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Oregon student section receives second signature Nike shoe

For the second time since 2011, Nike has unveiled a custom shoe exclusively for Oregon students.

By Sean Larson

Back in 2011, the Pit Crew, Oregon's official student section, made a splash in the sneaker world when they received a custom edition of the Air Jordan 3, specially designed just for the students. Only 500 pairs were made, so it's no surprise when the shoes started popping up on eBay immediately after they were distributed, with one pair selling for $3,550.

Now, the Pit Crew has received its second signature shoe from Nike with a more retro design to it.

The new shoe, very similar to the Converse All-Star, has a classic look blended with modern technology. Nike added just a small amount of Flywire material to keep the shoe light, yet stable. The design of the trees on the shoe comes from Oregon's unique floor at Matthew Knight Arena.

"They look sort of old fashioned, but the shoes are actually made of some interesting material," said AJ Locati, a senior at Oregon who received a pair. "The outer parts are padded and sort of thick rather than just canvas and the insoles are super comfortable."

Karen Ramming, Director of Public Relations for the Oregon Pit Crew, said talk of a second shoe began last year, about midway through spring term. Locati added that Tinker Hatfield, Nike's Vice President of Design and Special Projects, told the those who stand at the front row of the student section at Autzen Stadium this past season about the shoe.

Of course, the shoe is only available to Oregon students who attend Ducks basketball games.

As a matter of fact, students who received the shoe had to sign a contract saying they would not sell the shoe for a minimum of five years and must offer the shoe back to the school before they sell it. If they do sell it before the five-year timeframe, they could be sued.

This contract was likely put in place after what happened when the Pit Crew Air Jordan 3 was released, with many of the shoes winding up on eBay almost immediately. Sneaker heads were so desperate to get their hands on the limited edition shoes that they were willing to fork over thousands of dollars for them. As you can imagine, Nike wasn't too happy about that. According to Ramming however, the new design was not due to students selling the shoe the first time around.

"I don't think the selling necessarily spurred the design change," Ramming said. "I think Tinker  just felt like giving us something new. These new ones are way more comfortable and wearable too, so it's a huge plus for me."

The new design discourages students from trying to sell the shoe, which likely wouldn't go for anywhere near as much as the Air Jordan 3 model did since it is not based on a classic model already sought out by collectors. According to the Pit Crew, students will "value love over economic value" with the new shoes.

The Pit Crew will hold a lottery to give away the shoes. Entering the lottery, which is already underway, is a simple process if you're a student. Those who attend the last four men's home games of the season (starting back on Feb. 4 against Washington) will be entered into a lottery for the shoes. Students may also enter a second lottery to increase their chances by attending two of the final four women's home games of the season.

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