Pete Carroll Made Nike's Dad Shoes Cool in the NFL
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For 14 seasons, Pete Carroll jogged, skipped, and hopped down the sidelines as the Seattle Seahawks head coach. The perpetually positive coach was energetic to the point that it belied his age. Besides his flowing silver hair, the only thing that could give away his senior status was his signature Nike "dad shoes."
On Wednesday afternoon, the Seahawks owner, Jody Allen, announced that Carroll was moving from the position of head coach to an advisory role within the organization. It was the end of an era in the NFL that put the spotlight on the Pacific Northwest and the Nike Air Monarch sneaker line.
Since arriving in Seattle in 2010, Carroll has almost exclusively worn the Nike Air Monarch IV. A poll conducted among fans in 2016 resulted in a landslide decision wanting Carroll to switch up his footwear - the results were ignored. "I'm rocking the Monarchs. I gave it a shot," Carroll said, referencing another pair of Nike training shoes. "I tried to give it a shot."
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll in Nike Air Monarch sneakers.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Just like Carroll was ahead of the curve on the importance of mindfulness and meditation for athletes, he arrived at the "dad shoe" trend well before the rest of us. Carroll became the unofficial face of the Nike Air Monarch IV, which has been adopted by Gen-Z sneakerheads.
It also does not hurt that Nike always fully supported Carroll's choice of footwear. The Oregon-based brand designed exclusive colorways of the Nike Air Monarch IV for Carroll in Seahawks colors with phrases like "Always Compete" on the tongues. A pair of those rare sneakers found their way on eBay in 2017 with an asking price of $3,500.
There will be other NFL coaches who are also footwear enthusiasts. Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin are two of the more notable sneakerheads. But there will never be another signal-caller that wears the same sneaker (in various colorways) every Sunday for 14 consecutive seasons.
Online shoppers who want to embrace Carroll's legacy of dad shoes can purchase the Nike Air Monarch IV at a discount in select styles on the Nike website. You do not have to be an NFL coach to be ultra-upbeat and rock classic kicks. We at FanNation Kicks hope we have not seen the last of Carroll and his iconic sneakers on the sidelines.
