In a 2003 interview with Newsweek, the late Steve Jobs remarked: “There are sneakers that cost more than an iPod.” He will forever be remembered for his stone-washed Levi’s 501s, black mock turtleneck and grey New Balance 992s. No belt. What you wear on your feet speaks volumes. It did for Jobs, and it does for his successor, Tim Cook. Apple’s CEO has unveiled one shiny device after another for years, but equally distinctive is what he chooses to wear on his feet.
Cook has long been one of Nike’s closest outside advisers, serving as the longest-tenured member of the company’s board of directors, according to a Bloomberg report. One can almost picture him munching an energy bar during board meetings. His influence within Nike has grown thanks to his deep understanding of operational change.
When he joined Nike’s board in 2005, Cook was still Apple’s chief operating officer, while the company was in the midst of developing the iPhone. With Jobs in and out of medical leave, Cook often oversaw day-to-day operations at Apple.
When Nike co-founder Phil Knight stepped down as chairman, handing over the role to Mark Parker, Cook became more involved as lead independent director. Apple and Nike continue to partner closely on the Apple Watch, with Nike straps and watch faces remaining particularly popular.
When it comes to footwear, Jobs and Cook have very different tastes. For Jobs, there was the Birkenstock era: A suede pair of his well-worn German sandals from the 1970s and 1980s sold in 2022 for nearly $220,000. He wore his Birkenstock Arizona sandals in 1976 when Apple was taking shape — even through winter — revealing a simpler side to the man. Later, he switched to New Balance. At the January 2007 Macworld Expo in San Francisco, where the iPhone was first showcased, Jobs delivered his presentation in a pair of 2001-vintage New Balance 991s. Later that year, he moved on to the New Balance 992.
For Cook, it has always been Nike. He sports some of the most distinctive designs one can imagine.
Custom Sashiko Gals x Nike Vomero Plus
Cook was spotted wearing a never-before-seen pair at the grand reopening of Apple Ginza in Tokyo in September. The store, which originally opened in 2003, was Apple’s first retail location outside the US. The Sashiko Gals collective specialises in traditional Japanese sashiko needlework, with each custom pair reportedly requiring around 30 hours of meticulous handwork by experienced artisans. Cook’s sneakers used an existing Nike Vomero Plus colourway but featured an all-new upper with blue patchwork embroidered using traditional sashiko techniques.
Nike Air Max 1 — made on iPad
Last year, Cook wore Nike Air Max 1 ’86s designed specially for the unveiling of the revamped iPad Pro with the M4 chip and Apple Pencil Pro. Hypebeast detailed the sneaker’s touches: “Decorative stitching surrounding the Swoosh and on the heel nodded to the Apple Pencil Pro, mimicking the lines of a sketch. The Swoosh also appears on the tongue of the ’86s, along with the handwritten words ‘Made on iPad’.”
Nike Air Force 1
During Apple’s Scary Fast Mac event, Cook wore all-black Nike Air Force 1s, the colourway perfectly matching both his outfit and the Halloween-season theme.
Travis Scott x Fragment Air Jordan 1
Cook was recently photographed wearing Travis Scott x Fragment Air Jordan 1s. In September, Scott had himself been pictured in vintage Apple sneakers, making this a fitting crossover moment.
Nike Roshe Run
Cook wore a pair of Nike Roshe Runs around the launch of the iPhone 6 in 2014 — simple, unfussy, and cool.