The former Yankees ace says he has 2,500 pairs of shoes…and a hobby that might surprise you.
Looking stylish and chic in a black suit and black turtleneck, CC Sabathia sauntered down the red carpet in Lower Manhattan last week at the Footwear News Achievement Awards to celebrate Jordan Brand‘s Brand of the Year award.
The longtime superstar pitcher rocked with Jumpman for the majority of his standout career, and the brand recently celebrated $5 billion in sales for the first time over a fiscal year.
Sabathia spoke with Boardroom about personal style, the best advice he’s ever received, and a guilty pleasure that may surprise you.
SHLOMO SPRUNG: Where do you get your style from?
CC SABATHIA: My wife. She dresses me.
SS: What’s the first shoe you remember loving?
CC: The first shoe I remember loving was the Jordan 11 because of the patent leather, but I remember not being able to afford it. But the next year the 12s came out and I remember having the white and red 12s, and that was like a big deal to me.
SS: What’s your go-to pair kicks right now?
CC: Right now, I just wear the black and gray 3s everywhere. They’re super easy to slip on like slippers.
SS: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
CC: 2,500
SS: What’s the most expensive pair of shoes you ever bought?
CC: Man, I actually haven’t bought a pair of shoes in the long time because I’ve been with Jordan Brand for the longest. But I think the most expensive pair of shoes I have is probably the Carhartt x Eminems, the 4s.
SS: What’s one question you wish people would stop asking you?
CC: Is Aaron Judge going to sign back [with the Yankees]? [laughs]
[Spoiler: He did.]
SS: What’s the funniest thing you’ve heard about yourself on the internet?
CC: Man, I read funny stuff about myself all the time. I guess the funniest thing is just seeing videos of me when I was a lot bigger.
SS: What was your first job you ever had?
CC: Baseball. I never had a job before baseball.
SS: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
CC: Just to stay humble. That’s something my grandma always told me.
SS: What’s something people don’t know about you?
CC: Something that I love is reality shows, like whatever they are. Any kind of reality TV, I’m pretty much watching it. Right now, I’m watching Love During Lockup.
SS: What makes an outfit?
CC: The shoes, 1,000%. I always start from the shoes up.
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