Looking Back at Ichiro Suzuki’s Unreleased Nike and Jordans After Hall of Fame Induction

Ichiro Suzuki will go down as one of, if not the greatest, Japanese-born MLB players (though Shohei Ohtani might have something to say about that). Rightfully so, he was elected into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame over the weekend, receiving 99.7% of the vote (tying Derek Jeter) and becoming the first Japanese player to enter the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. With Jordan Brand recently gifting CC Sabathia, who played alongside Ichiro on the Yankees in the early 2010s, a special pair of Jordan 3s for his Hall of Fame induction, we thought it was the perfect time to look back at Ichiro’s unreleased Nike and Jordan sneakers.

Suzuki was famously sponsored by the likes of Mizuno and Asics during his playing career, with the latter being the provider of his on-field cleats. There are some ultra-rare off-the-field drops, like the Ichiro-TR silhouette that was released in 2002, but his on-field wear was almost always player-exclusive Asics cleats. Even still, Nike and Jordan Brand toyed with some Ichiro sneakers.

Air Jordan 1 High Ichiro Suzuki Sample

Michael Jordan and Ichiro connected years before Suzuki would take the field for the Seattle Mariners. Just months after Michael Jordan returned to the basketball court after a short stint in minor league baseball, Ichiro visited the United States to experience the country before coming to the Majors. The Japanese star wouldn’t enter the MLB until 2001, where he would play for the Seattle Mariners.

Shortly after entering the league, Jordan Brand sampled a pair of Air Jordan 1s in Bred colorblocking that featured the Mariners' teal blue hue in place of the Bulls’-friendly red. An embroidered logo depicting Ichiro’s famous at-bat stance is added to the lateral heel. The pair has only been seen a handful of times over the years, first in 2017 on the cover of Japan’s Shoes Master magazine. In 2019, Jordan Brand’s Tokyo 23 store in Japan placed the sneakers on display.

Nike SB Dunk High Pro Ichiro Sample

Everyone knew Ichiro was a hit machine even before he entered the league. In his eight years playing in Japan’s NPB, he totaled 1,278 hits, and upon joining the Seattle Mariners, he began to rake. He would reach over 200 hits in each of his first four seasons in the league, but the 2004 campaign was something special. Nabbing 262 total hits, he broke the 84-year-old record set by George Sisler, who had 257 hits in 1920.

To commemorate this monumental achievement, Nike SB produced a 1-of-1 Nike SB Dunk High themed after the Mariners and Suzuki’s new hit record. The color scheme came in a Mariners-esque blue and grey, while the number “262” was embroidered above a diamond on the lateral heel. Below the number is “安打”, which translates to “hits” in English.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com