Pushing Daisies

This is a fact that was only known to me a few minutes ago, after watching this video from the Comic Con panel. Barry Sonnenfeld, the moderator of for Pushing Daisies (and director of the show), introduced Chi McBride as a sneaker designer.

So, guess what I did? I googled it up and went through the results. And here’s what I learned: Chi McBride owns at least 700 pairs of one of a kind sneakers! He even designed one for Nike.

Photo from Kix and The City

Chi McBride and Artist/Nike Designer, Mark Smith came together to design and hand-make a pair of 1 of 1 Air Force 1s inside Nike’s legendary Innovation Kitchen. Not without deep meaning and symbolism, the Chi McBride x Mark Smith x Nike Air Force 1 Air Jordan IIIs are a tribute to Chi’s relationship with Michael Jordan and his deep passion for the Air Jordan III and the Air Force 1. From the heel tab to the eyelets, the Chi McBride x Mark Smith x Nike Air Force 1 Air Jordan IIIs embody a personal story that Chi shares with the world through this one of a kind piece of sneaker history.

After designing the “Fukijama” Nike Air Force 1s for HBO’s Entourage, Mark Smith felt that he would never work on another pair of Air Force 1s. After realizing Chi McBride’s authentic passion for kicks, Smith emailed Chi McBride to tell him that he understood Chi’s deep love for sneakers and the Air Force 1, understanding that Chi’s passion for kix extended beyond “looking fresh”. Due to this intense passion, Smith invited Chi to co-design and co-hand-make a 1 0f 1 Air Force 1 in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. Realizing the amazing opportunity before him, Chi told Smith that he wished to create an Air Force 1 that symbolized his relationship with Michael Jordan that combined his love for the Air Jordan III, Chi’s favorite sneaker of all time. The product of an 8 hour process, Smith and Chi created, by hand, the Chi McBride x Mark Smith x Nike Air Force 1 Air Jordan III.

The complete story is here.