‘Johnny Goldenshoes’ has fun with football footwear
Emporia State punter, Johnny Torres, known for golden shoes
By Jesse Newell
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The name sounds heroic, like something taken straight out of a comic book or fairy tale.
Johnny Torres never could have known his nickname would become this big — or that his online purchase before his freshman season would give him a whole new identity.
“I just bought a pair of cleats, and now I’m named ‘Johnny Goldenshoes,’” Torres said. “It’s pretty fun, though. I like it.”
These aren’t just any shoes, though. These are bright, shining, gold shoes, those that are tough to miss and easy to recognize on the football field.
It’s a tradition started simply because Torres needed a new pair of cleats. His others fell apart during camp his freshman year, as he didn’t want to keep going through the hassle of taping them before each workout.
After searching the Internet, Torres stumbled upon the golden Nike soccer shoes, a pair he said fit in perfectly with the Emporia State gold.
The rest of the decision, he said, was all about entertainment.
“I’m a big a fan of the idea of having some fun with what you’re doing,” Torres said. “This is pretty much my life, so I’ve got to make use of it and have a good time doing it.”
He still never could have imagined the response he would get.
Torres said oftentimes people would come up to him on campus, recognizing him as ‘Golden Toe’ or ‘Goldenshoes’ without knowing much else about him.
“They usually know me by the gold cleats,” Torres said, “and not my real name.”
Torres said he’d only received positive response from his teammates about the shoes. In fact, when he tried a new black pair of shoes that his Dad bought him a few weeks ago, teammates kept asking where the golden shoes had gone.
“I don’t know if (my Dad) knows,” Torres said, “how big the golden cleats are to everybody.”
Torres has received some razzing from opponents. The worst came against Fort Hays in his first collegiate game last year, when he took multiple insults about his selection of footwear.
“I’m sure they notice them,” Torres said, “because how could you not?”
Though the shiny shoes have made him stand out, Torres’ strong punting has also separated him from many in the MIAA.
Currently, Torres is second in the conference in both average yards per punt (38.3) and net yards per punt (33.2).
“If you’re going to wear a pair of shoes like that, you’d better be good,” ESU coach Dave Wiemers said. “He’s done a really good job.”
Torres also launched the longest punt in the conference this season, connecting on a wind-aided 80-yarder against Fort Hays State in the third game of the season.
Only a sophomore, Torres has benefited this season from having an extra year in games and also in the weight room.
The punter has gained about 20 pounds since arriving on campus, making him feel more comfortable around larger players on the field.
“This year, I’m just more calm whenever I get the snap,” Torres said. “I’m not really thinking about too much other than kicking the ball. I guess that’s helped out a lot — just keeping my mind focused and not having to worry about everything else.”
“He’s a valuable asset for us,” Wiemers said. “Right now, I don’t see any reason why he can’t be an all-conference punter. I think he’ll get that if he keeps going the way he’s going.”
Torres renewed some family ties with Emporia when he signed with ESU in May of his senior year. His great-grandfather migrated to Emporia, and his grandfather grew up in the city.
The punter actually owns two pairs of the golden shoes, one size 10 1/2 and the other size 11. When the 10 1/2’s wear out, he said he already has a plan for them: He’d like to donate them to the ESU football fund-raising auction.
They’ve already been a good investment.
Not only have they given Torres two seasons of use, they’ve also given him more enjoyment in his role on the squad and also as ‘Johnny Goldenshoes.’
“I guess when I bought these shoes, I would have liked to have started a spark with the football team and the community,” Torres said. “Apparently, I have.”