{"id":444544,"date":"2015-04-30T18:37:21","date_gmt":"2015-04-30T22:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=444544"},"modified":"2019-01-06T17:58:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-06T22:58:25","slug":"happy-birthday-tinker-our-favorite-designs-by-tinker-hatfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/happy-birthday-tinker-our-favorite-designs-by-tinker-hatfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday, Tinker! Our Favorite Designs by Tinker Hatfield"},"content":{"rendered":"
words \/\/ Ian Stonebrook:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n What does it take to be a household name in the sneaker culture? A decorated body of work. <\/span><\/p>\n Nike’s Tinker Hatfield<\/strong> has all that and more, creating kicks and even categories that have shaped sportswear and helped define a culture. In celebration of Tinker’s birthday, members of Snkrs Day share their favorite Tinker designs.<\/span><\/p>\n Join in on the fun by posting your favorite Tinker-designed sneakers on Twitter and Instagram and using the #TinkerDay hashtag.<\/span><\/p>\n Without a doubt, the Air Jordan 11 is my all-time favorite Tinker Hatfield-designed shoe. Aside from being one of my favorite Jordan silhouettes ever, the design is immaculate. From its subtle mesh upper to its iconic patent leather mudguard, the AJ11 is truly timeless.<\/span><\/p>\n I vividly remember watching the Bulls throughout the 95-96 season and when I saw MJ hit the hardwood in these, I knew that there was something special about those kicks. They brought an unparalleled level of class and style to the basketball sneaker landscape and they are part of the reason why I named my brother Jordan. With Space Jam<\/em> still being one of my favorite movies, it\u2019s safe to say that the Air Jordan 11 still has a longstanding effect on me.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As I get older I feel as though the Air Jordan 6 is so timeless, specifically in darker hues with minimalistic color-blocking techniques much like the Black\/Infrared model released late last year. Although Tinker has had his fair share of stellar and downright iconic silhouettes within his lineage, I feel as though the Air Jordan 6 is among the elite.<\/span><\/p>\n Nonetheless, while I’m splitting hairs at the moment, the Air Jordan 6 will always be a favorite of mine as it represents an ideal of finally overcoming tough circumstances, much like MJ did by capturing his first title in the model.<\/span> I fall in and out of love with the core Air Jordan silos, but I’m a big fan of the 5 again. The Air Jordan 5 was the first pair of retro Jordans I ever got (thanks mom!), electing for the White\/Metallic Silver pair the first time they dropped. The slender silo is tough to beat and the amount of detail is on point without being overdone. Right now, the Black\/Metallic Silver pair is my favorite, but I’d love to get a pair of the White\/Red-Silver joints with the Nike Air on the back.<\/span><\/p>\n Right next to the 1, I feel like the 5 looks best in vintage, aged fashion, and for my style and lifestyle I appreciate having a pair of Jordans that I’m not worried about keeping pretty. I always liked how Kanye hooked up the Black\/Metallic Silver pair back in the Graduation<\/em> days with suits, slacks, or straight leg jeans. Most of the L’Style colorways don’t really appeal to me on these, but I’d gladly get any of the OGs or early retros and wear them til they yellow.<\/span><\/p>\n Aside from the AJ 5s though, I really love the MAG, or more so what they did with the “It’s About Time” campaign. My Mamaw suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and for them to do a true fundraiser with such a hot button shoe was just incredible.<\/span> As a minimalist at heart, nothing quite tops the Nike Air Max 1 in terms of Tinker designs. This shoe set the stage for so much of what we see today. And not just with regards to future creations from Tinker and other Nike designers, but across the entire footwear landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n From the new variations of the shoe that release today, to Air Max Day – which was largely inspired by the AM1 – the Air Max movement would be non-existent if not for this foundational grail. What’s more, it’s clear the success of this shoe gave Tinker the confidence to take the liberties he did later in his career. This was Tinker’s shining moment. And while it certainly wouldn’t be his last, it shaped his design palette in a way no other sneaker has.<\/span> The Nike Zoom Talaria in my eyes is one of the most underrated Nike shoes of all-time. Released in a year when we received several other classic silhouettes, such as the Air Jordan 12 and the Air Max 97, the Talaria was slightly ahead of its time. Although we’ve recently been blessed with a couple retros of this timeless classic, we’re still waiting for Nike to release the Talaria in its OG makeup.<\/span> The Air Jordan 12 is my favorite Tinker Hatfield-designed sneaker of all time. I didn’t fall in love with the 12 because Tinker designed it, or because Michael wore it. I fell in love with the 12 in 1997 when I saw one of my teacher’s assistants rocking one White\/Red 12 on one foot and one “Taxi” 12 on the other.<\/span><\/p>\n This was far before the Lance Mountain AJ 1, far before the “What The” series, and far before fragment worked its magic on the Dunk High. This was at a time when matching your clothes and shoes was of the utmost importance and when it separated the cool kids from the not-so-cool kids. Now while many of my peers thought that our teacher’s assistant looked stupid, I thought he looked FRESH. I didn’t just think that the one and one thing was fresh, I thought his whole outfit was fresh. He had on a pair of light denim jeans and a shirt that complimented his 12s perfectly. The shirt had one black stripe and one red stripe around the collar and around each arm hem.<\/span><\/p>\n That outfit didn’t just teach me how to get fresh, it taught me how to get fresh without having to dress like everyone else. That is something these kids these days know NOTHING about.<\/span> The Air Jordan 4 is easily one of my favorite Tinker Hatfield designs ever. Besides it being a classic and timeless design, the 4 has featured some of my favorite colorways of any shoe – Black\/Cement Grey, Oreos, UNDFTDs, Cool Greys and Black Cats. I also like everything Nike did in regards to promoting the shoe by incorporating Spike Lee.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n It’s easy to like the IV, the Air Max One, the Trainer 1 or the XI. Because they’re all incredible shoes and game changing designs.<\/span><\/p>\n One of my favorite designs of Tinker’s through the years is actually the original Jordan Trunner.<\/span><\/p>\n Tinker isn’t only just a great artist, he’s also the industry’s greatest problem solver and most innovative mind. Throughout his 30 years of designing sneakers, he created new categories altogether and laid the foundation for the design language of entirely new styles of footwear.<\/span><\/p>\n The Trunner, Jordan Brand’s first foray into off-court fitness, is a perfect Tinker design. It’s performance first, with just enough familiar cues and unique flair to make it both timeless and boundary pushing. To this day, it can still go head-to-head with any trainer.<\/span><\/p>\n Happy birthday Tinker, and thanks for the imagination through the years.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nGregory Williams: Air Jordan 11<\/h2>\n
Pierce Simpson: Air Jordan 6<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nIan Stonebrook: Air Jordan 5<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nDarren Griffin: Nike Air Max 1<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nSid Ashford: Nike Zoom Talaria<\/h2>\n photo via Koolout\n
\n<\/p>\nJeffrey Jason: Air Jordan 12<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nGeorge Kiel: Air Jordan 4<\/h2>\n
Nick DePaula: Jordan Trunner<\/h2>\n