Randy Moss was a human highlight reel on the NFL grass/turf. His speed, size, and athleticism made him virtually uncontainable – a triple-threat package that made him the perfect fit as Jordan Brand’s first-ever endorser in the NFL. Moss joined Jordan Brand during a key moment of Michael’s life post-retirement; as the six-time champion entered the front office/business phase of his basketball career, he and Nike came to terms on his own label called Jordan Brand. To expand beyond basketball, Jordan signed superstars of various sports such as Derek Jeter (baseball), Roy Jones Jr. (boxing), and of course, Randy Moss.
Gentry Humphrey, who was the product director for Jordan Brand at the time, recalls watching Moss and some colleagues working out on a treadmill. He says “Just watching him do that, to me, he was a freak of nature … purely a super freak.”, and from there the name for Moss’ signature shoe was born.
Although Randy Moss is a football player, he has the physique of a basketball player as his 6’5″, 210 lb. frame was not far off of Michael Jordan’s specs. The game of football continued its transition to turf surfaces, so many players followed suit by using basketball shoes for better traction. Although meant for football, the Jordan Super Freak had a real basketball shoe aesthetic, which made it one of the most popular on-field shoes at the time. Moss recalls one game seeing several players on both sides of the ball sporting his shoes. After the release of the Super Freak in 2000, Jordan Brand followed up with a second signature shoe called the Mossified, which featured a large “M” logo on the heel.
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Additional photo: defynewyork