As I bent down and tied my Jordans the other day at the basketball court, I had this thought:

How often should I replace my basketball shoes?

My 2010 sprint into the running game had me thinking about that very thing. It’s fairly well known that runners are advised to replace their shoes every 300 to 500 miles. For someone that runs 20 miles per week that would mean swapping your running shoes out just under every four months, on the shorter end of that spectrum. The more you run, the quicker you need to replace your footwear. Simple.

Ask any runner how often one should buy new running shoes and you will likely get almost the exact same answer. It’s something that has been adopted and accepted in the running community.

What about the game of hoops? How often should shoes being used to play the game Dr. James Naismith created, be tossed/donated for a new pair?

The truth is I had no clue if there was an accepted rule of thumb for replacing basketball shoes and I’ve played ball my whole life.

How could this be?

A quick poll of some of the people that I know, including Division I College Coaches, Professional Basketball Trainers and current College and Pro basketball players resulted in no two answers being altogether the same.

Sure Michael Jordan would slip into a new pair of Air Jordans every game, but who can really afford to do that, unless of course you are MJ or are sponsored by the Jordan Brand. (Yes, Mr. Jordan or anyone with Brand Jordan reading this, I’d accept an invitation to be a Jordan athlete right now! My contact info is here. ;-))

So what about the rest of us? You know, the people who pay for shoes! How often should we replace our shoes?

In my non-scientific poll I received answers ranging from once a month for serious players to every two games for guys in the NBA. Others said every two months and some said once per basketball season. One person suggested having at least four pair in rotation at all times. Another said they wear them until they can’t wear them anymore.

I got amazing insight from a very esteemed group of individuals and some of it pretty in depth information, dealing with foot type, lateral wear and tear, hours spent in shoes on the court, etc.

At the end of it all, there just doesn’t seem to be a commonly accepted amount of time one should wear a pair of basketball shoes.

For me, as shown in the picture above, I’ve always found a pair that I liked and worn them until they can’t be worn any longer. When I can see my toes, it’s time for a new pair…haha!

When I was a kid I would get two pairs of shoes a year and that had more to do with me and my foot growing than anything. From the time I’ve been able to afford the luxury of having multiple sets of shoes, I’ve always had a pair that I wear on outdoor courts and then those I wear on just indoor courts. While I currently have a couple of unworn Jordans sitting around the house, waiting to be used, I’ve been playing in the same kicks since November and until recently never thought all that much of it.

Dr. Michael Lowe, team podiatrist of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and former President of The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine breaks down the replacement of basketball shoes into hours used.

He suggests that while it will take an average runner 66 hours to run 500 miles at an 8 minute pace, a high school or college level basketball player will easily work out at least 72 hours per month. Based upon that methodology, those basketball players would need to replace their shoes every single month.

Even if you played hoops just one hour per day, five days a week, according to Dr. Lowe, that would mean replacing your shoes just a little over every three months.

While many NBA players replace their shoes every couple of games, or in Jordan’s case every single game, the common theme at the pro level seems to have more to do with injury prevention than superstition.

Dr. Lowe states, “I continue to tell my athletes and it has remained true, that after a shoe has been worn more than 60 hours then it should be thrown out and not used for workouts or games any longer, due to midsole compression and stretching of the upper from the torque of use and being wet from sweat.”

While Jordan always wanted to have that special feeling we all get when we put on a new pair of shoes, in the end, he may have helped aid himself against injury without even knowing it.

So what does all of this mean???

It means that I need to replace my shoes more often! I need more Joooorrrrddddaaaaanssss!!!

Honestly though, as with most things, whether you replace your shoes every week, month, or year, it comes down to usage and the almighty BUDGET.

Jordan brand shoes run anywhere from $100 up to $170 for his signature shoe this year. Kobe’s are $130. LeBron’s are $150. D. Wade’s $140. Derrick Rose’s $130.

You get the idea…pricey!

Even if you don’t go superstar brand, but follow this model of replacing shoes based upon 60 hours of use, your shoe bill may soon start to resemble that of Carrie Bradshaw.

Though if you can swing it, not only will you be happy to be sporting a new pair of kicks, your feet, and the rest of your body may be just as excited and healthy for it!

End of the day, unless you’re already in the NBA, we all probably need to replace our basketball kicks more frequently. The need to do so being fueled by injury prevention rather than vanity alone.

Exactly how often will remain up to you, though it definitely seems in this case that replacement in regular, rather short intervals is far better.

