SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The first pairs of custom cleats Fernando Tatis Jr. will be donning throughout the San Diego Padres' season have dropped.
"El Niño" debuted the first cleat sets during the series in Seoul, Korea against the Los Angeles Dodgers two weeks ago and the team's first at-home series over the weekend against the San Francisco Giants.
By the end of the year, the star outfielder, who is a baseball style icon in his own right, will have rotated through 50 different custom cleats designed in a first-of-its-kind partnership with sports retail brands, Xample and SURGEON.
The first pair of custom shoes worn by Tatis were a pink and brown Jordan cleat featuring the Mugunghwa, or the rose that is South Korea's national flower, on the side. It also featured the design of a monastery on the back and a message written in Korean to honor the series' host.
Social media users were quick to respond to the Seoul series cleats, with one person describing Tatis as the "drippiest player in the MLB." But he's just getting started.
On Thursday, Tatis paid tribute to the late Peter Seidler with a pair of Jordan cleats featuring engravings of the Padres owner, as well one of his quotes referring to the outfielder: "I believe in him."
“I feel they came out just perfect,” Tatis said in a release ahead of the game. “It’s part of our story; he’s part of my story … Everything we’re doing this season is for Peter, and for the years to come, too.”
In the second game of the home opener, El Niño hit the field with his third pair of Jordan cleats, but these ones playing on the iconic Tiffany & Co. jewelry boxes. Called "Tatis & Co.," the shoes feature the signature Tiffany blue with a Nike swoosh that looks like the sides of a diamond.
The forth pair of cleats were unveiled in the Padres' fourth game of the opening series on Sunday, designed to honor veterans and active-duty servicemembers. Titled "Thank You," the shoes are made from the uniforms for two veterans, matching the Padres' camouflage uniforms.
"The Padres have worn uniforms to commemorate the military for quite some time now, and with Tatis wanting an idea for a custom pair of cleats, it only made sense for a custom pair of cleats to be made from the uniform of a service member," one of the veterans, Jared Kenney, said in a release. Kenney is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
“The Padres aren't just a team; they're a part of my identity, a source of joy, civic pride, and a vital coping mechanism," the other veteran, Mark Bartlett, said. Bartlett is a veteran of the U.S. Army. "Whether cheering from the stands at Petco Park or following every play from afar, my love for baseball and the Padres is unwavering."
The Padres are set to take to the field at Petco Park again Monday night for the first game in a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.