Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is a household name for Vol fans due to his position as Tennessee’s starting QB. His on-field intelligence, decision-making skills, and leadership abilities puts Hooker on another level in the game. Although he’s known for football and his unashamed stance as a Christian, there’s another game that Hendon has mastered:
The shoe game.
As Jacob Warren tells it, Hendon likes shoes… a lot. In fact, he’s not just into shoes; he’s big into fashion in general. “We talk about sneakers, we talk about clothes, we talk about releases… and he knows a lot about it, and he’s really interested in it.”
Hendon, along with Jacob, has a love for the highly sought after and iconic shoes loved by most athletes since their arrival: Jordans. Both players have multiple pairs, including Dunks, Jordan Ones, and Jordan Fours. In fact, Jacob’s all-time favorite pair of shoes are his Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Rookie of the Year”.
Although he loves his Jordans, Hendon has a more refined taste that spans across the fashion industry. The shoes he wears aren’t your normal, everyday Nikes or New Balances that you find in stores around Knoxville. His style encompasses items from the likes of Mike Amiri, an Iranian American designer from Los Angeles, California, who founded the fashion brand Amiri in 2014.
Ever heard of Christian Louboutin? These are the shoes that are known as “red bottoms” due to the red coloring found on the outsole of the shoe. Hendon has at least one pair, and he wore them to SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
When asked about how much they cost, Jacob simply laughs and states: “Don’t worry about it”. After looking them up online, we now know why. The style that Hendon wore in Atlanta cost a mere $895.00. With the NIL policies put in place in 2021, players can now show off their shoes, clothing, or really anything that carries a luxury price tag, without fear of unsolicited rumors or NCAA investigations.
Many fans think that the new compensation allowances for student athletes will cause a change in personality arising from arrogance. When asked if Hendon has changed at all since the NIL policies were put in place, Jacob didn’t skip a beat.
“He has more shoes, he has more clothes, but he hasn’t changed at all.”
