For Loyola basketball players Zachary Lee and Leonard Jackson III, shoes are a crucial part of their style and personalities on and off the basketball court.
On the court, the shoes they wear are comfortable and practical, so they can focus on playing basketball, but they also present a unique form of expression for the athletes.
“I switch shoes every game,” Lee said. “I can never wear the same shoes two games in a row.”
Off of the court, the meaning of shoes takes on a different meaning for them and becomes a way for their personal style to shine through.
“I have a lot of shoes both for basketball and business casual,” Jackson said. “On the court, I wear Ethics, a brand by Langston Galloway, who played in the NBA, and for business, my Nikes are my go to.”
Jackson says that while he doesn’t have a favorite type of shoe, he does take pride in showing off some of the ones he’s partial to.
“I like to wear my shoes, not just collect them,” he said. “I’m the type that if I buy a certain pair of shoes, I’ll wear them to show off.”
For Lee, sometimes he’ll find himself constructing entire outfits around the shoes he wants to wear on a given day.
“When determining the style of an outfit the shoe is the first or second thing that I base the outfit on,” he said. “I also like to make sure that I can wear the shoe with more than two outfits so they aren’t just collecting dust.”
The uniqueness of a shoe also plays a role in whether it appeals to Lee when he’s looking to add to his growing collection.
“Sometimes I just really want a pair of shoes,” he said. “But as I look for a shoe, I try to think of ones that not a lot of other people have so I can get a different look.”
That sentiment extended to the pair Lee said currently claims the title as his favorites.
“[My] favorite pair of shoes would have to be my blue Marni slides,” he said. “They are comfortable and they have fur so they have that unique look to them.”
And when it comes to whether his shoes are only collectibles, or practical, Lee said he embraces a little bit of both approaches.
“I do actually wear my shoes if I have an exact outfit for them,” he said. “But at the same time, I do like having them for the art of it.”
