Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Jalen Hurts waltzed into the end zone with his Air Jordan 11 “Love Hurts” cleats on, looked toward the Lincoln Financial Field crowd, and hit the Michael Jordan “shrug celebration.” He had done the celebration three years earlier, against the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys in consecutive weeks, but this time was different. Hurts had a special guest on hand that night. And he didn’t disappoint, completing 19 of 23 passes and rushing for two touchdowns in the Eagles’ season-opening 24-20 win over the Cowboys. The 27-year-old quarterback put it plainly after the prime-time victory: “With a special friend in attendance, there’s only one thing you can do, and that’s win.” The “special friend” Hurts was referring to was Jordan himself, a sign that Hurts had become the centerpiece of the Jordan Brand’s football division. But the Basketball Hall of Famer’s appearance revealed something more about their budding friendship. “It began as an invitation to relate as I go through my journey in leadership and competitive play,” Hurts told The Inquirer of his relationship with Jordan, adding that he is “very grateful” for their friendship. “It’s been great to have him as a sounding board to some of the things I do. “I grew up a huge Michael Jordan fan and am very familiar with the grit, drive, and work ethic — that he embodied — that leads to excellence. I’ve built my career around those same characteristics.” The last calendar year, in which Hurts added a Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP to his resumé, has been just as important off the field as on it. Hurts, who entered a partnership with the brand in 2023, has been on the forefront of promotion, in Philadelphia and globally. The brand added a “, HURTS” statue to LOVE Park ahead of the Super Bowl parade — along with a matching commercial. Hurts dined with Jordan while visiting Nike headquarters earlier this year, and joined the Jordan Brand’s Board of Greatness meeting in Greece. “Jalen is proof that the legacy of Jordan Brand and our championship DNA has transcended basketball and exists across the entire landscape of sport,” Jordan Brand president Sarah Mensah said. “[Him] serving as one of the faces of our growing football business is vital in helping us to evolve the legacy of the brand and establish new points of connection between sport and culture.” ‘No limits on what we can accomplish’ In the hours after that Super Bowl LIX win in New Orleans on Feb. 9, Hurts sat in the hallway outside of the Eagles locker room, cigar in his mouth, with the Lombardi Trophy sitting by his feet, donning a pair of Jordan 11s. It’s a photo that has been seen over 3 million times on X, and one that will become synonymous with his legacy. It also features a Jordan 11 material swap done by Sean Vergara, who also designed DeVonta Smith’s Allen Iverson-inspired cleats in the Super Bowl. The Jordan 11s have become a favorite of Hurts. “Typically, something special happens [when] the 11s come on,” he said this summer in a video interview answering fans’ questions on the Eagles’ social accounts. In those moments, Hurts expresses himself through the cleats he’s wearing. But before “Love, Hurts” and the pregame buzz he generates with his cleat choices, which are typically posted on social media during team warmups , the Jordan Brand’s “legacy of excellence, determination, and will” were major determining factors in Hurts becoming a Jordan Brand athlete. “I thought about representing something bigger than the game itself: The grit, the passion, the feeling of triumph and defeat, and even the level of endurance that is required to overcome,” Hurts said of signing with Jordan. “All values that extend far past the game.” “The Jordan Brand is uniquely positioned to sit at the epicenter of sport and culture,” he added. “The same innovation and creativity that goes into the on-field performance product, you can wear off the field and look fresh.” Added Mensah: “Jalen embodies the values that we look for in a Jordan Brand athlete — he embodies greatness. Plus, he is an inspiration to the future generation of athletes that look to not only be great on the field, but in the community as well.” Much like Hurts has grown as the Eagles’ starting quarterback — from taking over full-time in 2021, leading them to the Super Bowl in 2022 while being an MVP candidate, and navigating the ups and downs that came after en route to last year’s championship — his relationship with the Jordan Brand has grown, too. Player exclusive cleats have been a constant, but Hurts has starred in a commercial with singer Teyana Taylor, had a league fine picked up by the brand after wearing mismatched cleats, and was a key figure and speaker