The former president of the USA has had a long (snkr) journey.
Barack Obama is surely known for being the first African-American president of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
But did you also know he has a whole background in basketball? He played on both the junior and university teams at Hawaii's Punahou School in the ‘70s and even won a state championship in 1979 — back when he was known as Barry.
And yup, he also played hoops inside the White House, especially to de-stress during his early days in the presidency.
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1. NIKE BLAZERS
Together with a fondness for sports, of course, there's also gonna be a taste for good sneakers. Once upon a time, Obama would wear those Nike Blazers that have never gone out of style, classics since the beginning with leather uppers that bring comfort and support to the players.
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2. REEBOK FLASH DMX
During his eight years in office, the former president would be gifted pairs of Yeezy, Under Armour, and of course, Nike. But it was a pair of Reebok Flash DMX that he chose to sport during a balling at Fort McNair.
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3. CUSTOMIZED NEW BALANCE
The president has been seen wearing different New Balance sneakers off-court regularly. In 2012, when the brand celebrated 50 years of its English factory in Flimby, the American factory in Maine manufactured a special version of the 990 for the then president, in a political attempt to emphasize the importance of the American manufacturing sector.
The customized shoe had Obama’s name on it, in addition to the phrase "Hand Made in the United States" in the heel region.
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4. AIR JORDAN IVs
Fast forward to 2017, during Obama’s last year in office, Dexter Fowler of the Chicago Cubs showed up at the White House holding a pair of custom Air Jordan IVs. The sneakers had the former president’s signature scrawled across the spine.
The AJ was the last sneaker Obama received as a gift in the presidency, but we can still catch him outside with the freshest shoes.
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More sneaker culture? We gotcha! Casablanca went against all odds to keep the sickest collabs with New Balance coming.
