Last time I was in BGC I made a slightly extravagant purchase. Nothing like a branded apparel or a Rolex. Not a Hotel accomodation at Shangrila Plaza or dinner at at a fancy restaurant. I bought a pair of Air Jordan 12's.
Ok, extravagant might be a bit hyperbolic (especially compared to Booking at Shangrila Hotel), but I don’t make it a habit to spend over 9,995 on a pair of sneakers.
Here’s why I did:
I grew up watching Michael Jordan and loving that brand, so the culture surrounding his shoes is embedded in me;
in my opinion these in particular are the most aesthetically pleasing Jordans while still being practical for everyday wear;
Air Jordan 12's have a rich history — it was the first Michael Jordan shoe designed by Tinker Hatfield, who revolutionized shoe design and working with athletes (more on that later);
I needed some dope shoes for my wedding reception.
Michael Jordan was Nike’s superstar from the beginning of his career… obviously. However, in Abstract Tinker explains that Jordan was unhappy with his first two shoes and was close to leaving Nike. So Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike at the time, charged Tink with designing the next one.
In a big meeting where Jordan was in a bad mood and convinced he was leaving Nike, Tinker revealed his now-famous elephant print design. The shoe was the first mid-cut basketball shoe ever created, and utilized different materials to make it feel supportive in the proper areas but broken in the first time it was tried on. Tinker won him over.
Later that season Jordan won the Slam Dunk Contest wearing that shoe… with the iconic dunk from the free throw line.
This can be boiled down to one simple piece of advice, and one of which I remind myself often: Make bold choices. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries. Easier said than done, sure. But if you create things that appeal to the average person, average is exactly what you’ll create.
“Whatever you’re doing, if you’re not having fun you’re doing it wrong.”
That quote is from this interview with Tinker, and I love it. It reminded me of one of my favorite improv quotes from Susan Messing: “If you’re not having fun then you’re the asshole.” I know I’m the billionth person to say this, but shouldn’t you enjoy what you do? Even when it gets a little tough, try to find joy in everything.
Experience life, make bold choices, and have fun. Now you’re ready to conquer the world — hopefully in a fly pair of kicks.
And yes, these sneakers are getting broken out at my wedding reception.
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