{"id":398662,"date":"2014-08-13T15:38:16","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T20:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=398662"},"modified":"2022-09-12T18:08:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T23:08:27","slug":"lefty-leaders-10-left-handed-athletes-impacted-sneakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/lefty-leaders-10-left-handed-athletes-impacted-sneakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Lefty Leaders: 10 Left-Handed Athletes Who Impacted Sneakers"},"content":{"rendered":"
In honor of International Left-Handers Day<\/em>, we’re taking a look at 10 Left-Handed Athletes Who Impacted Sneakers<\/strong>. Some of the most iconic athletes of all time have been lefties, from Babe Ruth to Steve Young, but those who play with an unconventional dominant hand have had a significant influence on sneakers as well over time. Ken Griffey Jr.<\/strong>‘s sweet swing was with the left, and his signature series with Nike is the most successful baseball line ever. Michael Vick<\/strong> was the first signal-caller with his name on a shoe, while Deion Sanders<\/strong> was the only athlete with his own silhouette to play in both a Super Bowl and the World Series. These notable names, along with the other superstars on this list, have all made memorable contributions to both sports and sneakers.<\/p>\n Keep reading to see the entire list of 10 lefty players who had and have footwear fame, and keep Snkrs Day<\/strong> bookmarked for all of your sneaker news and information.<\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Michael Vick Before his unfortunate incident, Michael Vick<\/strong> was the face of Nike Football, and the first signal-caller to have his name on a sneaker. The left-handed slinger had an entire series of signatures that were made for both on and off the field. On top of his own line, Vick also laced up different notable sneakers on the Atlanta turf at the start of his career, including the Air Jordan 17.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> John McEnroe If Andre Agassi is Batman, John McEnroe<\/strong> was Robin. Although he doesn’t get nearly as much credit, McEnroe was one of the pioneers for Nike on the tennis court, including his famous wear of the Nike Air Trainer 1.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Ken Griffey Jr. Transitioning from the tennis court to the baseball diamond, Ken Griffey Jr.<\/strong> lit a fire under Nike Baseball with his signature “Swingman” line. The combination of his sweet left-handed swing and stunning silhouettes with Seattle Mariners’ teal, his historic series is still the most successful baseball line to date, with retros still running.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Brandon Jennings Brandon Jennings<\/strong> was a trailblazer before he was a Milwaukee Buck or a Detroit Piston. The fiery guard was the first face of Under Armour basketball when he left high school and went to play overseas, jump-starting a brand that is now a major player in the industry. Before Stephen Curry and the Anatomix Spawn, there was Brandon Jennings Under Armour Prototype II “Double Nickel”, as seen below.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> James Harden Although he wasn’t the first to keep his sneaks down low, James Harden’s constant wearing of low-top basketball shoes has contributed to the revolution that is still going on today. His new Nike Zoom Run The One<\/strong> could just be the lowest basketball shoe ever. Plus, he ties his Yeezy 2s with his left hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Manny Pacquiao The first major signature athlete from the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao<\/strong> has seen countless renditions of Nike sneakers in his native royal, red and gold. Bringing the Swoosh to a whole new platform, Pacquiao is still leading the pack in the boxing ring.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Rafael Nadal Although Rafael Nadal<\/strong> doesn’t have memorable designs like Andre Agassi, the King of Clay has carried the Swoosh on the tennis court in the modern era. Over the course of his 14 grand slam wins, Nadal has become known for his colorful entire outfits, which have included multiple unofficial signatures.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> David Robinson Arguably the best left-handed basketball player of all time in the modern era, respecting Bill Russel, David Robinson<\/strong> led an ultra-high top revolution with his Command Force and entire Nike Force line.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> CC Sabathia Following in Derek Jeter’s footsteps, CC Sabathia<\/strong> has thoroughly contributed to the Jumpman’s reign on the world’s most recognized sports franchise. As the first player to hit the mound in Air Jordan PEs, CC continues to debut notable cleats every year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Athlete:<\/strong> Deion Sanders Hanging his hat, or chains, on the Nike Diamond Turf and DT Max, Deion Sanders<\/strong> is the only signature athlete to play in both the World Series and a Super Bowl. Primetime followed in Bo Jackson’s footsteps by playing two sports, but also by lacing up some of the most iconic sneakers in history over the course of his career.<\/p>\n Source: Sole Collector<\/a>, Sneakers Addict<\/a>, Sneakerpedia, Nike Blog, Sole Chasers<\/a>, Eastbay<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In honor of International Left-Handers Day, we’re taking a look at 10 Left-Handed Athletes Who Impacted Sneakers. Some of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4655,"featured_media":398740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[618,1219126],"tags":[1204896,1203595,694302],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMichael Vick<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Football
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> First quarterback with a Nike signature series<\/p>\nJohn McEnroe<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Tennis
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Help put Nike Tennis & Training on the map<\/p>\nKen Griffey Jr.<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Baseball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Most successful signature sneaker line in MLB History<\/p>\nBrandon Jennings<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Basketball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> First Under Armour Basketball athlete<\/p>\nJames Harden<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Basketball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Low-top leader<\/p>\nManny Pacquiao:<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Boxing
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Nike Boxing<\/p>\nRafael Nadal<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Tennis
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Modern Nike legacy<\/p>\nDavid Robinson<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Basketball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Nike Force endorser<\/p>\nCC Sabathia<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Baseball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> First pitcher with Air Jordan PEs<\/p>\nDeion Sanders<\/h3>\n
\nSport:<\/strong> Football\/Basketball
\nSneaker Significance:<\/strong> Only signature athlete to play in both World Series and Super Bowl<\/p>\n