When you go by the name Dash, you better be light on your feet.
Dash Harris is just that, which may be one reason why shoes are almost as much of a passion as basketball is for the 6-foot-1 guard from California.
"It's just a personal thing," said Harris, A&M's starting point guard. "I like shopping, going to the mall, and it's pretty much for shoes. So if anyone wants to buy me anything, I just tell them to get me a pair of shoes. It doesn't matter what kind, I'll probably like them."
Harris figures he has about 100 pair of shoes, 50 with him in College Station, 40 or so "all boxed up" at home in Los Angeles and another 10 with his good friend and mentor Baron Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers' star guard.
Even though 100 pairs of shoes may sound a bit much, Harris says they aren't an obssession, just a hobby.
"I've never waited in line to get a pair of shoes," he said. "I've seen a new pair of shoes come out, and I think, 'Yeah, I'm going to get those,' but it's never that important that I'm going to wait around and wait for the store to open. Plus, I let the expensive ones go."
And his collection is not exclusive to basketball shoes, although he cares a bit more for a good pair endorsed by Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or Michael Jordan than for his walking or casual shoes.
"I have walking shoes, boots, sporty shoes. I could go out and play with about 25 pair of my shoes, just walk around with 15 or so," Harris said. "Whatever I'm wearing, depending upon the color and if I'm wearing a sweatsuit or something, I'll just put on pair of running shoes that you can walk around in. I only wear basketball shoes on the floor."
Each pair serves a function, including his basketball shoes which are designated for either practices or games.
"In practice, your shoes may get scuffed up or get ragged," Harris said. "I have a pair just for the game, so they don't get too broken in, still fit my feet, still have a good grip and everything."
Harris' favorites lately are a pair of Bryant's shoes with the No. 8 across the top. They are gold, Harris' favorite color.
"In high school I played pretty much my whole season in a gold pair of LeBron's," Harris said. "Our colors were purple and white and gray. That's the only time matching doesn't matter is when I'm on the floor."
Harris broke out a pair of multi-colored shoes with lime green shoelaces for the Maroon & White scrimmage last fall.
"Those were the craziest ones," Harris said. "It was just the kind of thing where they were really comfortable, but they just happened to be those colors. A lot of people have inquired about them."
Harris, a sophomore, bought those shoes at A&M when he attended a summer elite camp before his freshman season.
Most of the time Harris conforms to what his teammates are wearing. During the offseason, however, he goes his own route.
"When I play ball in the summer, my shoes never match what I'm working out in," Harris said "I like crazy shoes other people probably wouldn't wear. I bring in a new pair of shoes, crazy colors, and everyone wants to see them, and then all they want to know is if I'm going to wear them in a game."
The sophomore switches shoes nearly every day according to teammate Derrick Roland, who said Harris always has some advice for the rest of them on the different types of shoes everyone should wear and what to work out in.
Harris faced his own shoe dilemma when he first came to A&M, which had recently switched from Nike to adidas.
"It didn't alter my decision [to attend A&M] at all, but I did have to look at it because in high school all I wore was Nike," Harris said. "Nike sent me shoes in high school to wear, so it was a change because I'd never worn adidas before."
Harris has made the adjustment just fine, leading A&M in assists, assists-to-turnover ratio and steals, while also showing he has some hops no matter the shoe with 3.3 rebounds a game and a few memorable dunks.
Harris also has taken to designing shoes, assisting Davis with his line of Li Ning shoes.
"He told me one day he needed me at his office," Harris said. "They had some sketches of some shoes, and Baron just asked me what the younger guys like nowadays. I just gave him all the pointers, like some of the colors where he had them didn't match. And the shoelaces. They pretty much had to change the whole shoe. It was all good and it came out nice. He's wearing them now."
There are many people wearing Harris' shoes now as well.
Harris has been quite generous when it comes to giving shoes to those in need or have a difficult time finding specific brands of shoes.
"I've given away a lot of shoes, like in the summer when I go back home I've given away shoes I've only worn once," Harris said. "My mom boxes them up and gives them to Goodwill or something."
When Harris played basketball at Monteverde Academy in Florida the season before he came to A&M, many of the players were from African countries, so he left them his shoes.
"I left a bunch for them on purpose. I've given away a lot of shoes," Harris said. "I have enough to spare."
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