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What do you think? If you’d like to join the discussion, leave a comment below or head on over to the mevsMJ.com Facebook page and leave your vote!

As always, thanks for following along! Another day upon us means I’m one step closer to my goal of playing the man, Michael Jordan, 1-on-1! Thanks for the support!

Ok, time to go get some new Jordans!

**I’d like to thank all those who responded to a last second text/tweet or who voted on the mevsMJ.com Facebook Page! I appreciate you all!

With two of the “healthiest” soft tacos on my tray that Taco Bell could put together, I grabbed my drink and slid into a one of the many loudly colored booths that make up the in house eating area.  It had been years since I had taken a seat in the most famous fast food taco establishment ever created, yet I was immediately taken back to my early college days when making a “run for the border” was almost a daily occurrence.

I didn’t just happen to stop by Taco Bell to reminisce in the middle of last month (March).  I was there to meet Ziarekenya Smith, pay for the design I had purchased from him and see what the designer who created the Michael Jordan piece shown above was all about.

This is how the meeting came together.

The Beginning:  “The Dopest Pic I’ve Seen!”-Marcus Jordan:

On March 7^th, I saw this on Twitter:

I follow both Marcus and Jeff Jordan, Michael’s two sons, on Twitter and while I don’t always click every picture they post, I had to see what Marcus was calling “The Dopest Pic I’ve Seen.”

I clicked the link, did the iPhone reverse pinch to enlarge the image and was amazed!  It was an image of Michael Jordan made up on only words.  They were words like “Hard Working”, “Dominance”, “Amazing”, and series of words like, “For the Love of the Game”, “I can accept failure.  Everyone fails.  But I can’t accept Not Trying”, and “Never Give Up”.

I was blown away!  I clicked the favorite button on Twitter so that I could go back later and look at it and then went on with my day.

Time To Find A Picture (A series of great events):

Usually the night before any posting I do here, I am typing in search criteria in Flickr, looking for a picture to use for the next day’s post.  Monday, March 16^th was no exception.  I had written a post titled, “What’s Your End Goal” and since my end goal is playing Michael Jordan 1-on-1, I was looking for a picture of greatness aka Michael Jordan.

It didn’t take long and once again I was captivated by the same Jordan image, Marcus Jordan had tweeted about some nine days earlier.  When I came out of my trance, I went from one link to the other before I was typing up an email, inquiring about buying this amazing Jordan Typeface for my home.

I sent the email at 6:13 pm Monday evening and continued the search for who this designer/artist could be.

The next morning I awoke, checked my email and had a response at 1:11am on my purchase.  I was back to trying to figure out who the creator of this was and using his name from the email I found a Facebook page that said he attended Full Sail University, a school that is just 35-40 minutes from where I live.

One thing led to another and three Fridays ago I was downing two soft tacos at Taco Bell, awaiting Ziarekenya Smith’s arrival.

The Arrival of Mr. Smith

As I was waiting for Smith to arrive, I had no idea how old he was or even what he looked like.  I didn’t know much at all about the gentleman who created this mind blowing design of Michael Jordan.  As I sat there, I still couldn’t believe that the person who created this, who was getting national attention for this, lived this close to me and was about to walk through the door.

He arrived right on time; bright red ball cap pulled down flush to some jet-black ray bans, a red backpack tugging at his red Nike shirt that said simply yet emphatically, “Doing It!”.  He was tall (6’4”), young and hip and it really shouldn’t have been a surprise.

He’s Only 19!!!!

Ziare sat down, pulled is Macbook Pro out of his bag and we began to talk.  What I thought might be a brief meeting, one in which I pay for the Jordan Typeface design I bought from him, turned into two and a half hour conversation about his work, his life, his passion.

The 19 year old that created a Jordan design back in September 2010, and was now getting National attention for doing so, was so much bigger than his awe inspiring design.

I left the meeting motivated and inspired!

I had to write about and do my best to let more people know about the young man from Detroit, Michigan with no car, nor any desire to have one (he’s afraid it might take away from his time designing), the guy with a design factory lodged inside his head (as I saw when he showed me other things he had done), and the man who sprinkled God over ever single part of his life during our meeting.

Ziarekenya Smith may only be 19, but has the wisdom of someone more than twice his age, and more dedication and determination than I have seen in anyone in quite some time.

He’s beyond focused on achieving greatness just like MJ and just like Jordan, Smith is about to be very special in this World.  Here is a little of our conversation from that Friday in March.

