This Nike Air Griffey Max 1 Honors Jackie Robinson
The Kid pays homage to his hero — and the tradition of wearing #42 on Jackie Robinson Day — with his most famous sneaker.
Nike is using the latest colorway of Ken Griffey Jr.‘s Air Griffey Max 1 to honor one of The Kid’s heroes: Jackie Robinson, the man who broke baseball’s color barrier in April 1947. A fitting tribute as Griffey Jr. began the tradition of MLB players wearing Robinson’s #42 — the only number to be retired by every club — once a year on April 15, this new makeup is loaded full of heartfelt, Robinson-centric detailing.
Uppers, which usually mix leather and nubuck, are built entirely of black leather. Swooshes appear on the toebox, collar tab and heel alike, while the collar strap supplies the first piece of special branding by replacing Griffey Jr.’s #24 with Robinson’s #42. The rest of the strap is decorated in debossed print, with each shoe highlighting one of Robinson’s most famous quotes.
The right foot displays “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” while the left states “There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.” Each also features a pint-sized version of Griffey Jr.’s Swingman logo. #42 is stamped once more across the insoles, with white laces and two-tone midsoles completing the look.
An official release date for this Jackie Robinson-inspired Nike Air Griffey Max 1 has yet to be announced, but it’s not unreasonable to assume it’ll hit retailers on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15.
Elsewhere in the world of Nike, check out official images of the Air Jordan 5 “Raging Bull.”
