Image via Complex Original
When you think of sneakers, you typically conjure up images of athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James - guys whose names and logos were stitched into the leather to move units. But they aren’t the only faces influencing people about what’s hot or not. Often Hollywood dictates style, and if a show is getting a few million viewers a week, that kind of exposure is just as crucial as MJ hitting a jumper at the buzzer. We decided to dig through the archives and find some of your favorite cartoon, movie, and television personas and show you who had some of the illest shoes on air. Just because they aren’t real people doesn’t mean the sneaker game isn’t legit. Hit the jump to check out The 50 Coolest Fictional Sneakerheads.
Kyle Lee Watson
50. Kyle Lee Watson
As Seen In: Above The Rim
Notable sneaker: Reebok Satellite Mid
Reebok struck gold when they got a handful of sneakers in Above The Rim, Kyle Lee Watson's name was country as hell but his game and struggle was the truth. The Death Row soundtrack and Tupac co-star didn't hurt the street credibility.
AC Slater
49. AC Slater
As Seen In: Saved By The Bell
Notable Sneakers: Reebok BB4600, ASICS Tiger Dan Gable, Avia 850
Slater was best known as Zach Morris' archnemesis turned best friend but besides pinning dudes and striking out with chicks under six feet he actually had a decent rotation on the show. Need further proof? We got you.
Motaw
48. Motaw
As Seen In: Above The Rim
Notable Sneaker: British Knights BK Dymacel Derrick Coleman
Birdman, the original Birdman (Tupac) used his enforcer Motaw to the fullest on and off the court. Rocking a pair of BK Derrick Colemans was only appropriate. Now can someone get with Wood Harris and find out why Avon never rocked Foams?
Scotty Appleton
47. Scotty Appleton
As Seen In: New Jack City
Notable Sneaker: adidas Phantom Hi
If you're going to run around locking up crack fiends doing it in the utmost comfort is the key — The Stripes had Ice-T in New Jack City.
Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez
46. Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez
As Seen In: The Sandlot
Notable Sneaker: PF Flyers
One of the greatest scenes from your favorite childhood film involved a fast Spanish kid, a huge-ass dog, and a pair of PF Flyers. You still can't rock a pair today without thinking of 'The Jet' and hopefully Wendy Peffercorn as an added bonus. If you don't have some PF Flyers somewhere in your closet, you're killin' us, Smalls.
Bob Harris
45. Bob Harris
As Seen In: Lost In Translation
Notable Sneaker: Nike Air Woven
Bill Murray has played so many great roles but his move as a struggling actor in Sofia Coppola's (yup, that Coppola) 2003 Lost In Translation with little purpose had us feeling sorry for homie until we caught a glimpse of his footwear. Sorry Bob, getting paid to travel first class in Wovens and whining about it kind of makes you a lame.
Brian Stevenson
44. Brian Stevenson
As Seen In: Little Monsters
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan III
Wait, you haven't seen Little Monsters? If you grew up in the '80s it was awesome and Fred Savage (Wonder Years) was almost as cool as Randy Savage. Brian Stevenson is a kid who mixes in with the underworld of monsters who creep from under your bed to scare kids (where you at Chris Hansen?) and he does it all in Jordan IIIs.
Calvin Cambridge
43. Calvin Cambridge
As Seen In: Like Mike
Notable Sneaker: Nike Blazer
We aren't sure which part was more believable, Bow Wow playing in the NBA at 12 or someone playing in the league post-Y2K in Blazers. Nate Robinson, your move.
Cory Matthews
42. Cory Matthews
As Seen In: Boy Meets World
Notable Sneakers: Air Jordan VIII, Air Jordan IX
Boy Meets World still holds up as one of the greatest things to go down on Friday night other than Book-It ('90s babies missed the golden era). But who knew all those years that while Cory was macking on Topenga he was rocking some serious heat along the way? Let's just hope the sequel competes with the original.
Doug
41. Doug
As Seen In: Doug
Notable Sneaker: Sky Davis Air Jet
Doug was the shit but Sky Davis looked like Skeeter and Roger Klatz's love child - they could have done better. Either way, Doug was hypebeasting before the phrase even existed - little homie had to have those kicks so he could score a few buckets and with Patty Mayonnaise.
