Key Takeaways
- Foot Locker launches its new brand platform, “It Always Will Be Foot Locker,” with a two-minute short film narrated by Method Man that walks through 50+ years of sneaker and basketball culture.
- The campaign will expand across TV, social, and IRL, with Foot Locker teaming with Hartbeat on a 36-part short-form docuseries, “Sole Stories,” dropping this fall to spotlight creators and sneakerheads sharing their personal sneaker journeys.
For over 50 years, Foot Locker has been at the forefront of keeping you laced; from the adidas Stan Smith through Nike’s Air Jordan 1 to LeBron James’s collection and the signature shoes of today’s hoopers, it has always been Foot Locker that has kept up with the trends in sneaker and basketball culture, from white on white Air Force 1s through the classic wheat Timbs. If you’re looking for staples to add to your sneaker collection or the freshest pairs to throw your peers off guard, Foot Locker has been your forever destination, and today, they let that fact be known through their new brand platform, “It Always Will Be Foot Locker,” featuring a two-minute short film narrated by Method Man of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, who takes you on a quick trek through sneaker history while highlighting Foot Locker’s place within said history.
“As someone who has been part of sneaker culture for decades,” Method Man said, “this project felt personal. Sneakers have always been bigger than footwear. They represent where you're from, what inspires you, and the moments that shape you. That's what makes this campaign so authentic. It celebrates the culture that's brought people together for generations while reminding us that the next chapter is still being written.”
The piece, which was created in part with the agency Someplace, does a fantastic job of giving you a brief time capsule of the many styles that have permeated the culture, from the adidas Superstars through Run DMC to New Balance’s Grey series, the Converse Weapon, and many other classic pairs, all maintaining Foot Locker’s black and white Striper as being the signifier for where you can obtain the freshest styles from the past through today.
“For more than 50 years, Foot Locker has given sneaker culture a true home, helping define its iconic moments and milestones,” said Brett O’Brien, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at Foot Locker. “It Always Will Be Foot Locker is our love letter to that legacy and to the generations of customers and communities who have shaped it alongside us. It celebrates where sneaker culture has been, reflects where it is today, and inspires the next generation to write the next chapter with us.”
This short film is just the beginning of the It Always Will Be Foot Locker campaign; expect to see this touching wherever Foot Locker is on TV, social, and IRL. Foot Locker is reportedly working with Hartbeat on a 36-part short-form docuseries called Sole Stories that will feature creators, sneaker enthusiasts, and tastemakers sharing their sneaker journeys, charting their paths as sneakerheads. You can expect to start seeing that documentary series to roll throughout the Fall.
For now, run back the It Always Will Be Foot Locker short and count how many pairs you either have owned or are currently in your closet.
