Tinker Hatfield.
For sneakerheads he is a living legend. The mastermind behind so many iconic Nike/Jordan Brand models that we have so many fond memories of. Currently he is the Vice President for Design and Special Projects which pretty much means he gets to build whatever he wants in the Innovation Kitchen. No one could have imagined what he would do with Nike and sneakers when he first joined the company as a University of Oregon alumni with an architecture background. His history with Bill Bowerman and architectural skills are the foundation of his design work.
Air Jordans. Air Maxes. Air Trainers. Air Tech Challenges. Air Mag. Yeah he did a lot of them especially in the late 80’s and 90’s. His skills even go beyond footwear as he has designed Oregon’s basketball court, Gran Turismo 6 car and ,not surprisingly, his own home.
It’s no exaggeration to say that without Tinker Hatfield the sneaker world would not be as amazing as it is today. So happy birthday to the sneaker god Tinker Hatfield. We can’t wait to see your next sneaker design, whether it be new or old.
Aaron Nojima
1 comment