Me and Ziarekenya Smith (The Designer of the Jordan Typeface):

me:  How long have you been interested in design?

ZS:  I’ve been interested in designing since I was toddler.  I always had a thing for creating things when I was little.

me:  What made you want to do the Michael Jordan typeface?

ZS:  It’s really self explanatory.  First off it’s Michael and secondly God gave me a vision.  Plus Michael really motivated me as a designer.  He really lives up to hard work, dedication, passion, determination, resiliency and love for the game. I treat and look at designing in that way.

me:  Where did you get all of the text used for your creation?

ZS:  A variety of different Jordan sites.

me:  How long did it take you to design the Jordan piece?

ZS:  15 hours a day for 4 days straight, with little procrastination breaks.

me:  Were you ever able to see MJ play in person or on TV live?

ZS:  I wish I had, but no.

me:  Have you been surprised by the response your MJ work has received?

ZS:  I really have.  I knew it was a good piece, but I never knew it was good enough to catch this many people’s attention.  I just thank God for allowing my work to flow around the internet and to hit all the right places.

me:  What does it feel like to have Marcus Jordan tweet about your design??

ZS:  Most wonderful feeling ever just seeing him tweeting saying this is the dopest picture yet he has seen of his DAD!  It really touched me, I was very honored, because who knows how many designs he has seen of his DAD and yet he said that mine was the dopest!  It’s the best feeling ever!

me:  Do you think he showed his Dad (Michael Jordan)?

ZS:  I hope so, but eventually time will tell!

me:  This has made you sort of a celebrity around campus, I’m sure.  How does that feel?

ZS:  Sort of.  I just feel like I need to live up to the hype.  I don’t want people to think “Oh he just got that one design piece,” no I want to show people I actually do this.  I live and breathe designing everyday, and I’m not a one hit wonder.

me:  Have companies tried to hire you since this went National on Yahoo Sports?

ZS:  Nope, but one of my instructors from “Full Sail University” recommended that I redesign a EA Sports NBA Elite 12 game cover, because he knows the assistant director at EA Sports. He said if you design it i’ll submit it EA Sports for them to check it out.

me:  What message would you have for anyone who wants to create killer designs like you?

ZS:  Just Do It!  Make sure you have a passion for it first, make sure this what your heart desires and make sure you don’t consider designing working.  If you check off on all of that, the possibility of you becoming a great designer has no limits!  That’s just half the part and I don’t know where y’all at in religion, but God has been everything to my designing life.  That’s how my skills as a designer developed at a fast pace.  I just believe in God, believe in myself, and am just working hard every day designing, putting in major hours each day designing.  I’m dedicated and just want to be the best at what I do. I’ll end it with this, the more hours you put into your craftsmanship which is designing will determine weather you’ll be successful at designing or not.

me:  Your official logo is God Inspired Designs.  Where did that come from?

ZS:  The vision came to me at Feb 5, 2011 at 9am in the morning after I got done reading the Bible. That’s where it came to me because I always put God inspired designs at the end of my caption on my designs. So that’s why I decided to make “God Inspired Designs” my official logo till my life ends. The second reason why I wanted to be “God Inspired Designs” is that I finally realized in life it’s not about me at all, and I refuse to take credit that is not mine. I want people to know God gave everything to me in life:  my idea’s, tools, my determination, etc.  I just wanted to embrace God’s name and show people that he is real and not a myth, so when I become successful I don’t have to say it was because of man, I can say it was God, nothing more nothing less.

me:  What does God mean to you, your life and your designs?

ZS:  Everything I mean everything for example the day I put myself first before God that’s the day when my success will end.

me:  When do you graduate from Full Sail University?

ZS:  March, 2012.

me:  What would be your DREAM job?

ZS:  Working at Nike or having my own Company.

[flickr video=5480357522]

(This is a video Smith created to show his love of Nike.  Simply titled, “I Love Nike”, this might just be the kind of thing that lands him his dream job with the brand.  If you can’t see the video, click this link to watch it \”I Love Nike\” (Video))

me:  You also play basketball correct?

ZS:  YES! Love it!!

me:  Do you think you could take me on the court?

ZS:  Yes!  Show me my opponent!  Lol.  

me:  I love your confidence!  I will remember this when we play!!  Ok, what had you rather do:  Hang with Friends or Design?

ZS:  My life is backwards, hard work now to become successful, and have fun and play later when the mission is complete.

me:  What do you think that says about you?

