“White on White Nike Air Max Plus. Those were the shit when I was like nine years old, but I had to pick between those and the Hyperflights, so I never had a pair until a few months ago. Now I’m walking on Tuned Air Bitches!” – Mike Posner
Nice Kicks – Mike Posner is an enigma in regards to his music prototype. As he states, “a lot of people don’t know what to call my music now because it’s such a collage of all the random sh*t I listened to when I was a kid.” However, it doesn’t take a scientist to see his obvious love for sneakers. Posner is a regular in our Celebrity Sneaker Stalker column, and your favorite column has spotted him doing a multitude of things from performing in the Air Jordan 4 “Thunder & Lightning” Pack to assisting ladies on a walk in the “True Blue” Air Jordan 3. We recently sat down with Mike Posner and discussed a number of sneaker/music topics.
Specifically, Posner touched on his connection with the Duke Blue Devils roster, the first shoe he rocked while creating music for the first time, his thoughts on the correlation between sneakers and women among many other things. View our in-depth, two-page 1-on-1 interview with Michigan native Mike Posner.
Nice Kicks: We read that you started making music in the 5th grade. Do you remember, if possible, what was hot during that time sneaker-wise? Do you have any connecting sneaker/music stories during your initial stages of making music?
Mike Posner: I was 13, and I convinced my mom to buy me a cheap keyboard from Best Buy. I made my first beat with a white/silver pair of Nike Hyperflights on my feet. Those are still my favorite sneakers.
Nice Kicks: What were your music inspirations growing up in Michigan?
Mike Posner: When I was a kid, I listened to everything from Dilla to Rage Against the Machine. A lot of people don’t know what to call my music now because it’s such a collage of all the random sh*t I listened to when I was a kid.
Nice Kicks: We asked Michigan native Rick Williams (Burn Rubber) and a few others this question. Chucks are worn religiously on the west coast, and you see a lot of Foams worn on the east coast. What shoes do you think are worn the most in the Michigan area?
Mike Posner: A lot of people rock ill New Balances in the Mitten. Rick and Ro have certainly been a part of that movement by creating the Burn Rubber New Balances, which are super hard.
Nice Kicks: After spending a lot of your childhood in Michigan, you decided to attend Duke University, which has a rich basketball history. Were you cool with any of the guys on the team while you were there? Did they slide you any player exclusives under the table?
Mike Posner: I remember looking into the crowd at some of my first shows and seeing Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and Jon Scheyer in the crowd. They’re tall as sh*t, so it was really easy to see them. NCAA had those dudes locked down though. If they received any free sh*t, they kept it to themselves.
“I made my first beat with a white/silver pair of Nike Hyperflights on my feet. Those are still my favorite sneakers. “
– Mike Posner
Nice Kicks: You actually played now-NBA player Nolan Smith one-on-one before. What shoes were you rocking when you played him?
Mike Posner: Ah, I can’t remember. I do remember being up by about three baskets though. He kept falling for the old white guy pump fake. Then the coaches started clowning him, and I didn’t get the ball back. If your reading this Nolan, I’ve been practicing. Let’s go. I can almost touch the rim now.
Nice Kicks: The Duke Blue Devils used one of your songs in their pre-game lineup. How did that make you feel to hear your song being liked and used by one of the most popular college teams in America?
Mike Posner: Deep down in my heart, I want to be a 2 guard in the league. Don’t we all? That’s probably as close as I’m going to get.
Nice Kicks: While at Duke, you were also a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, whose colors are black, white and gold. If you could select a shoe to represent your fraternity, what model would it be?
Mike Posner: I feel like I should be designing a beer pong table or a custom keg instead. We can just rock the Reebok Answer Is for now.
Nice Kicks: What is your favorite shoes to perform in?
Mike Posner: The Nike Air Mita Trainer Dunk High. I wore those on the cover of my first mixtape (A Matter of Time) and my first eight shows. I remember I took them off the first time I crowd surfed because I didn’t want to lose them. They have gotten a little ratty but every once in a while I’ll throw them on, hop on stage, and it feels the same as it did in 2009.
Nice Kicks: We have seen you rock the “Thunder” Air Jordan 4 multiple times while performing. Is that one of your favorite shoes of all time?
Mike Posner: They’re dope but not my favorites. The Thunder and Lightnings looked ill with the uniforms the Brain Trust and I rocked last tour. They’re on ice now.
Nice Kicks: You have recorded with artists such as Wale, Big Sean and Bun B just to name a few. Each one of these guys are well-known sneakerheads. Besides yourself, who do you think has the best sneaker collection?
Mike Posner: It has to be the homie Big Sean the Don. A lot of people don’t know that three years ago, Sean let me in his Finally Famous group, and I was literally a kid in his entourage. I used to make beats for him all year long.
“I wore those (Nike Air Mita Trainer Dunk High) on the cover of my first mixtape (A Matter of Time) and my first eight shows. I remember I took them off the first time I crowd surfed because I didn’t want to lose them.”
– Mike Posner
Nice Kicks: Your album cover and title (31 Minutes to Takeoff) has sort of a flight concept. We know you travel all of the time seeing that you are always rocking shows in different cities. What shoes do you usually lace up when taking flight?
Mike Posner: White on White Nike Air Max Plus. Those were the sh*t when I was like nine years old, but I had to pick between those and the Hyperflights, so I never had a pair until a few months ago. Now I’m walking on Tuned Air B**ches!
Nice Kicks: Your song Bow Chick Wow Wow is basically a song about reeling a woman in. What head-turning shoes (that you own) have the ability to lure women?
Mike Posner: Haha. Unless the girl is a sneaker head, which most girls aren’t, it’s usually the loudest sneakers that catch their attention. Most chicks don’t give a sh*t about your OG White/True Red and Black XIIIs. All that is going to bring you is a scintillating conversation with some dude that’s probably reading this website right now. Lol. Not that there is anything wrong with a couple of bros talking about Js. But, the De La Soul Lows and purple Hyperflights seem to catch the ladies’ eyes. I’ve seen Big Sean pull something nice when he was wearing those shoes with the wings on em too.
Nice Kicks: What should we, as fans, look forward to from you musically in the future?
Mike Posner: A new mixtape this summer chased by a new album. I have so many new songs that I can’t wait for people to hear. I hope no one steals my laptop.
Source: Nice Kicks
