Chris Beard reveals backstory on custom sneakers, promises more designs in 2022-23

One of Nike’s most valuable collegiate apparel deals is with Texas, but their basketball program took it to another level last year with their involvement in the custom sneaker game. Last season, the Longhorns started working with San Antonio shoe designer Jake Danklefs, who most notably created custom sneakers for head coach Chris Beard and the coaching staff for the team’s last game in the Erwin Center that featured slices of a game ball, the nets and Erwin center seat cushions and hardwood.

“Yeah I think specifically with Jake, I don’t want to get this inaccurate, but one of the ways that connected us was with some of our basketball friends, Brett, Justin, Diego, and Gavin, and those guys connected that,” Beard said. “Then obviously Rob (Lazare) does a great job here with all things equipment at Texas, Rob’s the goat around here, I think he’s been here since Darrell Royal.”

Beard attributed some of the Longhorn’s flashy footwear to their location, as they are located in one of the fastest growing major cities in the nation and are neighbored by a couple of others.

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“It’s been awesome, one of the benefits of living here in a capital city and being close to Dallas and San Antonio, and Austin being the global city it is that we have access to all sorts of things. So we don’t have to drive 300 miles to get our shoe needs, it’s right down the road,” Beard said.

Another reason could be the continual rise of sneaker culture that has taken basketball at all levels by storm. Shoes have always been important in hoops, but have only grown and evolved in prominence in the past few years, especially in the eyes of Beard.

“Absolutely, the sneaker game’s awesome right?” Beard asked. “It’s kind of cool to see it come back in mine, I don’t know if the sneaker game continued but I was just too out of the loop to see it, or I don’t know if it’s coming back period. But certainly in my day, you waited for those Jordan’s to get to the store, and you stood in line, you got them, you saved your money all summer and now just to see the whole swag come back. Not only in the players world, but also in our coaching world too, speaking of our exhibition game against Arkansas, I think Muss (Eric Musselman) is a sneaker head too.”

Beard also mentioned that there’s more in store this season in the custom footwear department for the Longhorns, and even wants to get the Texas fanbase in on the action.

“But it’s cool, we have a lot of surprises in store this year, I’d like to see that reach into the student body too, and we’re in talks of communication. It’s hit the player, it’s starting to hit us coaches, but I’d love to see a corral student section one day in the Moody where we’re representing the best Nike swag as well,” Beard said.