Few articles of clothing have impacted – and been impacted by – pop culture like sneakers.
Sure, there was Geri’s Union Jack dress and Barney’s ducky tie and even Cher’s computerised closet, but sneaker culture is synonymous with pop culture in a unique and inimitable way. It makes sense: sneakers are an integral part of everything from sports and style to music and movies.
That’s why, to celebrate the launch of eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee program in Australia, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most important pairs to grace our fields, screens and airwaves.
The Authenticity Guarantee gives sneakerheads the confidence to buy and sell kicks on eBay, thanks to Sneaker Con-trained experts who verify sneakers from beloved brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Converse, Vans, and more. Get the real deal with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee and check out the range of sneakers authenticated by experts in Australia. Perhaps these iconic kicks will inspire your next purchase.
Nike Air Jordans, Do The Right Thing and Space Jam
Honestly, you could write an entire article about the contribution of Air Jordans (all 35 editions of them) to pop culture, but some deserve a special mention.
Few directors understand the storytelling power of sneakers like Spike Lee and nowhere is that more evident than in 1989’s Do The Right Thing. The film is stacked with sneakers but Lee spins a scuffed pair of Air Jordan IVs and the altercation that follows moves into commentary on the gentrification of Brooklyn in a masterful way.
On the other end of the spectrum, Air Jordans – and Michael Jordan himself – arrived in the Loony Toons universe via Space Jam. MJ wore the aptly named Air Jordan XI ‘Space Jam’ from the film in the 1995 Eastern Conference finals and they’ve had limited releases on and off ever since.
Space Jam also featured Air Jordan 2s, IXs and Xs, so keep your eyes peeled for whatever LeBron will be rocking in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Self-lacing Nike Air Mags, Back To The Future: Part II
Nike’s iconic, self-lacing Air Mags became a reality back in 2011 with the first pair fittingly gifted to Michael J Fox. A limited number of pairs were available for purchase via auction in 2011 and again on Future Day (AKA October 21) in 2015, with proceeds donated to fund research into Parkinson’s disease via Fox’s foundation.
The pair featured in the film were specially created by iconic Nike designer Tinker Hatfield while the 2011 version also made an appearance in Fabolous’ Back To The Future-inspired ‘You Made Me’ music video in 2014.
If you’re feeling futuristic, you can pick up a pair for just over AU $30,000 on eBay.
Checkerboard Vans, Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Cult classic Fast Times At Ridgemont High leaned heavily on the surf and skate culture of 1980s Southern California, meaning Sean Penn’s Checkerboard Vans were the obvious choice.
“Sean Penn, who played Jeff Spicoli, brought the Vans checkered slip-ons himself, and I really liked them…I trusted his judgement,” director Amy Heckerling told High Snobiety.
The good news is that these bad boys are still freely available and will set you back less than $100 a pop.
Nike Blazers, Like Mike
Less than after the original Space Jam graced cinemas, a then-14-year-old Lil Bow Wow stumbled upon a pair of old Nike Blazers inscribed with MJ’s initials and went on to become an NBA superstar in Like Mike.
Since being introduced in 1972, Blazers have been a staple of Nike’s catalogue, and are still available in dozens of fits and colourways.
Adidas Superstars, ‘Walk This Way’ music video
Given Run DMC’s ‘My Adidas’ didn’t actually achieve music video status, their ‘Walk This Way’ collab with Aerosmith is the next best thing.
The group wear laceless, shell-toe Adidas Superstars – a style that’s still widely available today – in a look reminiscent of their 1987 Together Forever tour.
Converse Chuck Taylors, The Breakfast Club and Stranger Things
Each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, and Converse’s unmistakable canvas Chuck Taylors are a hallmark of any teen-centric stories made or set in the ‘80s – although they’re obviously still hugely popular today.
Whether they’re scuffed black high-tops paired with lashings of black eyeliner or a pink smock, shaved head and bomber jacket, the cultural impact of Chucks is such that Millie Bobby Brown – the actor who plays Eleven in Stranger Things – was the celeb most recently tapped for a collaboration, a customisable line dubbed Millie by You.
Honourable mentions: Will Smith and Jerry Seinfeld
This is a story all about how there are over a hundred different pairs of sneakers featured in the combined 328 episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Seinfeld, so it would be remiss of us to leave Will Smith and Jerry Seinfeld – both of whom are sneakerheads IRL – off this list.
The vast majority of kicks worn by the pair were Nike, with Seinfeld’s on-screen collection containing at least 49 different pairs. For his part, the Fresh Prince dabbled in Adidas Superstars, Timberlands, and Doc Martens from time to time, but Smith was best known for the Air Jordan Vs, which scored their own Fresh Prince-themed release. Iconic.
