Jackie Robinson is one of the greatest and most inspirational players to ever grace a baseball diamond. In time for Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, Adidas unveiled today its cleats inspired by the Brooklyn Dodgers icon.
The athletic brand used its Adizero Afterburner 2 and Energy Boost Icon 2 cleats as the medium for the Robinson-themed silhouettes, boasting designs influenced by his accomplishments on and off the field.
The cleats, according to the brand, were influenced by Robinson’s exceptional speed, and the concept started with a hand-drawn sketch of the legend stealing and sliding into second base. The sketch would eventually become the focus of the design, which would evolve to also include a retrospective of his career.
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The shoes feature newspaper-style headlines, his MLB-retired number, 42, and use wool on the upper to pay tribute to the uniforms worn during the 1940s, when Robinson became Major League Baseball’s first black player. The sockliners are also used to pay homage to Robinson, featuring quotes he used throughout his Hall of Fame career including “Above anything else, I hate to lose,” and “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
Although images have been released, you won’t be able to buy these in stores. The cleats will be gifted to the brand’s sponsored MLB players and will also be worn by UCLA – Robinson’s alma mater – when the Bruins travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies on April 15.
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