Most principals walk the halls with a serious face in plain clothes and dress shoes. Assistant principal Erik Dambeck does it in Air Jordans. He owns 15 pairs and a collection of suits, adding a personal touch to his professional wardrobe.

Dambeck’s love for shoes began when he was a child and Air Jordans were just being released.

“I had my first pair when they first came out,” Dambeck said. “I was in seventh grade and was playing basketball. So, I think it started when I got basketball shoes as a little kid.”

Dambeck was inspired by Michael Jordan and found his love for collecting shoes through him.

“When you were a kid and you got new shoes, you always thought you could run faster and jump higher,” Dambeck said. “I got to watch Michael Jordan growing up, and he was the basketball player I always looked at. I think that is all where my love for Jordans came from.”

Dambeck owns 15 pairs and keeps them on a display at his house. 

“I have 12 pairs of Jordans and three pairs of ones that are dress shoes,” Dambeck said. “They are actually golf shoes, but I wear them as my dress shoes at work. My wife says I have a Jordans problem.”

He also has several different suits for occasions such as holidays. 

“I have a Christmas suit, a St. Patrick’s Day one and a Star Wars themed one,” Dambeck said. “I usually wear the Star Wars one on May 4 for ‘May the Fourth be With You.’ I got my suits when I was an elementary principal. The elementary kids really ate that kind of stuff up. And last year I found out that big kids are not that much different than little kids.” 

Dambeck’s shoes have sparked conversations with students throughout his time as a principal, and have led to him becoming more acclimated to the high school environment. 

“I think it has helped me make connections with students,” Dambeck said. “Kids come up to me all the time and are like, ‘hey I love your J’s,’ and we talk about my shoes and how many pairs I have. I think it is a good icebreaker and, with last year being my first year here, it was an easy way to approach students and have a conversation with them.”

Along with his shoes, his suits have also been a way for him to connect with students and staff. He has connected with students at the high school, as well as his former elementary schools Juniata and Penn Lincoln. 

“A lot of kids will see me walking in the halls in one of my suits, and I will get a lot of positive comments,” Dambeck said. “I really don’t get negative comments. Students will say ‘hey that’s so cool’.” 

Senior and former Penn Lincoln student Isabella Graham feels Dambeck’s shoes lighten the mood of the school day.

“As a student, seeing Mr. Dambeck and his different shoes everyday was exciting and added something to the day,” Graham said. “It gave me something to look forward to.” 

Freshman Bailey Cronmiller attended Juniata and remembers Dambeck wearing Air Jordans, and now enjoys getting to see him wear them at the high  school.                                                                                                                                                                                            

“He wore his Air Jordans everyday, and it made the kids very happy to see the shoes and look at them everyday,” Cronmiller said. 

Senior Zyon Vanlue attended Penn Lincoln and felt that Dambeck’s appearance had a positive impact on students.

“Since elementary school, Mr. Dambeck has always been an extremely fun guy and has some very interesting outfits,” Vanlue said. “He always goes out of his way to make someone happy.” 

Throughout his time as a principal, Dambeck has grown to learn the importance of connecting with students and uses his shoes and suits as a tool for building those relationships. 

“Coming from elementary to high school level, I have never lost sight of the fact that kids are kids, no matter how old they are,” Dambeck said. “If you can find that connection and build that relationship with them, it makes not only my job easier, but things better for them as well.”