Routine Baseball and Adidas Collaborate on New Sneaker

When it came time to announce the first-ever sneaker collaboration between popular baseball lifestyle brand Routine Baseball and Adidas, the two took to Twitter, starting a conversation that kept people guessing as to what was to come from the two companies.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Routine Baseball and Adidas partnered on a sneaker, released on Monday, that celebrates the long path to success for a baseball player by using “graphics inspired by the seat patterns found on the team bus,” Routine Baseball co-founder Michael DeGrave told Baseball America. “These shoes tell the story of baseball’s unique journey and what it takes to grind through it all,” he said. “Let them serve as a constant reminder of where you’ve come from and where you’re headed.”

The release marked the first collaboration in footwear for Routine Baseball and the first large-scale baseball footwear collaboration in lifestyle. “The process was amazing,” DeGrave said about working on the Adidas Icon baseball training silhouette. “Adidas and Routine worked hand-in-hand to come up with the concept and design of the shoe.”

Deciding to tease and announce the collaboration via Twitter offered a chance to build excitement around the project and play on the large social followings the two enjoy. “It was a great way to get our customers engaged in the launch of our very first shoe,” DeGrave said, “and make them feel a part of it.”

Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.