Erik Hernandez
The Stealth in Nature collection, KAI 2 cleats and ZEN 2 trainers in tiger, eel, butterfly, squid, and hummingbird colorways scattered across a white floor.
Four KAI 2 first-round plate sketches side by side in grey, each with a different stud layout and SHUGO branding.
KAI 2 second-round drawings, the Fluid and Geometric laterals stacked with top-view insets, above the plate laid toe-left in white with a pink midfoot shank.
ZEN 2 tooling ideation, six outsole designs side by side with chevron and diamond traction patterns.
ZEN 2 second-round drawings, the Fluid, Geometric A, and Geometric B laterals stacked with top-view insets, above the outsole laid toe-left in matching icy blue with chevron lugs.

Tiger

Tiger colorway, KAI 2 and ZEN 2 in tan with navy tiger stripes and sky blue heels on orange and slate, then a heel close-up and a top view.

Eel

Eel colorway, black and white spotted uppers with volt green on a black, white, and green set, with the plates facing up.

Butterfly

Butterfly colorway in pink and rose with blue plates on pink film, then two pairs from above.

Squid

Squid colorway in mint with plum heels and orange and squid-skin midsoles on mint, orange, and plum panels, with outsole and top views.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird colorway in white with magenta and electric blue on blue and purple panels, pairs from above and plate views.

Brief

Marcus Stroman wanted the third collection for SHUGO to maintain the fit of the first cleat while pushing much further on color and graphics. The theme was Stealth in Nature: the bold patterns animals use to disappear into their surroundings. The collection paired the Kai 2 baseball cleat with the Zen 2 trainer, sharing five colorways between them.

Process

Early concepts explored two directions, Fluid and Geometric, for both the upper and the cleat plate. The Geometric upper moved forward, paired with a plate that takes its cues from a zen garden, a nod to the Kai and Zen names.

In parallel, the graphics drew on five animals: squid, tiger, eel, butterfly, and hummingbird. Each animal had three pattern options, with one finalized per colorway and its own palette. Marcus wear-tested the samples during the season, as looser MLB uniform rules opened the door to far more expressive footwear.