Through the end of the 2019 season, MLB umpires were contractually obligated to wear New Balance shoes, but when that contract expired and Nike became the primary uniform supplier for the major leagues, the floodgates opened for umpires to switch up their sneakers. Wendelstedt, though, is far from the only ump who has stepped up his shoe game recently. "The last thing in the world I thought I'd ever be talking about in an interview is my shoes or footwear," Wendelstedt told ESPN. Suddenly, Wendelstedt found himself getting some extra attention - not for any on-field flubs but for his fashion. Some fans wondered why an umpire would need to wear the latest sneaker drop while on the job. "They're like, 'What's this old dude doing wearing Jordans?'"Ĭameras had caught Jordan 11 Jubilees on Wendelstedt's feet during the May 9 game, and the image of the umpire quickly circulated across social media. "No, you're trending for your Jordans," Bridget, 19, and Hailey, 18, told him. "I didn't mess anything up last night," he said to his two teenage daughters. He cycled through the game in his mind, replaying all the calls he had made. The night before, Wendelstedt - an MLB umpire since 1998 - had manned second base during a Sunday night matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Hunter Wendelstedt started to get nervous. No more 'generic Dad Nikes': How MLB umpires - yes, umpires! - are stepping up their shoe game Only one pilot is needed to get off the ground, but having a wing man is the best recipe for flight.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser From the days of Mars and Mike to the present, Spike Lee has been a significant factor in the production and relevance of the Jordan Brand. “People who have never picked up a basketball are going to be rocking these," he said.Īnd even though these new sneakers aren't for everyone, he's probably right. He knows the importance that the Jordan Brand carries in the streets, so to speak, and he knows that the reach of the shoes goes far beyond sports. But Lee still has a firm grasp on what's fresh, what's new, what's cool. He made it a point while talking with Anthony to say that he was 55 years old, yet he referred to the XX8 sneakers more than once as "the new joints," slang that someone maybe 30 or 40 years his junior might use. 26 on the Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful Companies.ĭuring the event Monday, Lee was trying to illustrate how different New York is today compared to when Anthony was growing up in Brooklyn. It's something Lee figured out years ago, and it's part of the reason why the Jordan Brand is Nike's biggest profit driver, and Nike is No. In 2008 a song called "Its All About The Air Jordans" by synth metal band A Day After Tomorrow was written about a pair of air Jordan Spiz'ikes. A company can have a great product that all of its consumers completely buy into, but stellar promotion, marketing and advertising is needed these days to keep the product desired. Whether he's posing with President Obama and Air Jordan sneakers or he's influencing custom-made Nikes like the Mars Blackmon- themed Air Foamposit sneaker or the Jordan Spizike, Lee's significance with the brand is undeniable.
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