Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the best basketball of all-time, and the man behind some of his best signature sneakers is also considered by many to be the best at his craft. Tinker Hatfield is the designer behind a number of classic Air Jordan and Nike sneakers, and unquestionably partially responsible for some of Air Jordan's unrivaled legacy. ESPN's Scoop Jackson wrote a piece about the cultural impact of Jordan Brand, and spoke to Hatfield about a number of topics, including who was better at their craft, him or Jordan.
In an unsurprising act of humility, Hatfield immediately admitted defeat to Jordan, but Jackson added that Jordan answered with himself when asked the same question, which led to Hatfield expanding his answer. "I'm not so sure that Michael even knows that I've even invented different categories of shoes away from the Jordan Brand -- in cross-training, in ACG [All Conditions Gear], in running, shoes like the Huarache. I mean, that's done way away from the Jordan Brand. That all would have happened without Michael," said Hatfield. This is an interesting part about Hatfield's legacy that often gets overlooked because of his involvement in the Air Jordan line. While most people, including Hatfield, will agree that it's hard to compare anyone's legacy to Jordan, Hatfield's legacy stretches much farther than the common sneaker or basketball fan knows.
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