Texas Coaches Wear Custom Nike Air Force 1s in Frank Erwin Center Finale

By most accounts, Chris Beard’s first season in Austin has been a rousing success. In addition to his team earning a likely protected seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the new head coach has also been successful at rallying both student and fan support to levels not seen since the early 2000s.

However, as far as this website is concerned, one of CB’s greatest victories has been his sneaker selection during games. While coaching the Longhorns, Beard has worn everything from player excusive UT KDs to burnt orange Nike Killshot 2s, and has even snuck in a few pairs of Air Jordans throughout the season. Given his track record, it only makes sense that Chris and his staff would break out something special to commemorate the final men’s basketball game in Frank Erwin Center. To celebrate the legacy of the 45 year old venue, Texas Basketball commissioned a number of custom Air Force 1s inspired by the legendary arena.

Background

It all started with an idea, when UT Basketball equipment manager Rob Lazare reached out to Jake Danklefs, to see if he would be willing to create a special pair of sneakers to commemorate the final game in the Drum. Danklefs, an infamous sneaker customizer from San Antonio, TX, is well known for his unique creations that push the boundaries of aesthetics and storytelling. Many UT fans are likely already familiar with his work, as he is the individual behind the custom Air Force 1s that Chris Beard wore in Gregory Gym against Sam Houston State, as well as the various custom Longhorn sneakers done in collaboration with Corona Extra. Once Danklefs was on board, he and Lazare got to work on designing and creating a shoe that would embody both the the Frank Erwin Center and Texas Basketball.

The shoes were revealed to Longhorn fans the night before the final game in the Drum. To begin, the official UT Basketball Equipment Twitter account tweeted out a few images of the custom AF1s. Coach Beard also highlighted the kicks in his “Fireside Chat” with UT’s Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey, where he went over a few of the design elements featured in the shoe. McConaughey himself seemed to approve of the kicks, although it is unknown if he received a pair for himself. As intended, UT’s coaching staff would go on to wear the kicks in Monday night’s matchup against the Baylor Bears, which unfortunately resulted in a loss for the Longhorns.

Details

At first glance, these Air Force 1 Lows appear to be rather unassuming, at least as far as custom University of Texas sneakers are concerned. The shoes feature an all white upper and midsole, paired with a gum outsole. Additionally, they also sport a burnt orange Swoosh, a design element that will be familiar to many Longhorn fans.

But while these kicks might seem fairly standard at a distance, the details are what truly make them stand out from the rest of the pack. Similar to the custom Air Force 1s that Chris Beard wore against Sam Houston State earlier in the season, this variant features a “Unite the Family” patch on the tongue, paying homage to the mentality that Beard has brought since he first took the UT head coach role last April. A Longhorn logo can also be found on the heel of each shoe, clearly tying these kicks directly to the University of Texas.

The insoles of these sneakers also feature custom elements. The left shoe pays homage to the men who have given their all to UT Basketball over the years, and features the names and tenures of every head coach who led the Longhorns while they played in the Frank Erwin Center. The right shoe sports the date of the final game, “2/28/22”, as well as the names of the participants in it; “Texas vs Baylor”.

Perhaps the most notable design elements on these Air Force 1s come directly from the Drum itself. The lateral Swoosh on each sneaker is made of material that came from one of the seats in the arena. Not to be outdone, the medial Swoosh is comprised of leather taken from the basketball used in the first game of the 2021-2022 season. This match saw Texas defeat Houston Baptist, and was also the occasion when Chris Beard’s notched his first win as head coach of the Longhorns.

Even the laces have special ties to the Frank Erwin Center, as the first set of eyelets is a piece of a basketball net that was once used inside the arena. Finally, each pair of shoes comes with a special hangtag, made from pieces of the FEC’s basketball court. These tags are laser etched with the years that the Erwin Center served as the home of Longhorn basketball, along with the phrase “Last Game in the Drum” and the date of the game, the latter of which can be found on the reverse side.

Opinion

I’ve always felt that custom sneakers can be hit or miss in terms of design and execution. Sometimes, a customizer will have an incredible idea, but will unfortunately not be skilled enough to bring it life. At others, an artist will try do too much, which results in a shoe that is too “out there” and would be more at home in a museum than on someone’s foot. While there’s a fine line that must be walked between storytelling and aesthetic for all sneakers, I feel that this issue is often more pronounced in those that are custom made.

As such, I’m happy to say that these Air Force 1s suffer from none of those issues, and strike a near perfect balance between design, storytelling, and customization. At base, they’re a classic Texas colorway that can easily be worn in the same way as almost any other UT sneaker. However, the details make them a special shoe unlike any other. The real triumph with these kicks is that Jake Danklefs was able to fit in so many special elements and homages, without making them feel overwhelming. In their own subtle way, these do a fantastic job of paying homage to the Frank Erwin Center in a way that few other objects could.

While the shoes allegedly cost $700 per pair to produce, they are customs made exclusively for the coaching staff and thus will not receive a public release. However, the level of detail and creativity showcased in them makes it understandable, as it would simply not be feasible to produce such a sneaker on a large scale.

Overall, these Air Force 1s were an incredibly cool way to pay respects to the arena that served as the home of Texas Basketball for over 45 years. While the Frank Erwin Center might soon be nothing more than a memory, hopefully part of it’s legacy will live on in these custom sneakers.

Images via Texas Basketball Equipment, Texas Men’s Basketball, Jake Danklefs, and the Austin American-Statesman.