-OG as possible ahead of the model's 35th anniversary in 2027. These efforts kicked off in February with the "Salesman" Air Jordan 6.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 Collaboration release?

Items launch via raffles held between Aug. 23–24. A Nike SNKRS launch has been suggested for Aug. 29.

Is this a limited release?

Yes. The nature of the collaboration between Awake NY & Jordan Brand is that of a Special Project (SP). The Air Jordan 6, however, has higher stock numbers than Awake's Air Jordan 5 from 2025 (25,000 units of the "Blueberry" & 10,000 units for the "Bubble Gum Pink," as reported by Sneaker News).

Will there be matching apparel?

Yes. At least six different clothing styles have been designed to accompany the Air Jordan sneakers—including a co-branded graphic t-shirt & tracksuit.

What sizes will be available?

Awake NY's collaboration should arrive in Men's sizing ranging from U.S. 3.5–16. No Kid's sizing is expected.

What is pricing?

Each pair of the Air Jordan 6 has an MSRP of $230.

Where can I buy the Awake NY x Air Jordan 6 if I lose through raffles?

After-market platforms like KICKS CREW will have verified pairs of the collaboration.

Do Air Jordan 6s fit true-to-size?

Yes, but if you have wide feet, going up a half-size is generally recommended.