Making the Olympics was supposed to be the highlight of the season for Tyler George. Instead, a simple trip to the mall will become the talking point for his friends and family when he arrives at home after the 2018 Winter Games.

The American curler became somewhat of a sensation last week when the New York Times ran a story about him that had nothing to do with his acumen on the ice. Instead, it focused mainly on what George wore on his feet. Heavy emphasis needs to be placed on the past tense here since he'll be going home with new kicks after his Olympic journey is over.

More than printing the news

The drama started earlier in the week. Ostensibly, the New York Times was trying to give an honest and straightforward treatment of the sport of curling as the Olympics began in Pyeongchang, South Korea. They couldn't help but notice how run down George's shoes were, though. That became the focus of the story, which spun out into a much longer tale of commerce and capitalism.

See, after the story ran, the New York Times made a request of one of their reporters covering the games.

George and teammate Joe Polo went on a journey into the heart of Gangneung with New York Times reporter Scott Cacciola to find some new shoes. They joked about stopping for ice cream and various snacks throughout the trip.

The mission was to replace a heinously worn down pair of Skechers, though.

Thankfully, that mission was accomplished with a bright blue pair of heroes that reportedly might not do the competitor much good in the Olympic games. But those shoes can set him up for life after he returns back to the states in a week.

Now for the competition

George may have forgotten in the excitement of his shoe search, but he actually has an Olympic competition to participate in this week. The United States curling team survived after defeating rival Canada early on Monday. The team still has two more games remaining in the round robin portion of the competition, against Switzerland and Great Britain.

Of course, the focus remains on everything but the ice for people following George's antics. His shoes are better, but his socks remain exquisite. Superheroes are the topic du jour for his feet. Superman, Deadpool, and Captain America are among those that have made their way onto George's socks (note the indecisiveness between DC and Marvel). Thanks to the New York Times, George now has the pristine shoes to match his socks.

All in all, this will be an Olympic experience Tyler George never forgets.
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