There are many people out there who love their Nike sneakers, and in some cases this is expressed not just by always wearing the brand, but compiling collections of some exciting limited edition items.
Among the most sought after of these are rare Jordans, so much so in fact that on occasion they can command huge auction prices. But for one fan, dedication to the footwear of the basketball superstar has been taken to a new level as he found a very different way of getting a pair of Air Jordan sneakers on his feet.
As LadBible reports, Blazej Ambrozak, a 44-year-old from Rochdale, took his obsession to the next level by getting a pair of Air Jordans tattooed on his own feet, describing these as his “absolute favourites”.
He explained: "It was a spontaneous decision to get the trainer tattoo, but I really liked the idea because it is different and not something that you see very often.” This much is undoubtedly true, and not just because the sight will usually be hidden under a pair of socks; the actual process of getting the tattoo took eight hours and something of an ordeal.
For Mr Ambrozak, however, it was all worth it. He noted: “It was a very painful experience. The worst part was my toes and my heels, but it was worth the pain as the tattoo looks great.”
Finding a tattooist who could carry out such a procedure is not easy, but in this case tattoo artist Dean Gunther, a specialist in “colour realism” tattoos, was just the man for the occasion.
Mr Gunther said of his client’s decision: “He loves his Nike shoes and decided to get them tattooed on permanently. That just shows his commitment.”
“He's tired of buying new shoes every few months, so now he can wear his Nikes even to bed,” he added.
That last fact may be the best part of all this for Mr Ambrozak, who was soon recovered enough to be back at work as an HGV driver. While other pairs will wear out and some collectibles will be very costly, he will have a pair for life.
At the same time, those who are keen on collecting Jordans may decide that buying a pair is a better move than enduring hours of discomfort under the tattooist’s needle, although hopefully at a slightly more manageable figure than the $2-4 million sale price recently projected by auctioneers Sotheby’s for a pair the NBA legend wore in the 1998 play-offs.
The importance of Michael Jordan to Nike cannot be underestimated. A recent feature in The Sun highlighted how he showed no interest in the brand when it tried to sign him as a rookie in 1984, when he preferred Adidas.
In a piece about the new film Air, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, it noted how two people changed his mind and with it the fortunes of Nike, once seen as ‘uncool’: marketing man Sonny Vaccaro and Jordan’s own mother Deloris, who advised her son to accept a contract giving him a 25 per cent cut of profits on shoes bearing his name.
The rest, as they say, is history - one where Nike Jordan footwear is among the most collectable and now it seems, the worthiest candidate for a tattoo.
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