“My players are way cooler than I am,” says Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin, punctuating his statement with a hearty guffaw. His Sole Mates interview with Hypebeast has just started, and the good-natured, self-effacing Curtin — who describes himself as a “relationships coach” — is discussing the friendly sneaker face-offs he’ll have with the members of his squad.

Curtin may be selling himself just a little short, however. The two-time MLS Manager of the Year brought his team to its first MLS Cup last year, and in the process, became a low-key soccer style figure due to his Ted Lasso-esque propensity for rocking a new pair of Nike or Jordan Brand sneakers on the sideline of every match. He’s tapped in with the City of Brotherly Love’s larger sneaker community as well, frequently shouting out Philly shops like P’s & Q’s and Lapstone & Hammer as well as sporting pieces from brands like JSP — who’s collaborating with the Union on a collection of apparel and accessories.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Curtin fell in love with basketball and, like so many others in the ’80s, was drawn to the flash, fearlessness and peerless skill of Michael Jordan. By extension, he became enamored with Jordan’s sneakers, specifically the Air Jordan 1, which, at $65 USD in 1985 was “way too much money for my parents to spend on a 7-year-old.”

Curtin went on to a long professional soccer career with the Chicago Fire of the MLS, and though he was sponsored by adidas through its entirety, he never forgot his love of the Jumpman. Now, with an official Nike/Jordan Brand sponsorship (that came to be after the MLS, who’s sponsored by adidas, threatened to fine him for wearing Air Jordans on the sideline) and a fresh pair to wear every match, Curtin is living out his childhood dream, connecting with his players, and amassing a 250-plus pair collection.

What got you into sneakers?

When I was really young, my dad told me that the right sneakers would make me run faster and I’ve been hooked ever since. When you’re a little kid, you always want to impress your dad so I believed him and got really into my shoes because of tha connection. The first shoes I recall really liking were KangaROOS. They had that little money pouch on the side, which I thought was really cool. I may be dating myself here, but they also had really cool ads with Walter Payton that I remember.

What came first: a love of sneakers, or a love of sports?

They were always intertwined. Basketball was actually my first love as a kid. I wound up having a pretty good soccer career, but if you’d have told me I could be good at any sport I would have chosen basketball back then. I was seven years old when the Air Jordan 1 came out, and it blew my mind. Jordan was this new, instant superstar who was incredibly talented and totally unafraid of any challenge, and his shoes were so different from the standard adidas and Converse that everyone was wearing back then. They were also unattainable because of their price, which, of course, made me adore them even more.

“I’m taken back to my childhood every time I see [the "Soaring" poster of Michael Jordan dunking from the free throw line].”

And you picked the Air Jordan 1 as the shoe you’d like to speak about for Sole Mates. Those childhood memories of footwear are so seminal and powerful, aren’t they? Even more so when you couldn’t have the pair you adored as a kid and can now get them as an adult.

Absolutely. I had the “Soaring” poster of Michael Jordan dunking from the free throw line in my room as a kid, and to this day I’m taken back to my childhood every time I see that image. My parents understandably didn’t want to spend all that money on a pair of shoes for a seven-year-old kid, and now Nike is kind enough to send me a new pair of Air Jordan 1s to wear every single game. I’m spoiled now, and I always appreciate that.

Do you recall your first pair of “nice” sneakers?

Yes. It was the Air Raid in 1992. That was my first really high-end pair of sneakers, and they were unbelievable to have.

So fast-forward a little bit: you head off to Villanova to play college soccer, and eventually get drafted into MLS and play for the Chicago Fire. How did your perspective on sneakers and your overall taste shift when you were a pro athlete?

Jordan had “retired” for the second time when I made it to the Fire in 2001, but he still ran the city. Ironically, I was a huge Jordan fan in Jordan’s city, but I had signed a deal with adidas before I started playing with the Fire. I was with them for my whole playing career and the start of my coaching career, so I have 15 years worth of special adidas cleats, all of which are still in their original boxes. That collection, along with all my sneakers, is starting to grow to a problematic size — to my wife especially [laughs].

How do you think sneaker culture influences soccer and vice versa? It’s interesting because it’s a cleated sport, but it still seems like it influences footwear culture so heavily, where other cleated sports like American football and baseball have almost no impact on the sphere.

The global cultural synergy between the two is undeniable, but from a USA-specific perspective, I’d say that the players are more accessible, and the MLS is progressive, letting the players express their personality and style in a similar way to the NBA, instead of the manicured, corporate image some of the larger US sports leagues seem to present. Footwear’s a big part of that.

