
Jackie Robinson is one of the sports world’s most emblematic figures, thanks largely to his status as the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball (it’s worth mentioning that his skill and talent also made him an all-time great on the field). With the MLB All-Star Game going down in Los Angeles this month, it only makes sense for Nike to pay tribute to the UCLA alumnus with a pair of Dodger blue-colored Dunk Lows.
Robinson made his major league debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers 75 years ago in 1947, and the fact that he’s still having shoes made in his honor three-quarters of a century later shows what kind of influence he still holds as both a player and a man. Speaking of the shoes, the low-tops’ royal blue and off-white color palette emulate an old-school Dodgers team uniform from the team’s halcyon days in New York. For an added touch, these worn-in colors make their way down to the textured swoosh and patterned laces.
The new low-tops are finished off with an all-over-printed quote from Robinson that reads, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” There’s no denying what No. 42 managed to do for the sport of baseball, not to mention professional sports as a whole, but the hall of famer’s off-field presence remains beyond admirable even decades after his passing.
It seems like a new pair of Dunks comes out every week nowadays, but it’s only so often you see a pair inspired by an absolute legend. The Nike Dunk Low ‘Jackie Robinson’ will release on July 19 — the same date as the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium — via the SNKRS app for $130.