Jordan Brand via Getty Images
Tinker Hatfield is to sneaker design as Guy Fieri is to Flavortown. More likely than not, you have more than one pair of kicks in your closet from the mind of the iconic designer, as he has designed several Jordan sneakers and even constructed the world’s first cross training shoes.
The 66-year-old pegged himself on Fortune magazine’s 100 Most Influential Designers of the 20th Century list through his work on the Jordan brand. Hatfield, now Nike’s Vice President for Design and Special Projects, was the lead designer of Air Jordans III through XV, XX, and XX3 as well as the co-designer of the Air Jordans 2010 and XXX.
TMZ caught up with Hatfield at the airport to ask him what Jordan design he’s most proud of and what one he wished never to see the light of day. He answers quite candidly.
His least favorite: The 15s.
Nike Air Jordan 15 XV Retro BLACK VARSITY RED STEALTH BRED 23 supreme 881429 001 https://t.co/n3t8Q6t7fq pic.twitter.com/u7UL8zPxNU
— Retro Kicks (@RetroKickHeadz) July 9, 2018
“The 15. I’ll tell you that it was toward the end of when I wanted to stop doing Jordans for a while, at least, and I just don’t think I brought that baby home quite right. The concept was good and it was sort of modern and it was meant to represent the way his tongue hangs out, the tongue of the shoe is open.”
His favorite: No surprise.
The best look yet at this year's Air Jordan 11 "Concord" https://t.co/HUOs19lPZw pic.twitter.com/Jz7PXWYers
— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) July 2, 2018
“I think the Jordan 11 will always be the No. 1 for me because they told me to stop,” Hatfield said. “Nike said ‘No more Jordans, Michael’s not playing,’ and I begged to differ and kept it going even under threat of some kind of punishment.”
Mark my words, I will wear the Jordan 11s with my tux on my wedding day. Maybe you’ll get the invite bro. Open bar, single bridesmaids, me too drunk to get it up on the wedding night. Fun times.
[h/t Uproxx]