Jordan Brand: New Home

Michael Jordan has a new home on the Swooshes campus, and to say that the building is impressive is an understatement.

You know exactly who's "house" this is from the facade. There's no second guessing; very much like MJ's game when there's 12-seconds left on the clock; you knew MJ was getting the ball and he dared you to stop him.

Just standing outside the building makes you go through that mental Rolodex of MJ moments: dropping 69-points against the Celtics and loosing, allthewhile Larry Bird remarking that Jordan was, "God in hightop sneakers", or Jordan dunking on Patrick Ewing and swinging like Tarzan from the rim in the 1993 Playoffs. The moments are countless and memorable, and some are more vivid than others.

Ask anyone who was able to see MJ play, either on television or in person, and they'll say that they were waiting for "that moment" when Jordan would do something amazing, and MJ never failed to do something.

For all the fuss caused by the Nike Air Jordan XI Retro "Space Jams" release, there are probably more who never witnessed him playing who bought the sneakers than those who witnessed what he did on the court and can recall a moment-in-time.

We've heard about MJs "indescretions", and I'm sure they rival Tiger Woods', but while people think of John Gotti as the "Teflon Don" of the Tri-State region, MJ was and has been "Mr. Untouchable" by the news media. No matter the dirt discovered, it was always swept under the rug. Sometimes to save his and Juanita's children from being embarrassed and the world coming to grips with Barkley's statement of, "I am not a role model", encouraging more parents to take an active role in raising their children.

As the Jordan Brand folks get settled into their new home, maybe we have to realize that eventhough a person has a new home, the foundation can have many cracks, and room for the "roaches" to move in.

Jordan Brand: New Home

TV Special: Swoosh! Inside Nike

A number of us at OSD decided to have a little get together this evening so we could talk about politics (yes, sneakerheads do VOTE), the latest debacle of Jay-Z getting pissy with Rihanna at the Grammy’s, the economy and, of course, sneakers.

So, we just finished watching the CNBC special-“Swoosh! Inside Nike”-and it was good to see and hear people weigh in on the good products that Nike produces, as well as hear about some of their challenges, such as poor working conditions in Vietnam and the blow back from their half-hearted initial foray into the world of skateboarding.

A few things that we noticed is that for a company that was started by Bill Bowerman’s desire to make running shoes lighter, while offering good traction, for his track athletes, it was Phil Knight that had the vision to take some risks and go after German-based Adidas, that was top-dog in the early ‘70s.

From the beginning, the company focused on producing great performing products to then signing a young Michael Jordan from the University of North Carolina as a key endorser, to marketing Bo Jackson as a do-it-all athlete and Charles Barkley as a powerful basketball player that bucked the trend by saying that athletes were not role models; Nike seems to have always “Gone Hard” with it.

A point that a couple people brought throughout our conversation was the lack of coverage or mention of Nike’s charity work, the donations or the rebuilding of parks to allow kids to play and get exercise. Maybe, just maybe, that story is on the DVD that CNBC began hawking at the end of the special. Let’s hope so.

Hearing Michael Jordan say that he wore Converse while at UNC-Chapel Hill, but wanted to sign with Adidas was monumental and the person or persons that chose to “pass” on MJ are certainly still trying to get their foot out of their ass(es).

The hype for the Air Jordan XX3 has been in fever pitch, which, after watching “Swoosh! Inside Nike”, will not be the finale of the Air Jordan line of basketball sneakers. Why would Nike and Jordan Brand walk away from a line that has been so successful 5-years after MJ played his last NBA game? They’d be silly, to say the least.

Darren Rovell did a good job interviewing Phil Knight, even though we can’t get over the fact that Buck wears those damned sunglasses for every interview. Who does he think he is? Just because he’s worth $9 billion, does that negate the fact that we like looking a man in the eyes?

When Milo Rosario was interviewed, it felt good to see a sneaker connoisseur whom we know and is truly passionate about sneakers. He’s a true stand-up guy that we’ve had the opportunity to hang out with at a few events in Chicago, Seattle and Las Vegas.

Seeing the footage from the lines to purchase the titanium Air Jordan XX3s, the Dunk Exchanges and the hand-to-hand exchange of cash for sneakers is something that we’ve become accustomed to see, but at some level it still is amazing to see a pair of sneakers-made of leather, rubber, nylon, suede, etc. - being coveted by so many people.

So the piece was good, but we have a good inclination that the upcoming sneaker documentary from New York- Know You Got Sole- is going to give viewers an entirely different perspective that CNBC didn’t cover nor could they cover it well.

TV Special: Swoosh! Inside Nike

It's so good to be....

A Sneakerhead, right? Well, I don't necessarily agree with that statement. With the onslaught of sneaker stories in newspapers and on the various websites, not one of them gets 'it'. The 'it' is something that, similar to persons that thought that Rap and ultimately Hip Hop was a fad, runs deeper than what can be summed up in 400 words or less. The many writers that I've spoken to and shared 'my story' very few have been able to understand the passion and 'why' it is that sneakers are so important to so many people.

Let me give you some historical background to set the table for my argument. Sneakers got their big break by the likes of James Dean who was a rebel by wearing Dungarees (jeans) and Jack Purcell sneakers or Tretorns.

As the time changed, so did people's perception of what it meant to be 'cool' and thus the birth of more comfortable clothing and footwear. Men and women started wearing more 'casual' clothing to do things such as going to parties, entertaining guests at home or running errands.

People started attending more sporting events for entertainment and when a team such as the Harlem Renaissance, which was formed in 1923 by Bob Douglas, won the World Professional Basketball championship in 1939, wearing black high-top canvas Chuck Taylors, people started paying more attention to 'sneakers'. You see, it was Europeans that popularized 'tennis shoes' but it has been Blacks that adopted them and have made them cool.

In a very awkward twist, Blacks were not allowed to play tennis because Whites thought that there was no way a Black person could understand the rules of the game nor pose a good opponent. It blew some White press's minds when Althea Gibson, who won Grand Slam tournaments such as Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Doubles, responded that, "Yes" she took a bath every day. Gibson at one point was even forced to take a test to see if she had an extra chromosome. Althea not only paved the way for Arthur Ashe but many other athletes such as Tiger Woods.

A resounding issue that I have with the 'community' is that very few realize that companies such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, New Balance and Converse take what we, collectively, say is cool and hip and create products with that in mind and sell it right back to the 'community'. What it then becomes is a game of power and companies such as Nike and Adidas know this and market with this in mind. It's the Ultimate Hustle or as my man TI likes to say, "It's the Grand Hustle."

So, on this day that we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, let's remember that racism and the many 'isms' still exist and it takes more than one voice to eliminate it. We all have to continue to fight for those people that don't have a voice and can't fight for themselves. If you lay down then you stay down and you’re dead.

Recent sneakerhead articles:
Associated Press
Chicago Tribune

It's so good to be....