Most Memorable Sneaker Product Placements in 90's Blockbuster Movies
Every millennial kid has childhood memories about watching movies. They might remember struggling with analog film technologies, such as video cassettes and CDs, or the nightmares they had after watching their first horror movie.
When I think about movies that had the most significant emotional impact on myself as a child, I immediately think about Forrest Gump (1994), Batman Returns (1992), Back to the Future II (1989), George of the Jungle (1997), the original Jumanji (1995), and Space Jam 1 (1996) that all were arguably some of the most famous blockbusters of the late 20th century. However, you might not remember all the fire sneaker cameos these movies have in common, especially if were born after the year 1990.
Lucky for you, we complied a list highlighting some of our favorite sneaker product placements in 90s movies.
The 1990s in one picture.
Forrest Gump
In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, Jenny gifts Forrest a pair of white and red Nike Cortez’s. The shoes later take Forrest running heart-broken across the United States for three years when Forrest realizes that Jenny has disappeared after the night they spent together.
Batman Returns
One of the most notable characteristics about every Batman movie is the Bat Suit and the 1992 Batman Returns is no different. However, something that surprises many people who have seen the movie, is that Batman’s boots in Batman Returns are actually Nike Air Jordan VI Batman Boots made in a partnership between Nike and Warner Bros.
Back to the Future 2
The Nike’s shoes in Back to the Future II (1989) are impossible to miss when the self-lacing Nike Air Mag sneakers play a vital part in the movie and were even portrayed in the original movie poster.
George of the Jungle
The Nike product placement in the 1997 George of the Jungle movie is more brazen than a subtle and nuanced addition to the plot. In the movie, George of the Jungle turns into an Olympic caliber runner after lacing up the Nike Air More Uptempo sneakers.
The Original Jumanji
In the original 1995 Jumanji film, the young boy version of Robin Williams’ character, Alan, is the son of a footwear factory owner. In the film, one of the workers at the factory, Carl Bentley, shows Alan a prototype of a basketball shoe ha has made, while claiming, “If I can get Wilt Chamberlain to wear them, I predict there will be a pair of these in every closet in America.” Alan then misplaces the shoe and damages a factory conveyer belt, but Carl takes responsibility and sadly loses his job. While in the film the shoes are branded as “Parrish” shoes, the shoes are nearly an exact copy of the Nike Air Max 2 Charles Barkley sneakers.
According to a Jumaji Fan Wiki page, the Parrish Shoe Company was a large sneaker manufacturing business based in Brantford, New Hampshire that gained a solid reputation as making the best shoes in New England - for producing quality footwear since 1860 - and formerly run by CEO Samuel Parrish, who retired and handed control over to his son Alan Parrish.
Space Jam
While we could write an entire article about the sneakers included in the original Space Jam, The Nike Air Jordan 11 Space Jams are arguably the number one relic from the movie that changed the sneaker culture forever.
Nike Air Jordan 11 “Space Jams”
The Nike Air Jordan 11 Space Jams are a well known sneaker grail for most sneakerheads, as the shoes that were originally displayed in the film has seen multiple releases since the movie came out. The shoes quickly rocketed to fame after the movie came out primarily due to the fact that Michael Jordan himself wore the Space Jams in the film.
Sneakerheads and Popular Culture
It is evident that Nike’s sneakers have been effectively integrated into global popular culture for decades. Sneakers have been worn for comfort by nearly everyone, from young students to workmen for hundreds of years. Yet, it was not until the 1985 release of Michael Jordan’s first shoe, the Nike Air Jordan 1, when a small group of people began collecting and reselling the limited-edition sneakers Michael Jordan wore on the basketball court. The sneakerhead pioneers ultimately laid a foundation for the sneaker culture we know today. Ever since, sneakers by companies, such as Nike and Adidas, have become an integral part of the global popular culture, enabling the leading sneaker manufactures to become some of the most valuable companies in the world.
The term “Sneakerhead” originates from around the same time as Michael Jordan became an icon of individuality in the 1980s, and the term sneakerhead is used to refer a sneaker enthusiast. (Alleyne, 2015). The sneakerhead culture has since grown to a cult-like phenomenon where sneaker collectors and admirers follow new releases and trade shoes with one another, similarly to the collectors of baseball cards or classic cars (Alleyne, 2015). Simultaneously, the sneaker culture has given birth to another sub-category fashion trend: streetwear fashion.
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