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- Nov 24, 2007
Hey guys,
I just joined Niketalk a few days ago but have followed niketalk for quite some time now. Anyways, I just recently completed my last year of running track andfield for Texas Tech University and now I run professionally for Asics. This article is a bit old but still thought I would share and maybe a few would likeit. My city newspaper did an article about my shoe collection and the article made it to Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Anywho here it is (and anyone with anynegative remarks please keep to yourself, remember this is just for fun)
[h2]Texas Tech Hurdler Addicted To Shoe Collecting[/h2]LUBBOCK (AP) ― BryanScott is addicted. There's really no other way to put it.
He wants to quit. He's tried to quit. But every so often -- and for sure every February -- the Texas Tech senior hurdler awakes early in the morning andlines up with fellow addicts impatiently to shell out close to $200 for the latest shipment.
Minutes later, Scott walks out of the store with yet another set of Nike Air Jordan shoes.
"I'm up to about 70 pairs now," he said. "Sometimes I can't believe I let it get this high, but now it's turned into a collection.Honestly, I told myself last week that I really, really have to stop, but it's hard to stop."
Blame Michael Jordan. The basketball legend retired in 2003, but his impact on sports merchandise sales still can be felt today.
Nowhere is that more evident than with his Nike Air Jordan shoes, which debuted in 1985. Nike releases a new style of shoe every February -- the month ofJordan's birthday -- and just introduced the Air Jordan XXII a few months ago.
The company also produces several variations of the 22 styles, explaining why Scott has been able to purchase 70 different pairs. He isn't a big basketballfan but has long admired Jordan for his overall athletic ability.
Initially, that was the reason he first purchased Jordan's line of sneakers. But as his purchases mounted, Scott slowly transformed from average consumerinto shoe connoisseur. He found Web sites devoted to the hobby of collecting Air Jordans and read countless testimonies from people, who were just like him.
One site in particular, niketalk.com, Scott visits on an almost daily basis. It's a forum where Nike shoe collectors share stories and photos of theircollections.
"There are a lot of people who are worse than me," said Scott, who started his collection when he was a sophomore at Estacado. "I'm realclose to having all 22 styles, so it's kind of hard to stop when you're so close. Right now, I'm only missing three. When a new shoe comes out, youhave to buy because it's part of the collection."
And that's part of what makes the hobby of collecting Air Jordans extreme in the eyes of others. Not only is there not an ending in sight -- who knows whenJordan will stop? -- but the price of the shoes increases every year and should break the $200 barrier soon.
Scott purchased his latest pair -- a different color scheme of the Air Jordan XXII's he first bought in February -- last week for $190, and said that onaverage, he's paid more than $100 per pair.
That makes the net worth of his collection somewhere between $7,000-$10,000.
Scott said he has purchased most of his shoes and received others as birthday or Christmas gifts. Most of his spending money comes from hours of mowing lawnsin the summer.
"My parents aren't too pleased because they think there are other ways I can spend my money," the 22-year-old said. "But as long as it'smy money, they're fine with it."
Scott's teammate and former roommate Shawon Harris isn't surprised to hear that his friend's collection has grown to 70 pairs. It reminds him ofthe same determination Scott has shown during his track career, which includes two Big 12 Conference championships and all-American honors.
"It just shows you how passionate a person he is," Harris said. "When he sets his mind on something, he's going to go all out. That'show he's become one of the best hurdlers in the country."
Still, Scott's passion for his shoes can be a little excessive. Unlike some collectors, he wears his Air Jordans quite frequently.
To keep them in their near-mint condition, however, Scott tries to avoid walking on grass or dirt.
"When I wear them to class," he said, "I stick to sidewalks."
And if someone steps on them ... it better have been an accident.
"We learned to always stay at least a few feet away," his mother, Dora Bentancourt-Scott, said.
At the end of the day, the Air Jordans come off and Scott gives them a thorough cleaning. He then unlaces them -- "It keeps creases from forming," hesays -- and puts them in their appropriately labeled box and stuffs them in one of the two closets in which they're housed.
Scott's father, Edwin, likes to remind his son about the time he tried putting duct tape on the bottom of his shoes to keep the soles from wearing out.
Apparently, that's one aspect of his collection Scott wanted to keep private.
"I only tried that once," he says to redeem himself.
"It was more than once," his father retorts.
Scott's older brother Chris used to buy and wear Air Jordans when he was in high school, but he can't fathom owning 70 pairs. In fact, he had no ideahis little brother's collection had grown so large.
"He treats them like they're his kids," said Chris, who ran track for Texas A&M. "Seventy pairs is just ridiculous."
Scott doesn't try to convince others that there is a method to his madness. At times, even he seems embarrassed of his over-the-top collection.
But more often than not, he remains a proud Jordan junkie.
"We stopped trying to get him to quit," Dora said. "He knows how expensive it is, and he knows it's a lifestyle that he can't continueforever.
