Comedian Jo Koy receives custom Jordans called ‘Air Josep’
As a sneakerhead, Jo Koy was over the moon when he saw the custom Air Jordan 4 Oreo dubbed “Air Josep," which bears details of his heritage, home and family.
Comedian Jo Koy is known for his comfortable style, wearing understated, simple pieces from high-end designers (he was once Prada and Gucci obsessed). He has also expressed his love for sneakers, which sometimes turn sentimental.
Jo Koy has said in interviews that his then 17-year-old son, Joseph Herbert Jr., “made the executive decision” that he wear Nike Prestos on stage for his 2019 Comin’ In Hot Netflix special. The comedian said he got rave reviews not just for his performance but for his Prestos, thanks to his son.
In a GQ interview, Jo Koy shared he started his sneaker collection in 1988 when he got his first Jordan 3s, and the collection has grown since then.
So when he received a custom pair of Air Jordan 4 Oreo recently, it looked like Christmas came early—with Air Josep, whose name is an homage of sorts to how the comedian’s mother, Josie, lovingly calls him.
Jo Koy shared on TikTok a video clip of him unboxing the sneakers, together with fellow comedian Tiffany Haddish.
He excitedly unveiled the shoes the came in a custom storage box emblazoned with “Air Josep” and the Philippine flag.
In the video, the 50-year-old comedian looks astonished as he showed the sneakers to the camera. “I don’t even want to wear them,” he said.
Tiffany interjected, “Steve never let me copy off his homework but he’s an artist as we can see.”
She was referring to her high school friend and visual artist Steven Stinson, who custom made the shoes.
According to Steven’s Instagram post, the pair of Air Joseps was purchased and gifted by DeAngelo Nedd for Jo Koy.
“I had full design ability on these and to be honest, I had never heard of anything Jo Koy so I studied, I listened, and fell in love,” he wrote.
Steven said he took Jo Koy’s "Break the Mold" tour art and expanded it.
The Air Joseps bear details that represent Jo Koy’s family, home and heritage. Like the Philippine flag design under the shoes’ netting insoles, which surprised Jo, custom tongue tags are also included in the footwear.
Steven also posted on Instagram four pairs of insoles, one with the Philippine flag, another with “Josep!” and “Jo Koy” written on them, a still of Jo Koy and his mom Josie’s beer commercial, and Jo Koy’s family photos.
“Josep! You made me a fan with your comedy, you made me more compassionate due to your overwhelming bond and respect for your mother, and through this project I was able to find a comfort level in my art that didn’t exist before!” Steven wrote in the caption of his post.
This pair of Air Josep will definitely have a special spot in the mantle of Jo Koy’s sneaker collection.