LOOK: Saquon Barkley has new signature shoe from Nike, reflects admiration for Bo Jackson
An old Nike favorite is returning to shoe aisles this fall with a special touch from one of the NFL’s most high-profile players.
Introducing the Saquon Air Trainer III, named after New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
The cream and white shoe features black, red, blue and yellow accents with the number 26, Barkley’s number, on the tongue. While Barkley grew up in Pennsylvania, he was born in the Bronx and grew up a New York Jets fan. His brother, Alibay, was a star high school athlete in New York City before being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels.
Nike released the original Air Trainer 3 in 1988, and it had the endorsement of Bo Jackson at the time. Jackson often wore several shoes in the Air Trainer line, helping to popularize them in the 1990s.
Jackson, one of the most famous running backs to ever play football, was a dual-sport Auburn star that won the 1985 Heisman Trophy and was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft.
Barkley back on the field after torn ACL
After suffering a torn ACL in Week 2 last year, Barkley made his highly anticipated return to the field on Sunday in a 27-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. It produced underwhelming results. He carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards, but Giants head coach Joe Judge was happy with his limited performance.
“I thought he was moving well,” Judge said in his postgame press conference. “There were some opportunities we thought we could create for him. They did a good job matching up and eliminating some things. We have to execute better as an entire team, but in terms of the step forward for him for the first time on the field since last year, I was pleased with what I saw.”
All in all, after a standout career at Penn State, the first-round NFL Draft selection has been plagued by injuries during his time in New York.
In addition to the ACL tear last year, Barkley suffered an ankle sprain in Week 3 in 2019 that sidelined him for a month. When he returned to the field, he did not quite look the same, and he later said he rolled the ankle that game against the Arizona Cardinals. While the injury was not severe enough to take him out of the game, it continued to be an issue for the remainder of the year. He still accounted for 1,441 total yards and eight total touchdowns that season.
As a rookie in 2018, Barkley played in 16 games and rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry. He also caught 91 passes with 721 yards and four touchdowns.