Hard in the Paint: A History of Georgetown Centers with Sneaker Heat

Despite donning Nikes for his college career, Patrick Ewing signed the dotted line with Three Stripes once turning pro. Big market, big name, big game, Pat’s feet filled out the likes of the adidas Attitude High and Conductor. The hefty high tops took well to the NYC colors, coating the padded leather and thick rubber renditions over the course of the mid to late 80s.

photo via Celtic Nation

Patrick’s stripes faded in the end of the decade as the big man left adidas and launched his own Ewing Athletics brand. While signature shoes had been synonymous with big brands since the days of Bob Cousy, Chuck Taylor and Rod Laver, Patrick Ewing was a maverick in the sense of leaving a major supplier to start his own shoe company. The Ewing line graced #33’s feet for much of his most memorable play in the early to mid 90s and has seen retro prominence as of late.

photo via SI Tumblr

The late 90’s saw Ewing switch shoes and eventually switch teams. Patrick shelved his shoe venture, starting the ‘96-’97 season in Nikes. Much like his days at Georgetown, Patrick’s return to the Swoosh saw team friendly takes on center shoes as well as bolder models like the Nike Air Max Battle Force, Air Vis Zoom Uptempo and Air Big Flyer Force.