ZS:  Victory is my only option Failure is not.

me:  OK, another one:  Date with Rihanna or Design?  Haha, sorry, had to:)

ZS:  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Designing! because I know it will eventually pay off.

me:  Anything else you would like everyone to know about you?

ZS:  As a Designer I just want to impact the world! Give this world hope and show people if I can make it, they can as well.  Just believe in God and believe in yourself and anything is possible I guarantee.

God Inspired Designs

I left my meeting with Smith feeling like I had just seen Michael Jordan back when he was at Laney High School.  Back before the World knew his name, but the people around him knew he was special.

That’s exactly where Ziare is at this moment.  He’s relatively unknown today, but that won’t last.  This Jordan piece, which is gaining momentum, could be just like Michael’s game winner at UNC, a launching pad to superstardom.

For the bright eyed Smith, who refuses to put his name on his designs these days because as he says, “If it’s good enough, people will find you,” his desire to be the Michael Jordan of design, could have people one day wanting to be the Ziarekenya Smith of whatever it is they do.

He’s special, no doubt.

I drove home following our meeting, picked up my iPad and opened my Bible application.  As I read, I couldn’t help but reflect on how God has led me.  How a tweet led to a meeting, which led to a lengthy conversation about the importance of God in both of our lives.

Smith’s Michael Jordan typeface, proof that it truly is a God Inspired Design.

Smith’s Future is DOPE!

Right now Ziare is just focused on finishing school and becoming the best designer that he can be.

After that, well we all shall see.

After multiple meetings and interactions, I can tell you this.  The young man, who reads the Bible daily because as he says, “If I have time to do everything else, I have time to read the Bible,” has a Future that is as DOPE as one of his God Inspired Designs.

Remember the name Ziarekenya Smith.  He’s about to BLOW UP!

Purchase Your Very Own Jordan Typeface ($7,000)

If you’ve got $7,000 to spare, you too can have your own 36×48 Jordan Typeface hanging on your wall.  Until then, I will remain the only person in the WORLD (other than Smith) who has one!

Now that’s DOPE!

More of Smith’s Designs and Photos:

Ziarekenya Smith’s Contact Information:

Portfolio | Email | Twitter | Facebook Page
(clickable links)

Note: Special thanks to my bro Ziarekenya Smith for the time and insight!  I hope to announce our joint project in the coming weeks!  Shhh, its a secret!!  Stay tuned!  [hint:  helping=exclusive gift]

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My Comeback Update:

So I made my comeback last week against one of the best ballers in the country, Robert Brown!  Then Saturday I got in three games of 1-on-1 against some normal competition and went 3-o.  I still have a ways to go to get my wind back, but I AM SO THANKFUL and feel SO BLESSED to be back on the court again!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!  Thanks for following along and helping to spread the word (hint, hint )!!!

After watching this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, I came to the conclusion that I need a Hype Man! (submit resume here)

Hype Man Definition:  Someone who brings excitement and hype before and while an event is taking place.

Kenny Smith is a world class hype man!  Kenny, who was Blake Griffin’s coach at the NBA Dunk Contest, gave a great example of exactly what a hype man is and does.  He had me excited!  He had me anxious to see Blake’s next dunk!  He hyped Griffin up and if you’ve ever seen BG play, he doesn’t really need any help with that (watch here).

It got me thinking.  How great would it be if I had someone before I hit the publish button on every post telling the World, “YOU MUST READ mevsMJ.cooooom!   Kenny Eller is about to share with you Something you’ve Never read beforrrrrrrrre! Prepare to have you mind bloooooowwwwnnn!”

Then again….

The Ramifications of a Hype Man :-/

If you have a hype man, you actually need to be REALLY…REALLY GOOAT! (somewhere between good and great ;-))

If not, the person hyping you may do more damage than good.

Going back to Griffin’s dunks on Saturday.  They were good, but not as special as Kenny “The Jet” pumped them up to be.  For many that resulted in an adverse affect of what the actual goal was.

Example:  I went and saw (for free) the movie, The Green Hornet, before it came out and thought it was going to be the worst movie I had ever seen.  Instead, I LOVED IT!  During the weeks that followed, I hyped that movie to anyone that would listen.  While my expectation was low going in, what do you think the people I hyped the movie to expected?  They expected it to be great, right?

If Blake had just gone out there and dunked, I probably would have went to sleep that night highly impressed.  Instead, I felt a little let down.

But if you’re GREAT!

If you’re great at what you do though, a hype man can take you to the next level!

