Nike & MLB Honor 2026 City Connect Jerseys With Team-Inspired Air Maxes

Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2026 season is underway and Nike is commemorating the occasion with an all-new lineup of Air Max sneakers.

Last year, the Swoosh—which is the league's official uniform manufacturer—launched a number of different products ahead of and during the 2025 season, helping baseball reaffirm its presence outside of the field. The brand's "City Series" Air Max 270 series was well-received, celebrating each MLB franchise's special-edition jersey and culture.

Thanks to a newly-surfaced Air Max 1 featuring branding from the San Diego Padres, it seems Nike and Major League Baseball are carrying on tradition.

Right off the bat (pun intended), it seems that the Padres Air Max sneaker is inspired by Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a day of remembrance of loved ones who've transitioned into the afterlife. Widely-celebrated across Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, Día de Muertos inspired the Padres' City Connect 2.0 uniform in 2025. The holiday is important to a large part of San Diego Baseball's fandom and the city-at-large.

This year's commemorative Air Max 1 sees a colorful ensemble that couples muted navy with vibrant purple, orange, and blue. Similar pairs have been made by Nike Sportswear and the Air Jordan series as part of "Familia" and "Somos Eternos" collections inspired by Latinx Heritage Month and Day of the Dead, respectively. "Padres" and interlocking "SD" branding appears throughout the pair, with special catrina graphics found on the insoles.

MLB logos appear as lace dubraes, re-cementing the important partnership between Major League Baseball and Nike. Enjoy official photos of the Air Max 1 inspired by the San Diego Padres ahead. This pair is expected to be part of a larger "City Connect" sneaker collection. Therefore, other Air Maxes inspired by 2026 City Connect uniforms should release through nike.com before April ends. Matching City Connect jerseys will also be available.

For more jerseys by the Swoosh, check out all Nike 2026 World Cup™ jerseys and make sure to keep your eyes glued to our official Twitter account for further updates.