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In 1996, Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen had a very unique signature sneaker, the Nike Air More Uptempo, which featured huge letters on both sides of the shoe. In conjunction with the Bulls’ success that year, Pippen’s shoe was extremely popular, much like his teammate Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 11. Pippen though, believes that his shoes stand out more than the Jordan 11.
In an interview with Nike, Pippen said in the Bulls’ locker room, the Nike Air More Uptempo stood out more than the Jordan 11 and the Shake Ndestrukt:
Looking back at that ’96 Bulls team, you had the Jordan 11 and the Shake Ndestrukt. What was the reaction to your shoe in the locker room?
I think mine stood out a little more just because of what it said. It was kind of the graffiti basketball shoe — making a statement in real big letters. So it stood on its own.That year in the playoffs, a bunch of your teammates wore 11s. Were you influenced by them to wear that shoe as well?
Oh no, no. I mean, I did wear Jordans in some games, but I have always tried to focus on my brand or the shoe that I was wearing to make sure I stood by it and believed in it.
Pippen obviously has personal pride, which is why he is hyping up his own sneaker. And from a simplistic viewpoint, Pippen isn’t wrong since the lettering on his shoes do make the Nike Air More Uptempo stand out. But the Jordan 11 are one of the greats and stand out in more than just one way.
Nike Air More Uptempo
