The Unlikely Connection Between Sneakers and NPR
A Rare (and Funny) Pair of Gold Shoes Is Being Auctioned Off
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From the Nike Cortez on NPR to Jeremy Scott adidas on Last Week Tonight, sneakers and public media have more in common than you’d think…
I’ve been thinking a lot about public broadcasting lately... partly because of my own experiences with NPR, but mostly because I’ve seen firsthand how important these platforms are for telling stories that matter.
A couple years ago, I was featured in an NPR Morning Edition story by Sean Saldana about the 50th anniversary of the Nike Cortez. The piece talked with legendary photographer Estevan Oriol, with my close friend and fellow sneaker collector Miles Coltrane, fashion designer Alexis Quintero, and me about how a running shoe became woven into LA’s cultural fabric, from Farrah Fawcett to Forrest Gump to the streets of Los Angeles, and especially how it became a staple of Chicano streetwear.
That’s the thing about public broadcasting. They gave us time to actually tell the story. Not a 90-second clip optimized for engagement metrics. A real conversation about culture, history, and community. It was a full 7-minute feature, and it went from on air, to a blog post that was distributed to local public radio stations around the country.
Like a lot of kids who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, my relationship with public broadcasting started with Mr. Rogers. I recently created a YouTube intro inspired by him… because those opening sequences stuck with me. The calm. The intentionality. The idea that you were worth taking time for.
PBS taught me that media could be thoughtful. That it didn’t have to shout at you or sell you something every seven minutes. That stories about sneakers, or neighborhoods, or how things are made actually matter.
A big part of the reason I’m so motivated to be writing again is because of NPR and PBS... having the realization that I’ve taken these things for granted. I find them inspiring, and a change of pace from the status quo, which in many ways, is something I hope to bring to those of you reading my writing.
Public radio and PBS operate on a different model than the algorithm-driven content most of us consume daily. They’re not chasing clicks. They’re not optimizing for rage-engagement. They’re creating space for stories that need more than a hot take.
For someone like me, who’s spent 20+ years in an industry that’s increasingly driven by hype cycles and manufactured urgency, that matters. Public broadcasting proved there’s still room for depth. For context. For letting a story breathe.
Speaking of Sneakers and Public Broadcasting...
John Oliver is currently auctioning off a pair of gold Jeremy Scott x adidas Wings 3.0 sneakers he wore on Last Week Tonight. You know, the ones he promised to wear if FIFA President Sepp Blatter stepped down... which, unfortunately for John’s dignity, actually happened.
The sneakers—size 10, worn by John, and optionally autographed by him—are part of a larger auction featuring props and memorabilia from the show, some of it, downright ridiculous. All proceeds go to the Public Media Bridge Fund, which supports public media stations in need. If you can’t participate in the auction but still want to support public media stations, you can visit Adopt A Station to learn more.
As of right now, they’re sitting at over $2,500 with 45 bids. Not bad for a pair of shoes John never expected to actually wear.
Public broadcasting gave me a chance to share sneaker history with people who’d never think to search for it. They’re still doing that for countless other stories worth telling.
If you’ve ever learned something from Fresh Air, laughed at Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!, been informed by PBS NewsHour, or just appreciated having news that isn’t trying to make you angry, consider supporting public broadcasting however you can.
Whether that’s bidding on John Oliver’s gold sneakers, donating to your local station, or simply showing up when they need you... these platforms only exist because people believe stories still matter.
And honestly? In a world that increasingly feels like it’s optimized for outrage, that matters more than ever.
I’m Nick Engvall, and I’ve been writing about sneakers and culture for nearly two decades, from Sole Collector to Complex Sneakers to being employee #9 at StockX. I run Sneaker History (website and podcast) and write The Sneaker Newsletter... the stories that connect what we wear to who we are.