Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide
Updated: 20 April 2026
About the release
The Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip is getting its first proper global release. The shoe debuted at ComplexCon Las Vegas in October 2025 with only 500 pairs available, creating exactly the kind of scarcity that drives demand. Now, following that limited launch, the Watermelon colourway returns and the new Pink Lemonade colourway joins it for a worldwide drop that gives the broader market its first real shot at the Board Flip retro.
The BBC Icecream exclusive releases on 1 May 2026 via bbcicecream.com. The global launch follows on 6 May 2026 at 10 AM EST via reebok.com and select retailers. UK retail is £135.
This is the first time the Board Flip has been available to a global retail audience since the shoe was discontinued in 2009, making it one of the more culturally significant skate shoe retros of the year.
TL;DR – Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip Release Date, Price & Where to Buy
- BBC Icecream exclusive drop: 1 May 2026 via bbcicecream.com
- Global release date: 6 May 2026 at 10 AM EST
- Model: Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip
- Colourways: Watermelon and Pink Lemonade
- UK retail price: £135
- US retail price: $150
- Where to buy: bbcicecream.com (1 May), reebok.com and select retailers (6 May)
- Key detail: Leather upper with perforated panels, suede eyestay, Bones & Cones logo, custom Icecream box, two lace options
Release dates: BBC Icecream exclusive vs global drop
There are two windows to secure this one. The first is the BBC Icecream exclusive on 1 May 2026 via bbcicecream.com, giving dedicated fans of the brand first access before the wider launch.
The global release follows on Wednesday 6 May 2026 at 10 AM EST via reebok.com and select global retailers. This is the primary window for UK buyers and the one that will determine how the Board Flip performs at retail scale for the first time since 2009.
The colourways: Watermelon and Pink Lemonade
Credit: Reebok / BBC Icecream
The Watermelon colourway is the one that debuted at ComplexCon and has already built a reputation in the market. Green and pink across the leather upper with the Icecream graphics throughout, it is the colourway closest to the original 2005 'Juicy Pink' design and the one with the strongest nostalgic pull for anyone who followed the Board Flip the first time around.
The Pink Lemonade is new for 2026, a pink and red colourway that sits in the same playful register as Watermelon while giving the drop a fresh option alongside the returning classic. Creative Director Ross Westland described it as a natural next step, building on the Watermelon momentum without retreading the same ground. Both share the same construction and come in the custom Icecream box.
Construction and details
Credit: Reebok / BBC Icecream
Both colourways use a leather upper with perforated panels, a suede eyestay and a textured rubber toe cap. Icecream branding sits on the tongue, heel and sockliner, and the Bones & Cones logo is embroidered on the rear lateral heel. The sole uses an injection EVA midsole with painted grooves, a rubber outsole with toe wrap and Icecream detailing, and skate-ready tread. Two lace options come with each pair, and the custom Icecream ice cream carton box brings the mid-2000s packaging back in full.
The Board Flip history: Pharrell, Nigo and 2005
Pharrell Williams and Nigo founded Billionaire Boys Club in the early 2000s, and the Icecream sublabel followed as a skate-focused offshoot. In 2005, they worked with Reebok's RBK division to create the Board Flip as the official shoe of the Icecream Skate Team. The team, consisting of Terry Kennedy, Jacob Wilder, Jimmy Gorecki, Kevin Booker and Cato Williams, brought the shoe into skate culture on its own terms.
The Board Flip's profile grew through the team's skate tapes and Pharrell's now-famous moment in the 'Drop It Like It's Hot' music video where he referenced his Icecreams directly. The shoe sat at an unusual intersection of hip-hop, streetwear and skateboarding that was genuinely new at the time, and it earned a cult following because of it.
By 2009 the skate team had been disbanded and Reebok had shifted focus toward performance and lifestyle. The Board Flip was discontinued, leaving it as an artefact of a specific and formative moment in sneaker and skate culture. Its legend grew in the years that followed as those early 2000s references started cycling back into fashion.
From ComplexCon to global: the road to 2026
The Board Flip returned at ComplexCon Las Vegas in October 2025 with Don Toliver fronting the campaign. Only 500 pairs of the Watermelon colourway were made available, and a Banana Split edition was seeded to around 40 people during the promotional build-up. That scarcity worked exactly as intended, driving significant attention toward a shoe most of the current audience had never had a chance to buy. Gorecki's social media activity around the drop brought original team energy to a new generation of buyers. Reebok's decision to now do a proper global rollout with two colourways and standard retail distribution is the logical next step.
Why this release matters
The Board Flip is a genuine piece of sneaker history that most buyers have never been able to access at retail. The ComplexCon drop proved the demand was there. The global launch on 6 May is the one that tests whether that demand holds at scale, and the early signs from the hype rating suggest it will.
At £135, the price keeps it accessible. The custom box, dual lace options and full Icecream branding package also give the retro a presentation that respects the original rather than treating it as a quick flip. For anyone who has been tracking the Board Flip since the ComplexCon drop, this is the one.
Where to buy
The BBC Icecream exclusive releases on 1 May 2026 via bbcicecream.com. The global drop follows on 6 May 2026 at 10 AM EST via reebok.com and select retailers. Browse all Reebok releases and BBC Icecream drops on Side Kicks.
FAQ
When does the Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip release globally?
The global launch is on Wednesday 6 May 2026 at 10 AM EST via reebok.com and select retailers. A BBC Icecream exclusive drops first on 1 May 2026 via bbcicecream.com.
How much does the Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip cost in the UK?
UK retail price is £135. US retail is $150.
What colourways are releasing in the 2026 Board Flip global drop?
Two colourways are releasing: Watermelon, which debuted at ComplexCon 2025, and Pink Lemonade, a new colourway introduced for the 2026 global launch.
Who created the Reebok Icecream Board Flip?
The Board Flip was created in 2005 by Pharrell Williams and Nigo through their Icecream sublabel of Billionaire Boys Club, in collaboration with Reebok's RBK division. It was the official shoe of the Icecream Skate Team.
What comes with the Reebok x BBC Icecream Board Flip?
Each pair comes with two lace options and arrives in a custom Icecream ice cream carton box recreating the original mid-2000s packaging.
Is the Board Flip skate-ready?
Yes. The Board Flip features skate-ready tread on the rubber outsole, a toe wrap and an EVA midsole construction built for skateboarding use, staying true to its original 2005 purpose.
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