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by Adam Figman | @afigman
Esteemed filmmaker and perhaps the world’s biggest New York Knicks fan Spike Lee was at Footaction in midtown Manhattan Saturday morning, where he spoke to around 50 sneakerheads and signed freshly bought blue-and-orange Jordan Spizikes. The Spizikes first dropped in October of 2006, but two Knicks-inspired colorways hit retail Saturday (see gallery above), and a wide variety of Jordan Brand collectors and supporters stood in line late Friday night to get their hands on a pair. One Brooklyn-raised 25-year-old, who won free kicks in a raffle towards the end of the event, claimed he had been waiting outside since 1:45 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Lee’s personal history with the brand is well known. The legendary Mars Blackmon, a character from Lee’s movie She’s Gotta Have It, became a spokesman for JB in many Lee-directed commercials, after which a signature shoe was released—the Spizike—that incorporated elements of each Air Jordan advertised in those very commercials, including the III, IV, V, VI, IX and XX.
“This is all a mistake,” Lee said. “I never knew that by Mars Blackmon wearing Air Jordans, that this whole thing would evolve. I sell more sneakers now than a lot of guys in the League!”
The two blue-and-orange colorways are the most recent amongst an already-solid line of Spizikes, and Lee hinted that a new Spizike would be dropping next year. When during the audience Q+A session an eager fan asked if it was true that the next incarnation will be entitled “The Sons of Mars,” Lee confirmed the rumor—though he wouldn’t delve into much detail beyond the name—but not before asking how on earth the questioner had heard that. “The Internet!” the man said. Of course.
And naturally, as a loyal Knicks enthusiast but a devoted Brooklyn native, Lee was asked if he’d be changing up his basketball allegiance once the Nets moved into town. He promised that wouldn’t be the case.
“Jay-Z’s been working on me,” he said. “But nah. That ain’t cray.”
You can pick up the NYK-inspired Spizikes at sneaker spots across the country now for a limited time.
Images via Jumpman23.
