Nike Just Dropped Ken Griffey Jr. and Deion Sanders Throwback T-Shirts
PublishedQuick Facts
- Nike honors Deion Sanders and Ken Griffey Jr. with new T-shirts
- Each shirt design is based on an archival Nike poster
- Both T-shirts are available now through Nike for $45
- Find direct links to cop both shirts below
Professional sports is full of superstar names but athletes today just don’t seem to have the same electricity surrounding them they did in the ‘90s. We could chalk that up to the advent of the internet, social media, and unprecedented access to the daily lives of these superstars, but it’s safe to say that there aren’t many people near the star power of Ken Griffey Jr. and Deion Sanders. Both played in the MLB, Griffey strictly sticking to the sport of baseball and Sanders being a dual athlete, and both have signature sneaker lines with Nike. For fans of either legend, The Swoosh just dropped a new set of graphic T-shirts tapping into the nostalgia of the ‘90s.
Ken Griffey Jr.’s new Nike T-shirt features his Swingman logo on the chest and an iconic photo of a leaping catch he made against the New York Yankees on July 27, 1997. The actual graphic used is different then the original photo, as Nike superimposes Griffey onto the Green Monster found in Fenway Park. Back in 2009 when Ken Griffey Jr. made his long-awaited return to the Seattle Mariners, Nike offered 1 of 4 different promotional posters at the team store and Nike Town Seattle. One of these was the photo used on the new T-shirt, which is offered in three different colors.
The Deion Sanders T-shirt is also a reference to an archival poster. In 1993, Nike released a poster of Sanders rocking some flashy chains, a Nike tank top, and a headband that read “You Gotta Believe.” The Swoosh takes this photo and adds the phrase in bold lettering to the chest.
While Deion fans have been blessed with a retro run of his signature sneakers in the last two years, including the Air DT Max ‘96 and Diamond Turf, Ken Griffey fans have been left dry. Unless you count the cleated version of the Griffey 2, which was released earlier in the year in honor of Jackie Robinson Day, the last time a non-cleated Air Griffey hit shelves was a kid’s exclusive Miami Hurricanes colorway. Before that, the adults had a shot at the Cincinnati Reds' color scheme in 2023. Luckily, the Air Griffey 1 is getting a retro later this Holiday season and more are expected in 2026.
The two new Nike graphic T-shirts for Ken Griffey Jr. and Deion Sanders are currently available via Nike for $45. We’ve included direct links above and below for both athletes’ shirts.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
