Handsome on their feet
By Jim Evans Daily Tribune Sports Writer
September 21, 2001
FOOTBALL: If the shoe fits ...
FERNDALE - If things work out for Ferndale High grad Rodney Hall, Nike guru Phil Knight will be pressing the former Eagles' trousers someday.
And, Microsoft's Bill Gates could be yanking dandelions from Hall's front lawn. While the Ferndale High assistant football coach has not really cashed in on his idea yet, things look promising. Hall, a 1989 Ferndale High grad, is the man behind Spatz Inc.
"I used to wear spats when I was playing football," said Hall, an All-State player at Ferndale who went on to play in college. "I would use three rolls of tape and a role of pre-tape underneath. Why did I do it? I guess it was for fashion," he said, smiling. "It looked good."
Three rolls of tape? Somewhere, an athletic trainer is cringing.
But check out the football fields on these fruited plains of ours. You see the look all of the time. Kids in cleats with acres of Johnson & Johnson wrapped around them.
Sometimes, there is so much of the stuff on their shoes, they look like poodles with a bad grooming job around the paws.
Hall saw a need. He saw a niche. He came up with Spatz Inc.
His product replaces athletic tape. Spatz are a form fitted shoe covering designed to function in the same supportive and protective capacity as taping.
Yet, instead of the hassle of applying and removing tape, his zippered design enables the player to pull it on and get it off quickly.
"I remember when I was in high school, you couldn't wear cleats in the school or locker room. So either kids would have to unroll all of that tape and take their shoes off, or they would go crawling on hands and knees in through the doors. Big, tough football players should not be crawling on their knees," Hall said, laughing again.
Most of the varsity players at Ferndale High wear Spatz. They are available in a variety of school colors. Most of the Eagles wear gold.
Numbers and school logos can also be affixed. A pair ranges from $15 to $20.
A company in Washington state offers a similar product.
Yet, rather than covering the entire shoe, it exposes the shoe's toe and extends up the leg in the style of an ankle brace.
"A lot of the Ferndale kids are wearing Spatz," said Hall.
"So are some of the Oak Park kids and the kids from Pershing. A lot of players in the Detroit Public School League have them."
Hall is looking to penetrate the college and professional football markets. He has already established a business relationship with former University of Michigan player Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders.
For more information, check out the website at www.spatz.us.com.
Copyright © Daily Tribune 2001
