Nike and Yu-Gi-Oh! announce new official collaboration
An official collaboration between the global sportswear brand Nike and the classic anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters has been announced.
The news was revealed through the official Yu-Gi-Oh! social media channels on Thursday, the 24th of July, 2025.
Yu-Gi-Oh!, based on the manga by the late Kazuki Takahashi, became a massive international phenomenon in the early 2000s, largely driven by its popular trading card game.
The series regularly collaborates with other brands, with recent team ups including one with popular kawaii mascot brand Sanrio.
The new partnership with Nike brings together one of the world’s most iconic anime franchises with one of the biggest names in apparel and footwear.
Immediately following the announcement, fans of the series online began pointing out a humorous and long-running connection between Yu-Gi-Oh! and the Nike brand.
In an early episode of the Duel Monsters anime, the character Katsuya Jounouchi, known as Joey Wheeler in the English dub, buys a pair of sneakers called “Air Muscles.”
The design of the “Air Muscle” shoes in the anime is a clear and direct parody of Nike’s own famous “Air Max” line of sneakers.
This in-universe joke has been a point of amusement for fans for decades, and many have expressed excitement that this fictional parody is now becoming a real-world, official collaboration.
At this time, no specific details about what the collaboration will entail, such as the types of products or a potential release date, have been made public.
The announcement was simply a confirmation that a project between the two brands has been decided and is in the works.
Further details regarding the new Nike and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters partnership are scheduled to be announced at a later date.
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
