10 of the Best Baseball inspired Sneakers ever Released
Most people know about high profile sneakers inspired by basketball, track, and even football, but there have also been many athletic shoes inspired by professional baseball. These aren’t shoes that one playing the sport would don on the field, but stylish tributes to the game and its most iconic moments and players that are meant to be flaunted on the street. Here are ten of the best baseball inspired sneakers ever released.
1. SoleFly x Air Jordan XX3
Year of release: 2016
These kicks with a translucent sole were inspired by the Miami Marlins. The colorway definitely takes cues from the team’s colors, and the collaboration between Jordan and SoleFly is also commemorated with special logos embossed on the upper of each shoe. The new SoleFly x Air Jordan XX3 will only be available at Solefly’s Cutler Bay store starting October 22, 2016. On October 24th the shoe will be available for sale on Solefly’s website right at 11am EST. The price of the sneakers hasn’t been confirmed as of yet, but just 1,500 pairs of the shoes are being made available for sale.
2. MLB x Reebok Dual Running Pump NYC Stadiums Pack
Year of release: 2008
When New York City hosted the 2008 MLB All-Star Game, Reebok designed a new pair of Dual Running Pump sneakers that were inspired by two of baseball’s most legendary stadiums: Shea Stadium and Yankees Stadium. In addition to classic baseball pinstripes embroidered on the shoes’ uppers, each pair had a team logo on the heel. These sneakers are quite rare, as just 150 pairs were sold at five New York City boutiques on July 11, 2008.
3. Air Jordan 1 Retro Tribute to Derek Jeter
Year of release: 2014
There have been a number of Jordan sneakers dropped when legends retire, and once the career of Derek Jeter started to wind down the brand came out with an epic salute. To go along with its popular campaign to honor Jeter — appropriately titled RE2PECT — a special pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro shoes were released with a Yankees theme. The star’s signature pinstripes really made the shoe look great, and the details were spot on.
4. Nike Trainer SC 2010 Premium Baseball Glove
Year of release: 2010
These baseball inspired sneakers mimic the look of a baseball glove, but in the best way possible. The limited edition Nike shoes took Bo Jackson’s favored model from back in the day and gave them a colorway and styling that resemble glove leather. In addition to an awesome look on the outside, the premium shoe was given specially designed insoles and small details throughout that paid tribute to Jackson.
5. Nike Untold Truth Collection
Year of release: 2006
The history of today’s MLB is intricately intertwined with the history of the Negro Leagues from decades ago. During February 2006, Nike collaborated with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to debut the Untold Truth collection, the proceeds of which benefited the nonprofit museum. The insoles and colorways of the shoes reflected the uniforms of historic teams including the Kansas City Monarchs, Memphis Red Sox, Philadelphia, Stars, and Chicago American Giants. Because of their unique style and the inspiration behind the line, this collection was highly sought after by die hard baseball fans.
6. Nike LeBron 7 Yankees
Year of release: 2009
When the Yankees began their 2009 season, Nike put out a new shoe for the LeBron 7 sneaker collection. The sneakers are unabashedly inspired by the Yankees and not only have the team’s colors but great baseball inspired graphics on the toe. The gold accents add a sleek touch, and this is definitely one of the nicer looking MLB geared shoes to be released by Nike.
7. Playstation x Nike Zoom Huarache TR Low Joe Mauer
Year of release: 2011
When pro baseball MVP Joe Mauer became the cover athlete for the video game MLB: The Show ’11, Playstation teamed up with Nike to release a special edition shoe. The sneaker has a Playstation logo on the tongue and graphics from Mauer’s cover on the insoles. Of course, the shoes had to have a colorway to match the navy blue and red of the Minnesota Twins, and a white outsole perfectly completed the look. The shoes were only sold at select boutiques on April 9, 2011.
8. Nike Air Force 1 Low Houston Astros
Year of release: 2006
2006 marked the year that the NBA All-Star Game made its way to Houston, Texas, so Nike decided to release a line of Air Force 1s that were inspired by Houston area sports teams including the Astros. Because the shoes were only gifted to celebrity and industry VIPs who attended the game, these are some of the rarest Air Force 1s around. Today the sneakers are highly sought after due to their style and exclusivity. The most notable time a pair was up for sale was at a memorial auction held by the estate of DJ AM.
9. Air Jordan 1 Retro Opening Day Pack
Year of release: 2008
Most Michael Jordan fans know how passionate he is about baseball, especially given that he played professionally at one time. It’s no surprise, then, that his brand of shoes would release baseball inspired collections, and in 2008 a special edition pair of Air Jordans came out to coincide with opening day for the White Sox. The logo on the sporty kicks incorporates baseball bats, and the stitching and colors make the shoes the ideal match for any White Sox apparel. A line of clothing that complemented the sneakers was released at the same time.
10. Vans Vault MLB Opening Day Collection
Year of release: 2010
Another collection of shoes was released to celebrate MLB’s opening day in 2010, but this time Vans collaborated with the league for the line. To pull off the concept, the company designed a line of shoes with colorways to pay homage to various teams, including the Phillies and Cubs, and gave the shoes different silhouettes ranging from the Sk8-Hi to the Era. Each sneaker in the line was exclusively sold at Vans Vault stores.
