The tradition continues for its fourth consecutive year.
For the fourth consecutive year, Nike is releasing a special-edition sneaker in honor of Jackie Robinson.
The Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Jackie Robinson” is flush with details commemorating the man who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. A blue and white suede treatment invokes the uniform of Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers, and his no. 42 appears on both a diamond tongue strap and a metal lace dubrae. Both of those elements appear in gold, as does the text on a special insole patch calling out Jackie Robinson Day 2024, the Nike heel branding and the upper most eyestays. A two-tone outsole also makes use of gum and blue.
The “’86” in “Air Max ’86” denotes the sneakers use of a larger visible Air bubble in the heel. This detail is a nod to a once lesser-known fact about the Air Max 1, as the shoe featured a bigger window to reveal the tech for its first several month on shelves. Nike had to slim down the cut-out, however, because the exposure led to the bubble cracking in lower temperatures. Only 400,000 pairs were made originally with the first proportions.
Nike first made a sneaker celebrating Robinson in 2009 with the Air Max Swingman Remix, a model that mashed up Ken Griffey Jr.’s first two signature shoes on the occasion of him reaching 20 years in the MLB, but it didn’t become an annual tradition until 2021. The Air Griffey Max 1 released that year featured a black and white colorway, but each sneaker after that has been modeled after the Dodgers’ uniforms.
The Nike Air Max 1 ’87 “Jackie Robinson” will release on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15. Pricing is set at $150.
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
