Actress Gillian Jacobs Has a Brilliant Solution to Awkward Conversations with Guys

When funny girl Gillian Jacobs isn't starring on Yahoo's Community, this season of HBO's Girls, or in the upcoming movie Hot Tub Time Machine 2, she hits the streets in search of Nike Air Jordans for her collection.

AIR RIGHTS
I grew up in Pittsburgh, but my whole family is from Chicago. Michael Jordan and the Bulls were everything.

FIT BIT
My boyfriend loves Jordans. I'd go with him to the store, but they would only have little boys' sizes left, so I'd buy all his dream shoes in a boys' 5½.

FEET FIRST
I'm trying to have more fun with my wardrobe—and more fun with my life in general. Collecting sneakers is part of that.

[pullquote align='C']You meet a guy, you can tell he's into sneakers, and it's like, OK, no more awkward small talk. [/pullquote]

SNEAK ATTACK
They look really cute with dresses or jeans. You can wear them with just about anything. They make me feel much cooler than I am.

STARTING LINEUP
I own seven or eight pairs of Jordans, two pairs of Nike Air Maxes, a pair of Andre Agassis, and some Liberty London Nike Dunks.

NEW SCHOOL
I'd love a pair of Yeezys, the ones that Kanye West made for Nike.

SHOES YOU CAN USE
They definitely get worn. I got a little nervous when I realized my Black Cement 3s were getting beat up. But life's too short to not wear them. 

GAME CHANGER
Girls talk to each other about fashion, but I don't have conversations with dudes about what I'm wearing unless it's Jordans. You meet a guy, you can tell he's into sneakers, and it's like, OK, no more awkward small talk. 

HOOP DREAMS?
Hell no! Whenever we had to play H-O-R-S-E in gym, it was a sad day for me.

Follow Gillian on Twitter @GillianJacobs.

JACKET $543, MSGM at Distractions; (970) 544-9946. DRESS $785, Christopher Kane at Barneys New York; (212) 826-8900. SNEAKERS $120, Nike; nike.com (opens in new tab).

This article appears in the January  2015 issue of Marie Claire.