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Nice Kicks: I know technology has evolved since you’re playing days, but if you were still active today, is that a shoe you’d consider wearing on court?
Frazier: I think the leather version would be appropriate to play in right now if I was still in the league. Obviously, I played in suede versions. We wore low tops, but I had a few high tops as well that I probably would’ve worn today. I remember PUMA making me a high-top, Knicks-colored Clyde, which was all-orange with a blue stripe. They were made exclusively for me, but the public really wanted it to release. It was like my first player exclusive.
Nice Kicks: What are your other fondest memories of being a part of the PUMA team in the ’70s?
Frazier: Well, I remember PUMA also having Joe Namath with football and Reggie Jackson with baseball on the team, but obviously kids don’t go through shoes as fast in those sports. These days, a kid comes through my basketball camp and in two weeks they’ll burn through a pair of shoes. I used to sell 10 times as many shoes as those guys were selling.
Nice Kicks: Speaking of, how many shoes did you usually go through during a typical season?
Frazier: Every four or five games, I’d change a pair. I never really liked to wear a brand new pair for the game. I was always switching out colors between home and away games. I had a few white-based pairs for the home games and some blue-based ones for the away games. I also switched out my shoelaces from game to game, and I think I set a trend with that as well. The Clyde’s shoelaces are really thick, so that’s the first thing you saw when looking down at my feet. I had a lot of orange, blue and white shoelaces that I switched out regularly.
Nice Kicks: Let’s get into fashion. Which current NBA player reminds you of yourself when it comes to setting trends with styles of dress?
Frazier: I’ve been watching Dwyane Wade a lot. I’ve always thought that I had an eccentric style, and Wade reminds me of myself. I used to see pics of Dwyane Wade wearing nice hats and suits when he was winning championships with Shaq. He’s a very stylistic guy, and I like his style of play on the court as well. There are a lot of players, like Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, that dress well too. I think Shaq dressed well when he was around. The thing about basketball players is they’re like models; all of them are tall and slim, so they’re going to look good in pretty much anything they wear. Also, basketball is synonymous with hip-hop, music, style, creativity, individuality and trash-talking. Everyone has their different styles, but a lot of people try to dress like the ball players and do everything like them. It works both ways though. Growing up, our idols were the Four Tops and The Temptations. When those guys performed, they wore suits and ties. Today, these guys idolize the rappers, so they’re a little more casual in their style of dress. Music has always had an impact on basketball players and the way they dress.
Nice Kicks: Which former NBA player sparked your interest of fashion?
Frazier: When I first came in, it was Dick Barnett without a doubt. He was a sharp dresser and had a different style. Even the way he shot his free throws – I don’t know if you ever saw the way he kicked his foot back – was unique and stylish. People tried to emulate everything about him from his style off court to his shooting form.
