Jimmy Butler promotes Jordan Ultra.Fly shoe at Chicago high school
Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler is a busy man these days. Not only is he scrambling to keep his team alive in the NBA playoff race, he also dropped a new shoe, the Jordan Ultra.Fly, on April 2. So in order to promote it, Butler surprised students at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill., fielding questions in one of the school’s science classrooms.
Butler spoke in front of players on the Fenwick boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, both of which are coming off successful seasons in the Chicago Catholic League. Designed as an homage to Michael Jordan’s ‘Black Cat’ nickname, the shoe is Butler’s second for the Jordan brand, and his second in less than two months after the XX9 dropped in late February.
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courtesy Jordan
Butler has developed a reputation as one of the most versatile players in the NBA, and the Ultra.Fly features a Kurim overlay that makes the shoe highly flexible and easy to maneuver in. He debuted a white pair in a game last week.
“It helps me move comfortably, change directions comfortably,” Butler said. “I gotta chase all of these superstars around, and I need a shoe that’ll hold.”
Butler is already familiar with the Oak Park prep school. He has a close relationship with Fenwick point guard Mike Smith, who finished second in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting. The Fenwick boys recently won the Catholic League championship, which Butler attended while rehabbing a knee injury.
The usually affable Butler even offered some fashion advice for the young athletes during a Q&A session.
“It’s a fashion no-no—so don’t do this—if you all are playing in a game, don’t wear black shoes with white socks,” Butler joked. “None of you are Michael Jackson. You can wear black socks with white shoes, or red shoes or black shoes, but you can never wear white socks with black shoes.”
The shoe, which is listed at $125 USD, is available now at select Nike retailers across America.
