Friday, July 8, 2011

Derek Jeter?s ?3K? shoes contain sentimental surprise

There is a lot of exposure to be gained from Derek Jeter's run to 3,000 hits and Jordan Brand is among those set to clean up. Though the New York Yankees star has only reached 2,997 hits, the Nike-owned line has already introduced its new "DJ3K Collection," which features a trainer shoe, a cleat and a special pair of batting gloves. It's the 10th time that Jeter has inspired a featured shoe through Jordan Brand.

Jeter is expected to be wearing the special cleats starting with Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay and I have to admit that the whole collection looks pretty sharp. But its appeal to me goes past pure aesthetics because the designers have put in a few personal touches that go past a focus-grouped logo or something similar.

Related: Can we start enjoying Jeter's run to 3,000? Please?

For one, the trainers are maroon, a color that pays tribute to Jeter's alma mater in Western Michigan, Kalamazoo Central High School.

For another, both pairs of shoes contain liners with a special printing ? the "contract" that his father, Dr. Charles Jeter, wrote and had him sign on his first day of high school. The agreement between the future star and his parents laid out a personal code of conduct, 18 points that cover everything from grade expectations ("3.8 or above, 4.0 ? extra reward") to his dating life ("Respect girls/like you want to be respected").

Check the liners out: �

OK, so the guidelines that Jeter followed to become one of the best Yankees in history are a little hard to read in a foot-shaped format, but Jeter himself will be able to read it in clearer fashion on the shoeboxes he will receive. That's right, these shoes were created specifically for him and won't be released for retail. That's a shame, too, because they'd be a great collectible for any Jeter and Yankees fan out there.

Check out more photos of the shoes in a slideshow below.

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