NIKE killed shit last year when they released several different styles of kicks to honor the Negro Leagues of baseball. This year they turn back the hands of time and show love to the Cuban League teams and represent for their historic contributions to baseball. Word to LUIS TIANT Sr. and this other dude from that island who used to play baseball. I forget his name…
Baseball is truly a global sport and Cuba has a long and rich history with their love for the game. There are so many legends that inspired past generation to love the game. The Negro Leagues and the Cuban Leagues were both on the fringes of mainstream recognition, but anyone that followed the game knew all about the ridiculously talented players that existed in both leagues. NIKE’s first tribute to the Latin legacy of baseball is a pair of Dunks for the Cuban Almendares club team. Almendares was a little town outside of Havana and they were the chief rivals of the Havana club team. There is a legendary story about an Almendares pitching ace named JUAN MANUEL PASTORIZA who pitched both complete games in a back to back doubleheader. The first game he used his right hand to pitch, and in the afternoon tilt it was with his left.
The second pair of kicks that NIKE is releasing for this program represents the Azules de Veracruz which was a team based in Mexico City that played during the winters in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. It was in the Mexican Leagues where the stars of the Negro Leagues would mix and play with some of the stars of major league baseball. Players like SATCHEL PAIGE and JOSH GIBSON were international baseball legends and they were respected for their talent and sportsmanship. When America finally decided to legalize intergration of their greatest pastime it was unfortunately passed the time for a superstar like GIBSON.
The NIKE Air Max ’90 is one the their most comfortable shoes and the colorways really pay homage to the tropical aesthetic. NIKE along with the Negro League Hall Of Fame keeps hitting grand slams. Word to BUCK O’NEIL.
whoa! those fucking air max are dumbing out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dallas tight drop, your always on point but Nike calls its Latin Legacy collection, part of the larger Untold Truth collection so the first pair of kicks representing cuba was actually the Airforce 1 Premium LE New York Cuban jawns (fire btw). More over the Almendares joints actually read as Nike Dunk High U.T.T. on the box indicating that it is a continuation of the collection.
BTW as far as Cuban Team inspired logos in the MLB logos go you can count the Cubs, Reds, Athletics as early adopters
Word Dallas Big Up for the Mexican League 90’s …..Yo I once knew of this site where a photographer went to the northern part of Mexico where their is a history of African-Americans who ended up in Mexico when escaping slavery. These were Black-Mexicans and had a rich history in Baseball and Mexican culture as they practically became Mexicans taking part in all Mexican Culture. I wish I still had the link or some time to truly look into it but its a great story. 1…… where are my Fruity Pebble Lebrons, I will kill an endangered species for them.
Schooling me on the Cuban beisbol history
Baseball – global sport?
Nah son. Football (round ball) = truly global sport.
Those Air Max are ridic.
Would like to know when and where I can buy these again. I lost them in 2008