Nike called up an Olympian to debut their mysterious new shoe.
Team USA gymnast and Nike athlete Jordan Chiles took on the task and threw out the Mets’ first pitch on Friday night at Citi Field sporting the impressive new black and silver Air Max pair that the brand has yet to give a name, according to Sneaker News.
The sneaker also features a new “AM” logo on the tongue that hasn’t been on any other Nike Air Max shoe.
Chiles, who was named after Michael Jordan, wore the Mets’ alternate black uniform with No. 23 and “Chiles” on the back paired with a black Nike skirt for her pitch before the Mets’ eventual 6-4 walk-off win over the Reds.
The two-time Olympic medalist threw the ball just a bit short of the plate and on the outside to Tyrone Taylor before snapping a picture with the outfielder, which she shared on Instagram along with a few other photos.
“bringing something new to New York Fashion Week @mets 👟✨ heat coming soon…#Nike,” she wrote.
Chiles also enjoyed playing catch with Pete Alonso prior to the game and was seen modeling the shoes around a couple of suites in Citi Field.
Chiles, 23, left the Paris Olympics this summer with a gold medal from the women’s all-around final and what was initially thought to be her first individual Olympic medal — a bronze — from the women’s floor exercise final.
Behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and Simone Biles, Ana Barbosu of Romania earned a 13.700 score along with a high execution score of 8.000 to earn third place in the floor final on Aug. 5.
However, Chiles, who held a score of 13.666, was bumped up to the bronze medal place with a new score of 13.766 after Team USA filed an inquiry, arguing for reconsideration.
The result led to a messy fight between Team USA and the Court of Arbitration that eventually issued Barbosu the bronze medal because they said the Americans’ inquiry was submitted outside of the one-minute deadline.
“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days,” she wrote on Instagram before taking a break from social media. “I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
Chiles didn’t have to return her original bronze medal, but the Olympic website no longer lists her winning the bronze and the official Team USA roster has revoked the medal from her profile.
She currently holds two team Olympic medals, with the first coming from all-around women’s final at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
