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Nike Pays Homage to Deion Sanders’ Untouchable ‘Double Play’ Feat

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jason C. Jones | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 1:22 PM ET

Deion Sanders remains a ‘one-of-one’ talent. Whether it was his electric punt returns, field carving interceptions and receptions, or his ability to be a pro in two leagues, there may never be another ‘Prime Time’.

Nike is planning to roll out a special colorway for a shoe to commemorate an incredible achievement. The Nike Air DT Proto 92 “Braves” aims to celebrate the “Deion Double Play.” It's a term that refers to October 11, 1992 when Sanders suited up for two different teams. He played for the Atlanta Falcons in the afternoon and then flew to Pittsburgh to join the Atlanta Braves for a National League Championship Series game.

Prior to the release of the Nike Air Proto 92 “White Black”, the concept shoe had never previously been released to the public. The allure should be in the name. This is a prototype that got shelved in favor of the ‘no swoosh on the side panel’ version fans have become very familiar with. The Proto 92 maintains most of what fans have come to expect from the Diamond Turf line, while adding back in, the design features that were discarded prior to its wide release.

The Proto 92, even more so than the more well-known Diamond Turf 1, is a throwback to Nike’s renaissance. The white logos, red sock liner, on a mostly black nubuck material with Deion’s signature gold, this model harkens back to the 1990-1994 design tendencies that made Nike the “King of the Hill” they still are.

The Proto 92 “Braves” utilizes a mostly black colorway which does absolutely track with the Falcons. Some jersey purists might counter that the Braves colors don’t include black. While that is true, Sanders and many players in 1992 often wore black/red/white cleats with their navy, red, white uniforms as leagues had not yet green lit shoes and cleats for team specific colors.

Most major sports leagues in 1992 still adhered to mostly black or mostly white. Also, from a practical standpoint, navy next to black is a poor design choice as those colors bleed into each other. In turn, Nike and Sanders have opted to keep to the blk/red/wht colorway worn by Braves at the time.

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The release date information is still vague. Nike has not officially announced a release date, but a shock drop is now being widely reported. The event predates the official release date and typically has a specific reason for happening.

In the case of the Proto 92 “Braves,” Nike plans a shock drop for the Atlanta area to coincide with Major League Baseball’s All-Star break. Suggesting fans in the Atlanta area could secure their pair somewhere between July 12-15. The pre-release will be limited to 1,000 pairs. While details of the shock drop are still unclear, the last regional shock drop related to a Deion Sanders shoe did take place at Lenox Square. If previous drops are an indicator.

The wide release is scheduled for “Fall 2025.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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