Nike Dunk Low

This Nike Dunk Low hosts the renowned colours of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team alongside a number of features that honour one of their legendary players, Jackie Robinson. A black and white sole unit underpins the design, the former decorating the grippy outsole, with its combination of circular and linear indentations delivering high-quality traction to the wearer. Meanwhile, the foam-filled midsole has a white exterior and a hint of what is to come on the upper through its band of Racer Blue stitching, which resides inside a groove that circumnavigates the midsole’s upper edge.

The base layer of the upper is made of Coconut-coloured leather, the durable material showing up on the toe box, the midfoot panels and in a strip that reaches from the top of the collar around the back of the heel. Sewn into this last part are three lines of stitching arranged in parallel to each other. Above this fine detailing is a Racer Blue heel panel with gleaming silver Nike lettering printed onto it. The rest of the overlays, which comprise the forefoot mudguard, the eyestay and the rear panel, have a Racer Blue background that is marked with the inspirational words of Robinson himself. These stand out in a shimmering silver tone similar to that found on the heel and feature one of his most memorable lines: “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

Over the top of the foot is a Coconut tongue that has white laces with a blue trim zigzagging across it. Just below the Racer Blue peak of the tongue lies a square patch with a baseball-inspired emblem woven into it. In its centre is, it reads “75 years” and in a banner along the bottom, the words “Breaking Barriers” have been written. This commemorates the anniversary of Robinson’s debut appearance for the Dodgers – the moment that he became the first man to break the baseball colour line.

Inside, the shoe is Racer Blue throughout, and white Nike branding sits beside more of Robinson’s quotes on the insole. Returning to the forefoot, an extra Racer Blue swoosh with an eye-catching black outline has been printed upon the lateral side of the toe box. Finally, the sidewall swooshes have the same tonal makeup but have been made using lush blue felt to round off this celebratory sneaker with a luxurious touch.