Mike had Nike and Spike.  That grew to include almost every person who had ever even seen the game of basketball.  We were all MJ’s hype men!

The thing is, Mike Jordan almost always performed well.  So when people heard of his greatness and tuned in or went to see him, they left on the majority of evenings concurring with the hype.

We are our own Hype Man!

If you have a Facebook Fan Page for your blog or company, or Tweet when a new post or product is released, you are your own hype man and rightly so!

If you don’t believe in what you do, who else will?

Friends + Family + Supporters = Hype Man

Who supports you?  Who helps you?  Who spreads the word on your new post or product?  Who cares?  Who hypes you?

These are your hype men/women!!  Make sure you appreciate them and let them know you do!

Be My Hype Man!

If you love what I’m doing here, HYPE ME!  Do so on Twitter, Facebook, through Email, pick up the phone and tell your friends and family!  Find me someone to play!  Tell Mike Jordan about me!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m gooat, but I am giving it my all here at mevsMJ.com.

To anyone who has ever passed along something from this site, THANK YOU!

For the rest of you…join the others and be my hype man!

(ps:  I was kind of kidding about the resume part above )

I know the feeling a woman has when a new bag comes out.  I know the feeling when she walks in the department store “just to look” and must have that dress.

I know the feeling a man has when that new car he’s been reading about for months comes out.   I know the feeling when he walks into the Apple store “just to look” and must have that iPad.

I know the feeling a boy has when a certain pair of “special” basketball shoes are released.   I know how he feels as he approaches the shoe store, heart rate increasing, just hoping that they still have his size.

I know all of this because I was that boy.

Air Jordans

I got my first pair of Air Jordans in 1991.   I was 13 years old.

I was in the infantile stages of my basketball life, but those shoes made me feel like a pro!

In those days, I had two real opportunities each year to capture a pair of my very own Jordans.   Those being before the school year began and Christmas time.  Jordans were then and still are today, expensive athletic shoes.   I’m almost positive that the first +$100 pair of shoes my parents ever bought, were those Air Jordans in ’91.

From then until I was capable of buying my own, J’s were #1 on my wish list each and every year.

The Air Jordan craze was in full effect and I was a happy and thankful participant!

Mars, Mike and Nike (“It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!”)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abr_LU822rQ

[If you’re reading this via e-mail or RSS the video might not show up, so click here to view it.]

Nike released a superb marketing campaign in 1988.   The spots were directed by Spike Lee, who also starred in the commercials as Mars Blackmon.   Mars was a Jordan fan and a guy just trying to figure out why Michael Jordan was so good.   In the initial television spot, following a series of questions on what made Mike the best, Mars surmised, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”

It was brilliant!

“It’s Gotta Be the Shoes,”captured every dreamer in America and beyond.   Anyone wanting to be anything in the game of basketball wanted those shoes.  People who didn’t even play ball wanted those shoes.

Thought provoking for sure.  Maybe it was the shoes.  Could it be the shoes?  Could Air Jordans make me a better player?   I wanna be like Mike.  I want Air Jordans too!

Whenever I put on a pair of Jordans then, I would always feel I was capable of doing something I wouldn’t be able to do in another “normal” pair of shoes.  Maybe my fadeaway was a bit better.   Perhaps I got a little bit higher on my jump shot or when I grabbed a rebound.

Air Jordans helped me to dream!

The Value of a Dream (Why Jordans MAY Be Underpriced)

What is the price tag for a breath of hope into a child’s wildest dream?   How much should one charge if they can drive someone to dream greater and bigger than they would do on their own?

Jordans are pricey, but in the big scheme of things really a great value.

A great value when you consider that motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to adults to do the same.   A great value when people everywhere charge for “how to get rich” or “how to do something better” books, instructional videos, and on and on and on.

Everyone is selling something and all capitalizing on the same thing…a person’s want to be more.

So if +$100 pair of shoes can do that.  If they can make someone young or old think they can jump higher or play better, as they did for me as a youth.  If they can help someone to imagine life’s possibilities, I say that’s a good deal.  After all, if you can’t envision it, you can’t achieve it.

Still Kicking The J’s

Twenty years later, I’m still sporting Jordans.  While I know they don’t make me jump higher or help me make more shots, they do still help me to dream.

me vs. MJ…the journey and the dream are still very much alive!

Thanks for following along!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5bzfybIVr4&feature=related

[If you’re reading this via e-mail or RSS the video might not show up, so click here to view it.]