New York mag features the enduring Stan Smith

The enduring Stan Smith, he of the sneak attacks at net and venerable, vintage-to-modern sneakers, has some things to say.

Appearing in a feature story in *New York* magazine's February 6 issue, Smith speaks to his surprisingly everlasting Adidas imprint, billed by Lauren Schwartzberg, as "essentially anonymous, the saltine cracker of tennis shoes."

She means no ill will.

That's the firm truth about these sturdy, spare kicks. They're minimalist, in form and function and fashion. They get the job done, just as Smith himself did at the 1971 US Open and 1972 Wimbledon events, winning his two career major singles titles.

To his credit, he also won five Grand Slam doubles titles, at the US Open and Australian Opens, but, as the writer puts it, "He was ... no Serena Williams, not even a Rod Laver."

Schwartzberg, the writer, visited Smith at a time when his wife, Margie, was busily planning his 70th birthday party. (He turned a septuagenarian in December 2016.)

Smith, who at the time appeared forever confounded by the cultural durability of his trademark treads, would also find his appearance perfectly encapsulated in Schwartzberg's affectionate take on some of his rather untamed facial hair:

"It’s his eyebrows that stand out, the only unruly thing about him; each single hair living its own best life, swooping in and curling out, flailing like one of those blowup guys outside a car dealership, just trying to find somewhere to land."

Uncover for yourself the delightful nuggets embedded in the prose along the way. And relish in the fact that a major publication has published a longform feature on this man's patented style, his shoe, his way about things and his life.

Cheers to you, Stan Smith.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.