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Shohei Ohtani and New Balance have come to an agreement on a multi-year deal. The new sponsorship ends his partnership with Asics, a company he has been with since 2014. New Balance will join companies like Oakley, Panini and Topps, which all work with the superstar.
Ohtani will be working with the company to integrate a new cleat. The cleat will be a take on one of the classic New Balance models, the 547. The cleat is expected to hit shelves in February.
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Signing Ohtani is a great move for New Balance. He joins an elite group of athletes who also have deals with the company. These athletes include Kawhi Leonard, Zach Lavine, Francisco Lindor and Coco Gauff.
While New Balance shoes are considered "dad shoes" by the general public, the brand is quite popular within the sport of baseball. They've been a staple brand since headlining Dustin Pedroia as their star athlete in 2010.
"Would love to see the contract specs. Baseball players get notoriously bad shoe contracts. Whatever he's getting, he deserves more" one fan tweeted.
"For the olds, like me," another fan tweeted.
Signing Shohei Ohtani couldn't have been better for New Balance. He'll bring nationwide attention to the brand.
Some older fans are especially happy with the superstar's choice. New Balance is hugely popular among dads in the United States. If you see a dad at a cookout or mowing the grass, there's a good chance he's wearing a pair of New Balances.
Is this just the start of something new for Shohei Ohtani?
Ohtani signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels in October. Other teams around the league are licking their lips at the thought of the "unicorn of baseball" becoming a free agent.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has already made it clear that he's getting ready to go after Ohtani when he becomes a free agent. They're going to be one of the many teams in the MLB trying to land him.
Baseball fans would love to see Ohtani on a different ball club. He's yet to reach the postseason in his five years in the league. It's a bad look for the MLB when one of the league's best players hasn't been to the postseason at all.
It will be interesting to see where Shohei Ohtani ends up after the 2023 season.
