Dalton Nixon is an addict — an addict with a lace for an IV and a Nike swoosh as his fix. Nixon is a shoe addict.
The senior forward on the BYU men’s basketball team loves shoes. He is a basketball player who is not only obsessed with shoes but an athlete who expresses himself through them; a man who uses sneakers to achieve bigger things than basketball. “It’s a huge part of who I am, huge part of my personality,” Nixon said.
Even with 20 to 25 pairs rotating in the Marriott Center, 30 to 40 pairs at Nixon’s apartment and another 20 to 30 pairs at his parent’s home that he considers his special kicks, the increasing number of shoes does not satisfy his sneaker addiction. The lover of flashy Kobes and Jordans can’t seem to suppress the addiction.
Nixon wore a pair of Kobe 5 Protro Chaos sneakers during BYU’s 90-76 win over San Francisco on Feb. 8. The senior forward dropped nine points in 18 minutes while wearing the Kobes, shooting 60% from the field while helping increase BYU’s overall record to 19-7.
Nixon customizes some of his Nike shoes, with one of his customizations being made in honor of his best friend from high school, Parker Overly, who passed away in a tragic car accident a couple of years ago.
To remember Parker, Nixon embroidered Parker’s initials on the outside of the shoe tongue, his name inside of the shoe and Nixon’s number, 33, on the back of the shoe.
“This is something bigger than the game,” Nixon said.
The first time he wore the shoe was a matchup at Houston in November 2019. Nixon told his team before the game about the significance behind making the shoes, as many players on the team knew Parker, as well. It ended up being a nail biter with a game-winning fadeaway jumper from TJ Haws. Nixon also played an important role as he hit a clutch three down the stretch. After the game, Nixon and his teammates concluded that Parker was a tremendous help in that win.
“Creating a shoe to honor someone you love or use that to tell a story is something I really love,” he said.
At his apartment, Nixon has around 40 pairs of sneakers, which consist more of his streetwear, off-the-court shoes and Jordan Retros. At his parents’ house are another 20 pairs of shoes. But these are the “special ones” Nixon says. The ones that are a “piece of history,” like the original Jordan Bred 11s.