Joe Cooper Doug Remer
40. Joe Cooper & Doug Remer
As Seen In: BASEketball
Notable Sneaker: adidas KB8
BASEketball still isn't an official sport, but the Kobe adidas makes it pretty official in our eyes.
Kevin Carson
39. Kevin Carson
As Seen In: Lottery Ticket
Notable Sneakers: Nike Air Force 1
Bow Wow went from a teenage NBA player to working at Foot Locker? You're not alone, kinda. Kevin Carson is just another kid getting minimum wage at a sneaker spot trying to stack chips and turn it into kicks. After he hits the lottery he of course spends it on a pair of Bespoke Air Force 1s and a piece of ass (Teairra Marie) instead of something practical like a car equipped with a child seat boost.
Zack Morris
38. Zack Morris
As Seen In: Saved By The Bell
Notable Sneakers: adidas Pro Conference, Avia 850, Nike Air Trainer TW II, Converse ERX 150 Hi
You rock uber-high top sneakers, khakis, and polos - congratulations, Zack Morris has been doing that on Saturday morning television for years. Saved By The Bell didn't exactly scream streetwear legends but even preppy had a few hidden gems on the show.
King Ralph
37. King Ralph
As Seen In: King Ralph
Notable Sneakers: Air Jordan V, Nike Air Max 90
When you are the king you can wear classic Jordans and Nike runners - it's just different.
LeBron James Kobe Bryant
36. LeBron James & Kobe Bryant (MVP Puppets)
As Seen In: Nike Commercials
Notable Sneakers: Nike Zoom Soldier III, Nike Zoom Kobe IV
The NBA Finals matchup never happened like Nike had hoped, but they left us with a string of great sneaker commercials and the puppets even got hooked up with their own kicks for the occasion. Smh, Hollywood perks.
Grandmama
35. Grandmama
As Seen In: Converse Commercials
Notable sneaker: Converse Aero Jam
Runnin' with the Rebels in Vegas helped solidify LJ as one of the most fierce players taking it to the rim, doing it in his Nike Air Force STS. It seemed like a no-brainer that The Swoosh would pick him up - instead, apparently Nike wasn't impressed enough with LJ's play and Converse grabbed him up immediately. Their Grandmama campaign still ranks as one of the greatest sneaker advertisements of all time and helped the Aero Jets become one of Converse's best releases.
Kanye West
34. South Park Kanye West
As Seen In: South Park
Notable Sneaker: Nike Air Yeezy
Yeezy admitted he was a little butt-hurt by the infamous fish-stick slandering, but even in animated form his sneaker game is better than most.
Myles Mitchell
33. Myles Mitchell
As Seen In: Moesha
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan XI IE Low
Even Moesha's kid brother had Jordans, of course.
Shep
32. Shep
As Seen In: Above The Rim
Notable Sneaker: adidas Pro Model
Nothing like proving your manhood by seeing who can jump higher *shrugs* but it cost Shep's best friend his life and ended up being the driving reason of the plot for Above The Rim. Imagine what homie could have done in something a little more lightweight.
Shorty
31. Shorty
As Seen In: Sunset Park
Notable Sneaker: Reebok Kamikaze
Who remembers Sunset Park? Okay, the film doesn't ring out in the streets like other basketball films but few might have the same amount of sneaker heat as the '96 film — case in point, check Shorty's kicks. More on that later.
The LeBrons
30. The LeBrons
As Seen In: Nike Commercials
Notable sneaker: Nike LeBron 8
LeBron was facing a lot of scrutiny for taking his talents to South Beach and Nike did an incredible job softening things by taking to a cartoon to help us remember why he was The King to begin with. Being in Bron-Bron's entourage of course had its few perks.
Silent Bob
29. Silent Bob
As Seen In: Clerks
Notable sneaker: Nike Air Force 180
He didn't say shit but he didn't have to with classic Air Force 180s and a snapback - Silent Bob been doing that long before you. Kevin Smith had to max out every credit card he could get to make Clerks happen and had he not picked up the Nikes he might have been able to even afford color. Snoochie boochies.