at the brand’s block party for the World of Flight store opening in Philadelphia last month. The store, perhaps not so coincidentally located in the city where Hurts plays, is the first of its kind in North America. Hurts calls his partnership with the brand “incredibly rewarding and inspiring.” “The team has been supportive and collaborative, always pushing the envelope to create innovative and high-quality products. They’ve given me the platform to express myself both on and off the field and they’re committed to excellence just as much as I am,” Hurts said. “Looking ahead, I hope to continue growing this partnership by exploring new opportunities for collaboration and innovation. I want to be a part of initiatives and projects that inspire the next generation. The goal is to keep pushing boundaries and setting new standards, not just in sports but in all aspects of life. I put no limits on what we can accomplish together.” The brand understands Hurts, as the quarterback in Philly, has a uniquely influential gravity. And his social impact, Mensah said, is evident in the city and beyond. “Jalen Hurts has made a significant social impact as part of the Jordan Brand, representing not only the city of Philadelphia but also inspiring communities across the globe,” Mensah said. “His association with the Jordan Brand goes beyond athletic performance, it embodies values such as resilience, leadership, and community engagement. … “The city of Philadelphia truly loves Jalen, and he pours that love right back into the city, on and off the field.” Cleats are a ‘vehicle of inspiration’ After wearing the all-white “Jawn Air” Jordan 11 custom-made cleats in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this year, Hurts said “I felt like this was [a Jordan] 11 type of day.” His cleat decisions, he said, are made “off of feel.” But he also revealed what those decisions are rooted in. “Each pair is like a canvas, allowing me to express my style and tell my story,” Hurts said. “The designs often reflect my journey, inspirations, and the things that motivate me. It’s not just about performance; it’s about making statements and tapping into the creativity that has always been a part of my game.” One of those statements came against the New York Giants in Week 8, when Hurts wore all-black Air Jordan 1 cleats with the kelly green jerseys, an ode to Randall Cunningham, whom Hurts has a relationship with and admires. He also added that “we never travel light,” in reference to the options he has available at his disposal for games. There have been many Jordan Brand player-exclusive cleats Hurts has worn since 2022, but one stands above the rest: “Jalen Two Shoes.” Hurts recalled being forced to wear mismatched cleats during the Cincinnati Bengals’ game last year because of a knot in the right shoelace of his kelly green retro Jordan 4 cleats. So he switched to a black-and-white Jordan 11 cleat, while leaving his left shoe unchanged in order to return to the field as quickly as possible. Several weeks later, Hurts, coming off a less-than-stellar performance against the Carolina Panthers, said he needed “a source of reignition.” “I knew I needed something different,” Hurts added. So he came out with two different color cleats. Hurts wore a midnight green cleat on his right foot and a kelly green one on his left — and, yes, they were Jordan 11s, which have become the signature shoe for the fifth-year starter. “With all the noise and criticism leading up to that game [against Pittsburgh], I felt like I needed something different and the different cleats and color ways brought a different energy to me,” recalled Hurts, who finished that Week 15 game completing 25 of 32 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns. “I knew it was an 11s type of day. I just wore them in two different colors.” The NFL still fined him $5,628, however, for violating its uniform and equipment rules. Jordan Brand covered the fine, saying in a statement, “We’re paying the fine. You can’t ban greatness.” Hurts crossed the two-year threshold with the brand in August and continues to find ways to elevate his game — he has a career-best 70.7% completion rate and 15 touchdowns to one interception through eight games this season. Whatever is on Hurts’ feet on Monday, it will become the latest showcase of his style and swagger on the field, one that the Jordan Brand relishes in bringing to life. “We’ve enjoyed providing a blank canvas for Jalen to be able to provide his creative expression into the footwear that will help him unlock his greatness on the field,” Mensah said. “None of this would be possible if Jalen wasn’t supremely invested in the process. We know that his cleats serve as more than just a fashion statement, but a vehicle of inspiration.”
