Baseball GOAT Shohei Ohtani Takes on New Balance’s Dad Shoe GOAT
Sometimes athlete-sneaker collaborations, or any sneaker collab for that matter, feel formulaic. Just slap a name on an existing model, throw in a vague backstory, and call it a day. But what New Balance is doing with Shohei Ohtani and the New Balance 990v6 x Shohei Ohtani sneaker is a case study in truly building a legacy.
With MLB’s 2025 season opening in Tokyo on March 18, the New Balance 990v6 x Shohei Ohtani sneaker is a perfectly timed statement for the 3-time MLB MVP. An athlete of his caliber who’s redefining what’s possible in baseball doesn’t just get any old sneaker. They craft a narrative.
Ohtani’s New Balance 990 sneaker doesn’t merely wear a random green and purple colorway. It subtly weaves in Ohtani’s past, borrowing the similarly colored uniforms worn by baseball players at both his high school, Hanamaki Higashi, and first professional team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, which Ohtani joined when he was only 18.
And if you needed any more proof that New Balance is treating Ohtani’s brand image with care, here’s a gem: The logo on his signature sneaker and apparel line is designed by none other than manga legend Takehiko Inoue, the man behind the legendary basketball manga Slam Dunk, one of Ohtani’s all-time favorite manga.
That’s storytelling. That’s respect. That’s how you solidify an athlete as more than just a name on a shoe. That’s how to do athlete collaborations right.
What I love most is that this collaboration doesn’t feel forced. It’s not a trendy silhouette being pushed for hype.
This is a classic American-made sneaker that’s part of a full-fledged Shohei Ohtani experience, with the collaborative 990v6 launching with a limited Japan release via an immersive New Balance pop-up in Shibuya on March 17.
With that being said, a trip to Tokyo anyone?