When you left the field and started coaching, did you make a conscious decision to wear sneakers on the sideline or is that something that came naturally to you?

That’s a great question. When I first got the job, I was actually wearing a suit on the sideline. I was 33 at the time, the youngest coach in MLS history, and the older coaches in our league wore suits on the sideline so I figured that I should too. I won my first match, so superstition kicked in and I wore the suit for like five, six, seven matches straight. Then COVID hit, and we were playing games in a bubble down in Florida. We were cooped up in that bubble, and I was like “you know what? I’m going to dress in a way that’s more true to who I am.” I started wearing team tracksuits and sneakers — various YEEZY models at the time as I was under contract with adidas — and felt way more comfortable and natural. People started to take notice, too. Next thing I know, I was the “coach who loved sneakers.”

And there you were, connecting to that Air Jordan 1-loving kid again. You even got threatened with fines for your footwear like Jordan did, right?

That’s correct. MLS is an adidas league, so if you don’t have a contract with a shoe company you have to wear adidas. The first time I wore a pair of Jordan 1s on the sideline, the “Hyper Royal,” I hadn’t signed with Nike yet and the league wasn’t happy with me. They gave me a slap on the wrist and told me I would be fined if I did it again, so Nike got wind of that and graciously gave me a deal. Now I can wear my favorite brand and not get fined [laughs]. I’m an old-school guy, so I’m usually in Air Jordan 1s but I do enjoy the Air Max 1, Air Jordan 4 and Dunk as well.

You’d mentioned that one of your favorite Air Jordan 1s in your collection is the Off-White™ x Air Jordan 1 “UNC.” What about that specific pair speaks to you?

How I got them would be the first thing. They actually didn’t come from Nike, they were a gift from a friend who gave them to me after I won my second MLS Coach of the Year award in 2022. Then, it would be when I wore them: through the playoffs that year when [the Union] made it to our first MLS Cup. There’s a lot of personal nostalgia and fond memories tied to that pair. I also just love the color scheme, and you can’t lie: anything that Off-White™ and Jordan Brand do has a little extra juice. There’s always another grail you can find to add to your collection, but I’m very happy to have these.

If there was any other pair you could add to your collection, what would you pick?

If we’re talking Air Jordan 1s, an original 1985 “Chicago” would be incredible. I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t love to have the Dior x Air Jordan 1 either, though. Honestly, if it was any shoe though, the Patta x Para x Nike Air Max 1 “Cherrywood.” That color scheme is absolutely beautiful.

Do you have any sideline sneaker superstitions?

I usually wear a new pair every game, but if we get on a run or have a really, really good game I’ll stick to the same pair like I did in last year’s playoffs. The fans seem to love seeing something different every game, and the players get a kick out of it too.

“I won’t let [the team] know what I’m wearing until I come out to give my pregame talk … on a good day I might even get an “Alright Coach! We see you!”

It would only make sense that a shared love of sneakers would help you bond with your players!

We have 15 different countries represented in our locker room, and guys from 16 to 36. There are a ton of different cultures, languages and backgrounds in that locker room, and soccer is certainly the key thing that brings them all together — but a shared love of shoes does too. The guys love talking about shoes, trying to one-up one another with what they’re wearing, and I have a blast being a part of that. It’s the one way I can still seem kind of cool and compete with them. I won’t let the guys know what shoes I’m wearing until I come out to give my pregame talk, and I’ll see them give a side-eye to see what I’m wearing. On a good day, I might even get an “alright, Coach! We see you” [laughs].

What would the Coach Jim PE look like?

Well, it would have to be an Air Jordan 1 of course, in Union colors, so some sky blue, some navy blue and some gold. Design-wise it would be … simple, I’d say. I think the storytelling on some of wild, colorful the PEs is really cool, but I’d personally prefer a more low-key design that works with jeans and a hoodie. Less performance-based and more leisurely. I guess that’s just me getting old and not being an athlete anymore [laughs].

Why are sneakers important to you?

Because there’s nothing quite like that feeling of opening up a box and seeing a brand-new pair. The only feeling that tops it, honestly, is giving a brand-new pair to someone else and seeing their reaction. Sneakers are a passion that’s shared by so many people, and they’re a great way to connect. I don’t want to say I’m obsessed with them … but I’m pretty close.