Saturday, May 2nd is a date all boxing fans have etched into their minds right now. That’s because, as you probably know, it’s the night of the most hyped fight since Tyson vs. Holyfield in 1996: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. Being billed as “The Fight of the Century”, it’s the battle between the sport’s two biggest names that fans have been waiting years for.
Adding our own little bit to the massive fight hype just for the sneaker world, today we’ll take a look at a few of Manny’s greatest hits—not in the ring, but on his feet. While the outcome of the fight is still undetermined, check out the following Manny Pacquiao special editions, and you’ll have no doubt who the reigning boxing sneaker champ is.
HyperKO MP
It only makes sense that Nike would lace up Manny with some of his own special boxing shoes. And special they are, as the HyperKO is the most technically advanced boxing boot ever. The breathable mesh upper, Flywire reinforcement, forefoot strap, and grippy herringbone outsole all make sure of that.
Nike Air Max 97 OG Grey Womens
Along with the HyperKO for fight day, in 2012 Nike also created a training version of the high-top boxing boot, complete with a trainer Free sole unit and reflective upper.
Nike Air Max Bizness PE
One of Nike’s earliest PEs for Pacquiao was the Air Max Bizness, which is actually a lower-tier basketball shoe. These never released at retail, exclusive to only Manny himself and made apparently for his out-of-the-ring hoops sessions.
Nike Air Trainer 1 “Lights Out”
Easily one of the most sought after Pac Man sneakers is the “Lights Out” Air Trainer 1 from 2009. This is because of not only the awesome glow in the dark colorway, but also the fact that only 259 pairs released—a number signifying his two minute and fifty-nine classic knock-out victory over Ricky Hatton on May 2, 2009.
Air Trainer SC 2010 “Pac Man”
The original Nike Air Trainer SC was endorsed by Bo Jackson, but when it came back in a modernized version for 2010, it was Pacquiao who got a special edition of the shoe. The “Pac Man”, in Manny’s typical red, white, and blue color scheme, has gone down as the most memorable version of the Trainer SC 2010.
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Nothing straying from the Pac Man sneaker norm too much here: a red, white, blue, and yellow colorway for the national colors of the Philippines and more laser etched graphics. There was also an Air Max 360 PE version for Manny.
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Pac Man had a handful of colorways of the full-length Air Max Trainer from 2011, but the most memorable is definitely this version featuring a predominantly white Hyperfuse upper with a metallic blue heel and a yellow and red fade on the midsole and Air Max unit. Matching fade is found on the Swooshes and even the laces.
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Dropping just ahead of his fight with “Sugar” Shane Mosley in 2011, was this awesome edition of the reintroduced Huarache Trainer. A clean white-based colorway with the date of the fight—May 7th—on the tongue, a faded midsole, and a clear outsole with Manny’s “MP” logo underneath made for arguably the best edition of the updated Huarache Trainer.
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It seemed like quite a few Nike athletes received some special PE edition of the Lunar TR1 when the brand pushed the new training model hard in 2012. But few, if any, were better than Manny’s version, featuring a solid blue upper with a red-to-yellow-to-white midsole and Pacquiao graphic on the insoles.
