What is the most iconic New York shoe, a Nike Air Force 1 sneaker or a Timberland?
Who better to weigh in than the NBA 2026 champions, the New York Knicks.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, cohosts of the podcast “The Roommates Show” with Matt Hillman, welcomed various guests, including teammates Karl Anthony-Towns and Miles “Deuce” McBride for a live taping at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday following their title-winning game against the San Antonio Spurs six days prior.
Timberland boot.
Kicking off the conversation sponsored by Foot Locker, Hillman asked whether the Air Force 1 or the Timberland is the most iconic New York shoe.
“I got to say the Timb,” McBride said, to which Brunson replied, “That was a PR move right there.”
Hart was in agreement with McBride, sharing, “I’m going Timb, dog. I feel like you can’t go wrong with Air Force, I wear Air Forces all the time, but like New York is just Timb — like a good pair of butters.”
However, some New Yorkers believe there are right and wrong Timberlands (recall the “boneless” Timbs debate on social media last year). Hart asked, “I’ve always wondered this question, cause I’m not from New York….Which Timbs can you not wear, cause the all black joints are valid, right?”
He quickly learned that they are not valid, only the “butters.” Towns stood by the classic yellow color but McBride gave him permission to wear black.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks attend the game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 2026 in New York.
New York Yankees/Getty Images
Brunson voted for the Air Force 1 as the most iconic New York shoe, with the conversation acknowledging that the team captain isn’t much of a Timberland guy.
“He’s supposed to be the king of New York, he don’t wear Timbs,” Hart said of his former Villanova roommate. Implored to wear a pair to a game on one occasion, Brunson argued that he has in fact done so in the past (his teammates want to see the evidence).
Hart and Brunson have both recently shown their affinity for Air Force 1s. The two attended a Yankees game on Wednesday, a day before their championship parade, to throw the first pitch; they respectively wore a classic all-white Air Force 1 and a Flyknit version of the famous sneaker.
Watch “The Roommates Show” conversation below.