mier
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[h=1]IF THE THRILLER SHOE FITS[/h] News - General | Aug 28, 2011
Tomorrow, August 29, 2011, marks what would have been Michael Jackson's 53rd birthday. When I found out that Supra’s release of a Thriller themed Jim Greco Thunder coincided with the Gloved One’s special day, my first reaction was, "Bad!" After my initial excitement wore off, the next thing to pop in my head was, W.W.M.J.T. (what would Michael Jackson think)? I figured the best way to get my answer was to get as close as possible to the source, but I was getting ahead of myself. First things first, I had to get my hands on the shoes.
I emailed Dave Carnie, Supra's Marketing Director, and after some warranted hesitation (only 413 pairs of each color were made), Dave sent me a red Thriller – they also come in black. Because MJ wore a size 10, Dave insisted I use the same for my research adding, "If he's a good impersonator, he'll wear a size 10." The shoes were on their way.
Before hitting the impersonator saturated streets of Hollywood, I did some research. After a tip from a fellow MJ fan, I made arrangements with Kamal Ali Jr., a five year old professional Michael Jackson impersonator, after viewing his work on YouTube. I arrived early to shoot some photos before meeting up with Kamal, and as luck would have it, I immediately ran into Jovan Rameau.
[h=2]The Man[/h] Jovan is much older than Kamal, and with age comes confidence - Jovan had the MJ kit down! Of course Jovan, like any practiced impersonator, immediately informed me that he works for donations. Broke until payday, I bartered with the last three dollars in my wallet and a smile. He grudgingly agreed to let me ask him a few questions.
“You’re damn right!” was Jovan’s response when asked whether or not Thriller was MJ’s best era. As he inspected my pair of Supra’s in tow, he commented, "I was expecting something really cheesy and stuff, and I thought, ‘Hey, it looks like a pair of those shoes that Michael Jordan would wear. It's pretty cool!’"
Although impersonating his ‘spirited brother’ on and off for a few years, Jovan had no idea MJ was a size 10. "You're kidding me? WHAT! Let me have this shoe. Are you serious?" Jovan is a size 10. Dave’s words rang in my ears. After trying on the shoes Jovan concluded that the soles unfortunately weren’t slick enough to moonwalk in, but said he could definitely pantomime it in them. Leaving my interview for a photo op with a real paying customer, Jovan handed back the shoes saying, "These shoes are great man. I'd buy some."
Jovan is currently working on a coffee table book dedicated to the thousands of fans who visit Michael Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame every year. For more info, check out his site dancingintheshadow.com.
[h=2]The Myth[/h] Kamal showed up a few minutes later with his dad. He's a tiny guy and naturally much more timid than Jovan as he's only been dancing and dressing like Michael for two years. I asked Kamal why he liked MJ and he answered that, "He dances, and he moonwalks… and I like his dancing."
Kamal had no doubt in his mind that he could moonwalk in these shoes. I asked him if he liked the shoe and why. He simply responded that, "I like that they're red. I like the color red, and they're white and I like the color white… and they're not boots."
Kamal is not a size 10. However, after spending a little time with him, I have a gut feeling that Kamal will grow up to be a size 10 and properly fill MJ's shoes. If you want to see Kamal’s dance moves, which I highly recommend, you should check out his YouTube page.
[h=2]The Legend[/h] The Supra Thriller Pack dropped yesterday. The upper is created from soft and sumptuous kidskin leather, and the inside of each shoe is lined with visa terry. Unique features include a fully functional retro 80’s zipper on the outside of each shoe, as well as the custom “Thriller” print on the sock liner. It features a custom “Thriller” hang tag, and each pair is sequentially numbered on the inside of the tongue. If you're lucky, you can still get your hands on a pair directly from the Supra site or at the following retailers worldwide:
Tomorrow, August 29, 2011, marks what would have been Michael Jackson's 53rd birthday. When I found out that Supra’s release of a Thriller themed Jim Greco Thunder coincided with the Gloved One’s special day, my first reaction was, "Bad!" After my initial excitement wore off, the next thing to pop in my head was, W.W.M.J.T. (what would Michael Jackson think)? I figured the best way to get my answer was to get as close as possible to the source, but I was getting ahead of myself. First things first, I had to get my hands on the shoes.
I emailed Dave Carnie, Supra's Marketing Director, and after some warranted hesitation (only 413 pairs of each color were made), Dave sent me a red Thriller – they also come in black. Because MJ wore a size 10, Dave insisted I use the same for my research adding, "If he's a good impersonator, he'll wear a size 10." The shoes were on their way.
Before hitting the impersonator saturated streets of Hollywood, I did some research. After a tip from a fellow MJ fan, I made arrangements with Kamal Ali Jr., a five year old professional Michael Jackson impersonator, after viewing his work on YouTube. I arrived early to shoot some photos before meeting up with Kamal, and as luck would have it, I immediately ran into Jovan Rameau.
[h=2]The Man[/h] Jovan is much older than Kamal, and with age comes confidence - Jovan had the MJ kit down! Of course Jovan, like any practiced impersonator, immediately informed me that he works for donations. Broke until payday, I bartered with the last three dollars in my wallet and a smile. He grudgingly agreed to let me ask him a few questions.
“You’re damn right!” was Jovan’s response when asked whether or not Thriller was MJ’s best era. As he inspected my pair of Supra’s in tow, he commented, "I was expecting something really cheesy and stuff, and I thought, ‘Hey, it looks like a pair of those shoes that Michael Jordan would wear. It's pretty cool!’"
Although impersonating his ‘spirited brother’ on and off for a few years, Jovan had no idea MJ was a size 10. "You're kidding me? WHAT! Let me have this shoe. Are you serious?" Jovan is a size 10. Dave’s words rang in my ears. After trying on the shoes Jovan concluded that the soles unfortunately weren’t slick enough to moonwalk in, but said he could definitely pantomime it in them. Leaving my interview for a photo op with a real paying customer, Jovan handed back the shoes saying, "These shoes are great man. I'd buy some."
Jovan is currently working on a coffee table book dedicated to the thousands of fans who visit Michael Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame every year. For more info, check out his site dancingintheshadow.com.
[h=2]The Myth[/h] Kamal showed up a few minutes later with his dad. He's a tiny guy and naturally much more timid than Jovan as he's only been dancing and dressing like Michael for two years. I asked Kamal why he liked MJ and he answered that, "He dances, and he moonwalks… and I like his dancing."
Kamal had no doubt in his mind that he could moonwalk in these shoes. I asked him if he liked the shoe and why. He simply responded that, "I like that they're red. I like the color red, and they're white and I like the color white… and they're not boots."
Kamal is not a size 10. However, after spending a little time with him, I have a gut feeling that Kamal will grow up to be a size 10 and properly fill MJ's shoes. If you want to see Kamal’s dance moves, which I highly recommend, you should check out his YouTube page.
[h=2]The Legend[/h] The Supra Thriller Pack dropped yesterday. The upper is created from soft and sumptuous kidskin leather, and the inside of each shoe is lined with visa terry. Unique features include a fully functional retro 80’s zipper on the outside of each shoe, as well as the custom “Thriller” print on the sock liner. It features a custom “Thriller” hang tag, and each pair is sequentially numbered on the inside of the tongue. If you're lucky, you can still get your hands on a pair directly from the Supra site or at the following retailers worldwide: