Nike’s Jordan sneakers have been one of the hottest commodities in the market for decades. There are a lot of tales about people being desperate to get their hands on the Jordan signature shoes especially during the 1980s and 1990s when they sold out quickly. In fact, one could go above and beyond to get a used pair too!
During an appearance on Complex’s ‘Sneaker Shopping’ with show creator Joe La Puma, actor Tom Hardy rolled out a story from his childhood days to reveal how far he went for a pair of worn-out Air Jordan 5s.
Hardy has been a sneaker-head since his adolescence and in the 1990s, Air Jordan shoes were rare in the United Kingdom. He recalled how Jordan 5s were the first shoes he fell in love with and wanted to acquire them at any cost.
Hardy finally found a chance to seize these shoes when he saw a kid named Howard wearing them in school. He didn’t even care that the shoes were in tatters; he just wanted them at any cost. A young Hardy made a deal with Howard that he’d work for him in exchange for the shoes.
When he finally got the shoes, he couldn’t stop beaming with pride despite them being oversized and in terrible condition. Hardy told Puma,
“There was one kid in school who had a pair that were beat-up. So beat-up that on the bottom look like these off-whites, they were so old… I did a bit of work for him and in return, he gave me his… They was honking, they smelled so bad, his name is Howard, he’ll remember if he is still alive. I had Howard sneakers, and it was like, I finally arrived, they were a little too big, they smelled of Howard.”
Later in the segment, Puma let Hardy check out a pair of Retro Jordan 4s from 1999. The Mad Max actor was so curious about these 25-year-old shoes that he took his glasses for a closer look and was lost in awe. He loves Air Jordan shoes to his core.
Hardy doesn’t let a chance slip by to flash his rare Air Jordan collection despite his busy schedule.
Hardy loves rare Jordan sneakers
During the Complex episode, Puma also pointed out a viral moment from August this year when Hardy was spotted wearing a rare pair of Off White x Air Jordan 5 ‘Black’ sneakers during the shoot of Venom: The Last Stand. This sneaker was released in 2020 as a part of Nike’s collaboration with late fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
These shoes followed the template of Abloh’s streetwear style and a translucent TP construction replaced the leather built of the original Jordan 5s. But Hardy’s version of the sneakers had a twist in them. Instead of the usual all-white laces, his Air Jordan 5s Off-White had pink laces.
When Puma asked why he opted for these sneakers while filming the final installment of the Venom series, Hardy revealed that director Kelly Marcel made the call, as the pink laces matched the aesthetics of the film.