The Air Jordan Oregon Ducks Player Exclusives have caused quite a commotion in the sneaker world. Nike's top school seems to receive an endless amount of one-of-a-kind, highly coveted gear, but the recent Air Jordan models may be the most sought after of them all.
Beginning in 2011, Hatfield and Jordan Brand began creating special edition models for Oregon players and students. So far, the legacy models utilized include the Jordan IX, III, and most recently, the IV. Sole Collector recently interviewed Tinker himself and revealed some interesting anecdotes behind the rare kicks.
Perhaps the most surprising bit of information revealed is that the models used thus far were not chosen for their performance/tech traits, but rather for their comfort and versatility. For a company that often puts performance first, it's surprising to hear that they were going for something entirely different with these special edition kicks.
"Sometimes high-performance shoes aren't the most comfortable shoes just to lounge around in. The Jordan XI to me is like that. That's such a high-performance basketball shoe, I personally don't find it to be that comfortable just to lounge in or walk around in. I think it's one of the better shoes that we've ever done in terms of playing. With the III, they play fine, but if you choose your materials wisely, they're also just real soft and easy to wear – more comfortable for, in this case, the intended use, which is to just travel as a team." - Tinker Hatfield
So, there you have it. Although the Jordan 3, 4, and 9 are all capable models which are still used by pros today, the Oregon iterations were created with different intentions in mind. Head over to Sole Collector now to read the entire interview.
RELATED: SPOTTED: Carmelo Anthony leads Knicks to First Win of 2013 in the Jordan M9′s
RELATED: 50 Game-Changing Performance Sneakers to Watch for in 2013
