Baseball is finally back in the States. After a long winter, the MLB season is officially underway, and there have already been some highlight sneaker moments throughout the league. We’ve seen Shohei Ohtani make history once again, becoming the first baseball player to get his collaboration on the New Balance 990v6 and Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4 make headlines on Opening Day when Mookie Betts sported the potential candidate for sneaker of the year. However, Nike wants to collaborate with an overseas league, the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), and the Yomiuri Giants from Tokyo on the Air Max 90.
The Yomiuri Giants heavily borrowed their aesthetic and color palette from the New York Giants (now the San Fransico Giants) when they were formed in 1930, so the color palette and font used may seem familiar to those unaware of the backstory. For their debut Nike project, the team covers the Air Max 90 in a black leather, mesh, and smooth nubuck build. Coating most of the sneaker in dark hues. Pops of orange emerge on the Swoosh along the midfoot and the logo within the “TYO” logo on the tongue and heel tab.
Aside from this and a hit of metallic silver on the Air Max logo on the mudguard, the rest of the upper comes in a black finish. Of course, no baseball-themed sneaker can be completed without baseball stitching details somewhere. This feature comes around the stitching on the heel overlay. Down below, the model has an orange and white midsole with an orange Air unit in the heel and a black and orange outsole.
The Yomiuri Giants x Nike Air Max 90 will release in Summer 2025 through Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price has not yet been announced. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via Nike
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
