On the afternoon before the first class, I walked downtown to The Athletic Department and bought a pair of Onitsuka Tigers imported by Blue Ribbon Sports. Note the date on the receipt: 9/27/71.

This would not be the last thing I saved during my years at Oregon.

Many have asked me how I came to save 28 pairs of shoes and over 270 pieces of memorabilia. I recognize it's unsatisfying for me to say that I'm not exactly sure. That's true in part, though certainly Blue Ribbon Sports and subsequently Nike were exciting - they were the new kids on the local block going up against international behemoths, and many rooted for their success.