I randomly spoke with JT maybe a month ago in regards to footwear business stuff. I had never spoken with him before this, so I used it as an opportunity to ask about his time with emerica.
In regards to the 'Century' (JT emerica reissue that never happened) - He said he saw them for the first time at a trade show and was annoyed that they didn't consult with him in regards to reissuing the design.
Its hard to say whether or not he is right or wrong in terms of his position on this. On one hand, that design is forever tied to him whether we like it or not. On the other hand, he doesn't necessarily own the rights to the design. Its a grey area.
The Century shoe wasn't a 1 for 1 reissue to the original JT pro model, which is why this scenario leads us to believe JT was being unreasonable... I 100% understand if MJ or Koston would be annoyed that soletech reissued their pro models without their involvement. They should be getting paid... They helped to design those shoes and those designs have become iconic AF. They helped to make a lot of money for soletech in their heyday, purely due to their endorsement and design contributions.
JT also said he wasn't feeling how the design was reinterpreted - Which I kind of agree with. I think the OG was a better looking shoe, personally. But again - If it was a 1 for 1 reissue it would create more friction between soletech and JT.
Changing the design a bit to hide the fact that it was intended to be a JT reissue (so they wouldn't have to pay him royalties) is a bit slimy on soletechs part...
I also asked him if he planned on doing a JT emerica reissue for Warsaw and he said probably not
