Morehouse Grad Brandon 'Jinx' Jenkins Collaborates With Nike On New Sneaker

A media personality along with other peers have helped shift the focus to HBCUs through creating apparel.

Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins, a grad from Morehouse College, along with several other friends from Historically Black colleges, started the new Terminator High sneaker in the Yardrunners campaign. He created it with Nike’s 2023 Yardrunners 4.0 campaign to represent his alma mater, according to Andscape.com.

“I remember getting on campus and I had a little chest [filled with my sneakers] that I had to talk to my roommate about the first day like, ‘Yo, bro, this is my pride and joy. You need to protect this like we protect the rest of the room. Don’t let no one steal my s—,’” he recalls.

The podcaster, writer, and television personality helped start Yardrunners in 2020, partnering with Black colleges and universities “to celebrate the unique culture, style and history of those campuses, students and alums through events on campus, scholarships," as well as sneakers and apparel.

"As the second of three Morehouse x Nike Yardrunners, he most recently transformed his gratitude for Morehouse into a timeless sneaker design for Nike's 'Be True To Your School' pack.

This collaboration extends beyond fashion; it represents a narrative combining personal and institutional pride with an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Jinx's creative vision and Nike's global influence have given rise to a sneaker that goes beyond its aesthetic appeal. The 'Be True To Your School' pack symbolizes Morehouse College's spirit, achievement, and rich culture," as described on Morehouse College's website. 

Jenkins used to be a member of the Yardrunners 3.0 cohort, highlighting HBCU alumni building a legacy to motivate future generations. Jenkins is one of five former Yardrunners, including those from alumni of Spelman College, Tuskegee University, Alabama A&M and Tennessee State, to take advantage of the opportunity to design a sneaker. The Terminator High is 2023’s model for collaborators to use as a canvas.

“The first time you get to campus, they let you know that you’re standing on the shoulders of people before you, and it’s on you to keep that baton passing. And I thought a lot about those days and that conversation throughout the design.” 

Jenkins said he works hard to distinguish prestigious leaders such as Morehouse’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Julian Bond and Spike Lee.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, this is my chance to make a sneaker. Let me put some zippers on it and 20 Air bubbles,’ ” Jenkins said. “I know how the Morehouse dudes dress. When you’re a freshman, you wear suits like, three days out of the week. It’s like, all right, can this sneakily go with a suit? Can you wear them out at a club? Can a freshman wear these and beat them to s— for years by the time he’s graduated?”

Nike has been honoring HBCU students the last five years through this Yardrunner program thanks to HBCU students creating the program back in 2020, according to Complex.

Photo Credit: Morehouse College Website