Bill Nye, the Sneakerhead

Nye joined Complex’s Joe La Puma at Stadium Goods in New York City to discuss the science behind a good shoe.

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Taking off the lab coat, Nye gave us a taste of his fashion sense, dressed in a streetwear-ready look (a purple button-down and bow-tie with blue jeans and Nike Free Run’s 5.0).

First, he looked at a series of sneakers La Puma had selected for his hot takes. Most notably, and most likely to cause a stir, he said Yeezy Foam Runner wearers are likely “the same people who wear crocs.” Because crocs are making a comeback! But, overall, he did like the shoe, noting that it “looks like the future. It looks like a science fiction movie.”

Always one to educate, he gave some insight into his running technique, which helped hundreds of people beat personal bests with the #go20withbillnye guided run in 2018.

“You try to not have your head bob up and down,” he explained, citing runners from his day, like Prefontaine. “But you just gotta run the way your body runs.” As to the effectiveness of air-bubble technology, Nye took a decisive stance saying, “absolutely, without question, it depends.”

When it came time to shop for himself, he quickly gravitated towards the "runner" section, as a runner himself, pointing out a pair of red New Balance’s his wife would love. Totaling up to $946.12 in what might be the first Complex sneaker shopping trip to come in under a grand, Nye got three pairs of New Balances (because, of course) and one pair of socks. Watch the full clips below for the specifics.

Photo via Getty/ Mike Pont/ WireImage