Yomiuri Giants Team Up wIth Nike for Air Force 1 Tribute to Japanese Baseball Legend Shigeo Nagashima

Baseball might be America’s pastime, but Japan takes it just as seriously. Need proof? Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani is arguably the best and most versatile player since Babe Ruth. And long before Ohtani started playing both sides of the inning, Shigeo Nagashima spent the 1960s and 70s pitching, hitting, and then managing for Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants. Nagashima passed away earlier this year, and now, as part of a tribute game, the Giants are teaming up with Nike for an exclusive “FOR3VER GIANT” Air Force 1 Low.

Nagashima, nicknamed “Mr. Pro Baseball” and “Mr. Giant,” has been a legend in Japan on and off the diamond since his professional debut in 1958. He played his entire career for the team, becoming the manager just a month after his retirement in 1974.

The celebratory Air Forces feature an all white leather upper with an all-caps “FOR3VER” branding on the lateral heel in black and orange, representing Nagashima’s jersey number, 3, and the Giants team colors. The custom branding continues on the shoelaces, with the repeating phrase “OUR GIANTS WILL LIVE FOREVER” printed on two pairs of laces, white on black, and black on white. The lace dubrae trades the traditional AF1 branding for the number 3.

This is the second time this year the Yomiuri Giants have tapped Nike for a collaboration. In May, Nike released a black and orange Air Max 90 with the team, adding baseball stitching and a TYO label to the tongue. This time around, the collab will be even more exclusive.

The Yomiuri Giants x Nike Air Force 1 FOR3VER GIANT will be available for pre-order on August 15, exclusively through the Yomiuri Giants’ official online shop. They will release in men’s and women’s sizes for ¥33,000 (approx. $222). Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.