SELECT Collections: QuacksonQuacks

If you have a passion for both sneakers and college sports, there is no rooting allegiance that yields tastier or more plentiful footwear fruits than the Oregon Ducks. Nike outfits a vast majority of elite Division 1 programs in both basketball and football, but the company’s ties to the University of Oregon go back to its very inception. Nike founder Phil Knight was born and raised in Oregon and his connections to the school and legendary coach Bill Bowerman traces back all the way to his time spent running track while he was a student there. The two eventually formed a business partnership that would change the world of athletic footwear forever, and with all the growth and success that has followed, the revolutionary brand they created has always found time to honor its collegiate roots and the breeding ground that it first sprouted from.

Over the years, Nike has whipped up countless special editions for the Oregon athletes, students, and fans – a practice that has gone into overdrive as of late with their football team’s recent ascension to the top tier of the sport’s perennial power rankings. In addition to equipping the school’s teams with some of the most interesting and progressive uniform designs ever seen in their respective sports, the Swoosh has also supplied an abundant variety of footwear

drops to celebrate the brand’s heritage and accommodate the Ducks’ faithful supporters in the process. Because most of the focus is understandably on Oregon’s football prowess, the majority of the retail-bound offerings have come by way of the Training category, but the biggest splash has been made by the player exclusive Air Jordan Retros that have popped up over the past few seasons.

The Oregon Pit Crew edition of the Air Jordan III was raffled off to students as a free giveaway at the school’s home basketball games, but the rest have been nearly impossible to come by – that is, unless you’re the collector known as QuacksonQuacks. This Oregon alum has been steadily “duck hunting” for any and all U of O PEs that have surfaced, dating back to the original Hyperdunk and Air Force 25 releases, and including multiple pairs of every Air Jordan Retro installment. Quacks’ deep collection and general sneaker interests go well beyond just Oregon shoes, but with such an impressive concentrated focus in one specific area, we’re putting a spotlight on his extensive assortment of Ducks PEs and special editions. Enjoy the full gallery ahead, as well as an interview with the devoted individual behind all that green and yellow.

QUACKSONQUACKS

Age:  24
From:  Portland, Oregon

Twitter:  @quacksonquacks
Instagram:  @quacksonquacks

Sneaker News:  Approximately how many pairs of sneakers do you own, and what percentage are Oregon related?

QuacksOnQuacks:  About 300 pairs; 30% Oregon related / 60% Air Jordans /10% Cole Haan Lunargrands, Rosheruns, Lunar Flyknit Chukkas.

SN:  How many years have you been seriously collecting sneakers?

QuacksonQuacks:  Beginning of high school in 2003.

SN:  What’s your connection to Oregon University, were you a student there?

QuacksonQuacks:  Alum.

SN:  What’s your favorite of all the Oregon PEs?

QuacksonQuacks:  It has to be the Nike Oregon Trainer 1 (Light Graphite/Yellow Strike-Black) because of the attention to detail.  Carbon Fiber midsole, stitched “O” placement, black cement print upper heals, overall color schematic of materials, and most importantly… The functionality for training.

SN:  You seem to have it pretty well covered, but are there any Oregon pairs that you’re missing and currently on the hunt for?

QuacksonQuacks:  My Oregon collection is complete as I’ll only hunt for pairs I can add to the daily rotation to rep my Ducks.  Although I was considering purchasing a Oregon State Jordan IX PE and “chainsawing” it in half as a joke.

SN:  Without divulging all your secrets, how were you able to get your hands on so many of the Air Jordan Oregon PEs?

QuacksonQuacks:  It’s definitely who you know and not what you know, but of course a little bit of both helps.

SN:  Have you ever bought a pair off a player on one of the Oregon teams?

QuacksonQuacks:  Never, since it would be against the NCAA Student Conduct Code policy.

SN:  What was the hardest Oregon pair to get your hands on and what did you have to do to get them?

QuacksonQuacks:  The white Oregon “Duckmans” as I had to fly to Miami to secure them.

SN:  What’s the crown jewel of your collection – the one centerpiece that you hold above all the rest?

QuacksonQuacks:  Definitely would have to be my original Air Jordan X “Chicago” that I acquired to complete the set back in high school as my holiest of grails. Spent $1425 shipped on it when I was a sophomore when the most I’d ever spent was retail for the latest retro Jordans (and some other older retros off eBay). Wore it only once at the Sole Collector National Sneaker Championship event held in Las Vegas (2006) where I had the pleasure of meeting diehard sneaker fanatics who traveled from all points of the globe.

SN:  Aside from the Oregon stuff, what are some of your all time favorite models?

QuacksonQuacks:  Definitely the Air Jordan X series as I have completed the entire Original collection & retro set.  My first pair of  Air Jordan Xs were the “Steel” colorway, which happened to come from the outlets at the time for $100 shipped!  The OG steels with the toecap however have a lot of history in my book because of the evolution of trends.

SN:  What are a few shoes that are heavy in your current rotation?

QuacksonQuacks:  Rosherun’s for the daily because they’re like pillows, Flyknit Lunar Chukka’s for dailys and the gym because you can’t train in Roshes. Cole Haan Lunargrand Wingtips for the office/casual.

SN:  What’s the most recent pair you’ve picked up?

QuacksonQuacks:  Oregon Free Trainer 5.0, because of that weave & reflective multicolor material.

SN:  What’s a sleeper shoe you love – something that might not be the most popular or well known model, but is one of your personal favorites?

QuacksonQuacks:  The Air Jordan “Military Blue” IVs because of the colorway, and I remember purchasing 6 pairs back in high school when the retro’s dropped. I had one pair strictly for rainy days, one pair for mowing the lawn, and one for the sunny days when breaking necks gave you swag.  The mowing lawn pair became known as the “Military Green” which I still think would be a GREAT colorway if Jordan Brand does it right in the future.

SN:  Are there any upcoming releases on your radar, or are you holding out for this coming season’s Oregon PE offerings?

QuacksonQuacks:  More Flyknit Chukka colorways, Yeezy “Red Octobers”, and of course anything Phil Knight decides to plug our Duck’s with.

A big thanks to QuacksonQuacks for taking the time to share a look at his amazing Oregon collection with all of us.

Photography by Paul Vu