Apple has announced that Tim Cook will transition to executive chairman of the board, while senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over as chief executive officer, effective Sept 1. But Ternus isn’t just stepping into one of tech’s most powerful roles; he’s inheriting the company’s long footwear tradition.
Known for revolutionizing personal computing and launching iconic products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apple’s cofounder Steve Jobs is also remembered for his signature uniform: a black turtleneck sweater, Levi’s 501 blue jeans and New Balance sneakers — particularly the 991, starting around 2001, and switching to the 992 by late 2007.
Jobs was a follower of a minimalist uniform philosophy, inspired by the idea of eliminating daily clothing decisions to preserve mental energy. The sneakers, which later became the symbol of the dad shoes trend, matched his ethos of simplicity and functionality.
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Tim Cook gave continuity to Jobs’ sneaker game. However, the new man in charge switched the attention from New Balance to Nike.
Cook joined the Nike board of directors in November 2005, when he was the chief operating officer of Apple Computer. He has served on the board since. After taking over as Apple’s CEO in 2011 following Jobs’ resignation due to health reasons, Cook was often spotted in public wearing Nike sneakers, from Air Jordan styles to custom Vomero Plus models.
In December 2025, Cook took his relationship with Nike a step further by purchasing 50,000 shares of the footwear company at $58.97 per share, spending nearly $2.95 million in the process. In April, he made news again after buying more Class B common stock in the Swossh.
Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001, has made a few public appearances over the years, in which he was seen embracing Jobs’ minimalist philosophy by wearing simple lace-up shoes from different brands, including Cole Haan. In the official image that followed the announcement of his promotion on Tuesday, Ternus is seen wearing a pair of Lems canvas sneakers. Now, time will tell if he will continue Apple’s tradition of letting sneakers set the style agenda from the C-suite down.