Teen Wolf
28. Teen Wolf
As Seen In: Teen Wolf
Notable sneaker: adidas Tourney
LIke Michael J. Fox was the first person to shotgun a beer soda in adidas - welcome to our college years. The van surfing and beating squads single-handedly (er, and being a werewolf) is another story.
Jeff Spicoli
27. Jeff Spicoli
As Seen In: Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Notable sneaker: Vans Slip-On
America's favorite stoner was probably too high to deal with laces - thank God for slip-on Vans.
Jake Shuttlesworth
26. Jake Shuttlesworth
As Seen In: He Got Game
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan XIII
The awful reason you are calling the upcoming XIII release the "He Got Games." Spike Lee's film helped expose the new Jordans (like they really needed it) and while AI made Jordans look cool paired with McDavid ankle braces at G-Town, Jake Shuttlesworth took it a step further with the electronic ankle bracelet on Coney Island - it's an arthritic condition.
Uncle Drew
25. Uncle Drew
As Seen In: Pepsi Max Commercials
Notable Sneaker: Nike Hyperdunk 2011 PE
Geezers crossing ankles will probably never get old, and when they do it in supreme sneakers you have hit just about every demographic. Don't reach, youngblood.
Lewis Scott
24. Lewis Scott
As Seen In: Celtic Pride
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan XI "Concord"
Lewis Scott wasn't the first to hit The Garden in Jordans and light up his Beantown foes - luckily Mike was never scathed by sociopath fanatics. Today kids would have just murked him for the "Concords" and let him go.
Bugs Bunny
23. Bugs Bunny
As Seen In: Nike Commercials, Space Jam
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan VII "Hare"
It's not like Bugs needed Mike to get popular, but teaming up Hare and Air Jordan proved to be a good and lucrative move for both parties and Bugs Bunny even got his own VIIs out of the deal - that's all, folks.
Johnny Kilroy
22. Johnny Kilroy
As Seen In: Nike Commercials
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan IX
Shortly after Michael Jordan’s father was tragically slain, and exhausted from the long season and his celebrity status, Mike left the game. He then surprised the world by signing a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox and had a brief career with the Birmingham Barons, a White Sox affiliate. Jordan never donned the IXs on the court, but a mysterious dude named Johnny Kilroy did, and 18 years later even got his own sneaker.
Dap
21. Dap
As Seen In: School Daze
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan II
Pre-Jason Markk and other great cleaning kits, Dap from School Daze used a toothbrush and a little TLC to keep his kicks looking mad VVVVVVVVVNDS. Can we just all agree the the Air Jordan II is a vastly underrated shoe? Ah, resale prices just went up.
Eddie Winslow
20. Eddie Winslow
As Seen In: Family Matters
Notable Sneakers: Air Jordan III, Nike SC Trainer, Air Jordan VI
Another sitcom set up in Chicago and although Urkel had the thirty-minute episodes on lock that didn't stop us for checking for Eddie's sneakers from time-to-time. Yes kids, those are OGs - before the internets was hyping every release.
Coleman 'Booger' Sykes
19. Coleman 'Booger' Sykes
As Seen In: He Got Game
Notable Sneakers: Nike Air Foamposite One, Nike Zoom ACG Terra Sertig
"I feel handsome when I'm on the court..." — Booger. OG Foamposites and Nike ACG Terra Sertigs definitely had Lincoln's point god looking fresh.
Ned Flanders
19. Ned Flanders
As Seen In: The Simpsons
Notable Sneaker: Nike Assassins
Who knew Ned Flanders was such a hypebeast? The Simpsons acknowledged the innovation at Nike and the fact that we weren't that far away from shoes being able to measure your running distance and look futuristic in the process.
Radio Raheem
17. Radio Raheem
As Seen In: Do The Right Thing
Notable Sneaker: Nike Air Revolution
Can we get a (proper) retro, Nike? Take a close look at Radio Raheem's kicks and you will see the biological father to the Air Jordan III. The sole, Air unit, and plastic lace loops influenced one of the greatest sneakers of all time - the Air Jordan III was initially even called the Air Jordan Revolution. Unfortunately in the film they play a somber role after Raheem starts a fight with Salvatore Fragione over the lack of culture in his pizza parlor. Raheem goes Ron Artest and ends up choked out by 5-0. Sorry for the spoiler alert, but his Nike Air Revs three inches off the ground are the last of his role. Love KO'ed by hate.