"There are a lot worse things he could be spending his money on."
I just joined Niketalk a few days ago but have followed niketalk for quite some time now. Anyways, I just recently completed my last year of running track andfield for Texas Tech University and now I run professionally for Asics. This article is a bit old but still thought I would share and maybe a few would likeit. My city newspaper did an article about my shoe collection and the article made it to Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Anywho here it is (and anyone with anynegative remarks please keep to yourself, remember this is just for fun)
[h2]Texas Tech Hurdler Addicted To Shoe Collecting[/h2]LUBBOCK (AP) ― BryanScott is addicted. There's really no other way to put it.
He wants to quit. He's tried to quit. But every so often -- and for sure every February -- the Texas Tech senior hurdler awakes early in the morning andlines up with fellow addicts impatiently to shell out close to $200 for the latest shipment.
Minutes later, Scott walks out of the store with yet another set of Nike Air Jordan shoes.
"I'm up to about 70 pairs now," he said. "Sometimes I can't believe I let it get this high, but now it's turned into a collection.Honestly, I told myself last week that I really, really have to stop, but it's hard to stop."
Blame Michael Jordan. The basketball legend retired in 2003, but his impact on sports merchandise sales still can be felt today.
Nowhere is that more evident than with his Nike Air Jordan shoes, which debuted in 1985. Nike releases a new style of shoe every February -- the month ofJordan's birthday -- and just introduced the Air Jordan XXII a few months ago.
The company also produces several variations of the 22 styles, explaining why Scott has been able to purchase 70 different pairs. He isn't a big basketballfan but has long admired Jordan for his overall athletic ability.
Initially, that was the reason he first purchased Jordan's line of sneakers. But as his purchases mounted, Scott slowly transformed from average consumerinto shoe connoisseur. He found Web sites devoted to the hobby of collecting Air Jordans and read countless testimonies from people, who were just like him.
One site in particular, niketalk.com, Scott visits on an almost daily basis. It's a forum where Nike shoe collectors share stories and photos of theircollections.
"There are a lot of people who are worse than me," said Scott, who started his collection when he was a sophomore at Estacado. "I'm realclose to having all 22 styles, so it's kind of hard to stop when you're so close. Right now, I'm only missing three. When a new shoe comes out, youhave to buy because it's part of the collection."
And that's part of what makes the hobby of collecting Air Jordans extreme in the eyes of others. Not only is there not an ending in sight -- who knows whenJordan will stop? -- but the price of the shoes increases every year and should break the $200 barrier soon.
Scott purchased his latest pair -- a different color scheme of the Air Jordan XXII's he first bought in February -- last week for $190, and said that onaverage, he's paid more than $100 per pair.
That makes the net worth of his collection somewhere between $7,000-$10,000.
Scott said he has purchased most of his shoes and received others as birthday or Christmas gifts. Most of his spending money comes from hours of mowing lawnsin the summer.
"My parents aren't too pleased because they think there are other ways I can spend my money," the 22-year-old said. "But as long as it'smy money, they're fine with it."
Scott's teammate and former roommate Shawon Harris isn't surprised to hear that his friend's collection has grown to 70 pairs. It reminds him ofthe same determination Scott has shown during his track career, which includes two Big 12 Conference championships and all-American honors.
"It just shows you how passionate a person he is," Harris said. "When he sets his mind on something, he's going to go all out. That'show he's become one of the best hurdlers in the country."
Still, Scott's passion for his shoes can be a little excessive. Unlike some collectors, he wears his Air Jordans quite frequently.
To keep them in their near-mint condition, however, Scott tries to avoid walking on grass or dirt.
"When I wear them to class," he said, "I stick to sidewalks."
And if someone steps on them ... it better have been an accident.
"We learned to always stay at least a few feet away," his mother, Dora Bentancourt-Scott, said.
At the end of the day, the Air Jordans come off and Scott gives them a thorough cleaning. He then unlaces them -- "It keeps creases from forming," hesays -- and puts them in their appropriately labeled box and stuffs them in one of the two closets in which they're housed.
Scott's father, Edwin, likes to remind his son about the time he tried putting duct tape on the bottom of his shoes to keep the soles from wearing out.
Apparently, that's one aspect of his collection Scott wanted to keep private.
"I only tried that once," he says to redeem himself.
"It was more than once," his father retorts.
Scott's older brother Chris used to buy and wear Air Jordans when he was in high school, but he can't fathom owning 70 pairs. In fact, he had no ideahis little brother's collection had grown so large.
"He treats them like they're his kids," said Chris, who ran track for Texas A&M. "Seventy pairs is just ridiculous."
Scott doesn't try to convince others that there is a method to his madness. At times, even he seems embarrassed of his over-the-top collection.
But more often than not, he remains a proud Jordan junkie.
"We stopped trying to get him to quit," Dora said. "He knows how expensive it is, and he knows it's a lifestyle that he can't continueforever.
"There are a lot worse things he could be spending his money on."
