The Most Iconic Sneakers in Movie History

When Nike launched the first Air Jordans in 1984, the world saw the emergence of a new culture. Sneakers became status symbols, highly coveted for their undeniable cool factor. Though the industry got its start in sports and hip hop, many individual sneaker models found themselves propelled to icon status after making cameos in feature films.

Below, we go over some of the most iconic sneakers in movie history.

Space Jam: Air Jordans

If you’re a huge fan of Looney Tunes, then you must have seen Space Jam at some point. Space Jam sneakers evolved through the franchise’s four-decade legacy, and have been seen in the films, ads, and franchise events. It all began when NBA star Michael Jordan partnered with Warner Bros. to create mixed-media promotions for new Air Jordan Models. MJ starred alongside Bugs Bunny to create the Hare Jordan ad for the Air Jordan 7, and the Aerospace Jordan ad for the Air Jordan 8. Finally, the pair set their sights on the big screen, launching their feature-length film Space Jam for cinemas worldwide. The film’s penultimate match against the Monstars shows MJ donning a pair of Air Jordan 11s, now aptly nicknamed Space Jams.

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Four years after the movie’s premiere, never-released Space Jam sneakers finally hit stores to massive demand. The shoe briefly returned to retail in 2009, and in 2016, the Jordan Brand released an Air Jordan 11 retro remaster for Space Jam’s 20th anniversary.

Aliens: Reebok Alien Stomper

From The Martian in 2015 to Blade Runner in 1980 — Ridley Scott’s high-intensity action films never fail to disappoint. Scott got his start in science fiction after directing the space horror Alien in 1979, a film about a crew’s encounter with a deadly extraterrestrial loose on their airship. Rather than writing a male action hero to lead as action films at the time normally would, Scott made the decision to make the protagonist a heroine, casting Sigourney Weaver as the now-iconic Ellen Ripley.

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Weaver reprised her role as Ellen Ripley in the 1986 sequel Aliens. One of the film’s final scenes features Ellen Ripley hanging on for dear life as she and the aliens get sucked out into the ship’s airlock. The aliens cling to her shoes, one of which slides off, dragging the aliens into outer space. A year after the film’s release, the custom-designed Reebok Alien Stomper were released and enjoyed massive popularity. It was re-released for the franchise’s 40th anniversary in 2019.

The Terminator: Nike Vandals

1984 saw the release of James Cameron’s iconic film The Terminator. A memorable scene features protagonist Kyle Reese bolting from the police and into a department store photo booth. As he changes into stolen department store clothes, the camera lowers to Reese’s feet, now clad in a pair of Nike Vandals.

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The scene was so iconic that when The Terminator reboot entitled Terminator Genisys rolled around, costume designer Susan Matheson personally called Nike and requested for a pair of Nike Vandals, even though the shoe was not in production at the time. After some persistence from Matheson and Paramount Pictures, Nike halted production in one of their factories to produce 20 pairs of Nike Vandals, all for the use of the Terminator Genisys Production team.

Costume design is a vital part of every film. The clothes characters wear allow them to communicate who they are without using words. Sneakers fill the same role in modern society, letting individuals express their personalities, interests, and even lifestyles. So when the worlds of sneakers and film intersect, we get iconic moments like Michael Jordan’s Monstars game, Kyle Reese’s police chase, and Ellen Ripley’s final battle.