UNC basketball team and sneakerheads follow Roy Williams’ ever-changing Air Jordans

Two seasons ago in Las Vegas, North Carolina coach Roy Williams took a huge step outside the norm of what he considers acceptable on the sideline. He dressed down in white short-sleeve shirt with a Carolina blue vest to coach a game against Texas.

That casual look didn’t last though. The next night against UCLA, he was back wearing a tie and a blazer to the surprise of his staff, which had only packed pullovers and polos.

“Coach (Dean) Smith always told me if you want to be respected like the businessman and professional, you should dress like one,” Williams said. “And before he passed away, I never asked him if I could change.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a lot of unforeseen change upon this season. And one of the more noticeable visuals from watching games, besides little to no fans in bleachers and seats that have been pushed back and replaced with ad banners, is that coaches no longer patrol the sideline suited up.

So imagine the shock on Eric Hoots’ face when Williams asked about wearing a different pair of Air Jordan sneakers for every game this season.

Williams, who typically would only dress casual when the Tar Heels played in events like the Maui Invitational or the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, was reluctant when the idea was first brought up during an ACC coaches video meeting last summer. But in talking with Hoots, UNC’s director of player development, he found a way to put his personal touch on it.

“I didn’t do it for anything other than how loyal I wanted to be to the Jordan Brand and how loyal they’ve been to me,” Williams said. “I didn’t know it was going to get any — what do they call them? Hits or interactions or whatever — but it’s got an incredible amount of attention.”

AJ shoes all the rage on Instagram, Twitter

He doesn’t know about the tens of thousands of likes that have flooded the UNC men’s basketball account on Instagram and Twitter, but now Williams found out the meaning of ‘drip.’

He’s worn all Carolina blue AJ2s, all-white AJ1s with a gold Swoosh, black AJ3s and three different colorways for the three consecutive games in the Maui Invitational. It’s the kind of little detail that gets noticed by recruits too.

“Some of them, it’s kind of crazy to actually see them in person because they’re so rare,” UNC sophomore forward Armando Bacot said. “But I mean, he’s the coach at North Carolina. We’re the first Jordan school, so he’s got everything.”

There have been 35 different installments of Air Jordan shoes. But Williams never considered trying to wear every pair. Hoots said the first thought that goes into which shoes Williams wears — he prefers low tops — was how comfortable they will be.

Some Air Jordans are not meant for wearing

From social media, to fans on Williams’ radio show to UNC players, current and former alike, the shoes have gotten a reaction partly because of the exclusivity of Jordans and partly because Williams really would rather not be dressed down.

Hoots said they have tried to match up the best, most exclusive shoes for marquee games like Saturday at Duke to make sure Williams is “in something fresh.”

“People don’t expect him to be wearing these shoes,” Hoots said. “Our former players loved it. I mean like Theo (Pinson) and Tyler Hansbrough like those guys are calling me and texting me and some of those guys have tried to have an input of what he wears or what he doesn’t wear, so it’s been fun.”

The pairs Williams has worn this season have been a mixture of shoes he already owned and those that the Jordan Brand sent.

“It’s easy for me because I’m size 9.5 and that’s been the sample size,” Williams said. “So over the years, I’ve been sent a lot of shoes that other people love and I don’t even know the reason why.”

Jordan retros are still very much a big deal because they can be hard to get at retail price, which typically hovers around $200. Ask anyone who has downloaded Nike’s SNKRS app and been denied purchase due to their limited-release launch. The resale market for the shoes can sometimes take prices well over $300.

Williams, obviously doesn’t have to stand in a virtual line to get his shoes.

“Some of the stuff that we’re fortunate enough to get with our relationship to Jordan Brand, you don’t want to wear, but what’s the point of having it if you don’t wear it?” Hoots said. “Like I fight that internal battle with myself all the time. But we don’t want him wearing shoes just to wear them for a game.”

Sorry, Carolina fans and observant sneakerheads, that means the metallic silver, AJ1 “Pinnacles” that Michael Jordan himself sent as a gift to Williams in recognition of his 800th career win will stay in the specially-designed, commemorative box at home.

UNC at Duke

When: 6 p.m., Saturday

Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham

Watch: ESPN