SOLE: Sneakers Shoes

words_Nick DePaula

Unlike seemingly the rest of the entire universe, I’m actually a Steph fan. Maybe it’s cause I haven’t been at the Garden for the past few years, suffering through continual losing while hoping the Liberty were on-court instead. Maybe it’s cause I grew up with him and KG as my first favorite duo, even before JWill & CWebb. And maybe it’s cause I was down with the Starbury movement from the jump, as the value-priced shoes make perfect sense for a budget baller or family with growing boys. So when Stephon creates hand motions to get closer to God, touts his plans to play in Greece to close out his career and spouts off how his $15 shoes are the EXACT SAME THING as an Air Jordan or Iverson sneaker, I usually just laught it off, tally it up to Steph being Steph and give him a pass.

But when I was visually confronted with this picture above — I had to step back and wonder, just what in the HELL were you thinking Stephon? Now if you don’t recall, this isn’t actually the first time Marbury has gotten his logo tatted, as his ‘S’ logo dating back to his And1 days has been calculatingly placed on the side of his shin for over a decade. Many people criticized LeBron for getting ‘WITNESS’ down his leg, and even ‘Melo has his ‘M’ logo atop his right wrist, but in getting a tattoo of his latest logo on the side of his face, even his past supporters have to question the move. To make matters worse, Steve & Barry’s, the value retailer that has carried his shoe for the past two years, just filed for bankruptcy and is planning to liquidate all of its current stock, putting the Starbury shoe line’s future in question.

It’s not always a good thing to be put into the same discussion as Mike Tyson, but this move has probably cast Steph in the same boat. So — what do you think? Is this move consistent with the branding that other athletes have done and not a big deal? Or did Starbury take it too far by getting his face involved? I’d have to think he’s got a good five or so years left in the L, but getting the Rocket Fish firm-designed logo forever etched onto the side of his head seems like a suspect move to say the least, with little regard for life after basketball. I can’t imagine what Spike thinks.