Sidney Deane
16. Sidney Deane
As Seen In: White Me Can't Jump
Notable Sneaker: Nike Air Flight Lite
To some people looking good is more important than playing good and that would be Sidney Deane's steez to a T. Luckily for Deane he still slaughtered fools on the playground either way. Sidebar: Could you have imagined Denzel and Keanu heading the film up? Props to the director for making the right call and helping the Nike Air Flight Lite get some well deserved shine.
Billy Hoyle
15. Billy Hoyle
As Seen In: White Me Can't Jump
Notable Sneaker: Nike Air Command Force
Even chumps have dope kicks and Billy Hoyle proved that just because you're 5'10" and challenged when it comes to skin pigmentation doesn't mean you can't dunk and do it in classic Nikes.
Martin
14. Martin
As Seen In: Martin
Notable sneakers: Air Jordan VII, Nike Air Diamond Turf, Nike Air Force Max, adidas Mutombo
First it was Seinfeld and then The Fresh Prince but dedicating a full feature to Martin's sneaker game was a must. It's not confirmed whether little man was able to rock GS sizes, but the rotation of Mutombos, Jordans, and Deions was no joke.
Forrest Gump
13. Forrest Gump
As Seen In: Forrest Gump
Notable sneaker: NIke Cortez
Life is like a... you already know and Forrest, Forest Gump would never been mistaken for a sneaker connoisseur but you still have to applaud Jenny for hooking him up with a pair of Nike Cortezs in one of the most mainstream films of the past few decades. Even he was smart enough not to lick them - what's your excuse?
Buggin' Out
12. Buggin' Out
As Seen In: Do The Right Thing
Notable Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "Cement"
Back to the era when Jordans cost you $100 ($108 with tax!) and a slice and a Coke was $2.50 - damn those were the day. But even cheap prices for Js couldn't keep the peace in Brooklyn. One of the most iconic scenes if you fuck with kicks. Still in school? Cut class and download Do The Right Thing on Netflix to catch up on one of sneakers greatest moments - Buggin' Out.
Ron Johnson
11. Ron Johnson
As Seen In: A Different World
Notable sneakers: Air Jordan III, Air Jordan V, Nike Air Max 180, Nike Air Tech Challenge IV
Dwayne Wayne's sidekick had kicks, and after a second look he might have taken Dwayne head-to-head on a few occasions.
Jesus Shuttlesworth
10. Jesus Shuttlesworth
As Seen In: He Got Game
Notable sneakers: Nike Air Foamposite Pro "Pearl", Nike Air Max Uptempo '97, Nike Total Max Uptempo
He got heat. When you're the best high school basketball player in the country, you get laced with the illest shoes out. Pretty funny that his dad was the one who wound up with Jordans - although he had to pay retail.
Turtle
9. Turtle
As Seen In: Entourage
Notable sneaker: Nike Air Force 1
"Turtle" might be a less-than-endearing way to son that one dude in your crew that doesn't really do shit with his life but you can't front that little homie had an ill sneaker collection and he even got a handy from Jamie-Lynn Sigler on-screen and in real life. Turtle 1, You - 0.
D.J. Conner
8. D.J. Conner
As Seen In: Roseanne
Notable sneakers: Air Jordan III, Air Jordan VII, Air Jordan VIII, Nike Air Force Max
Whether it was the 480 quality or Roseanne taking up half the screen, D.J.'s sneaker game has been overlooked for years. Growing up in the Chi it was only natural for the kid to don the same shoes as the city's greatest.
Marty McFly
7. Marty McFly
Notable Sneaker:a Nike Air MAG, Nike Bruin
It took a few decades but the people finally had a chance to make the Nike Air MAG a real part of their collection in 2011. Even if you didn't have the funds to make it happen, you still had to applaud Nike and Michael J. Fox for allowing us back to the future. Real Power Laces in 2015?
Lil Penny
6. Lil' Penny
Notable sneakers:i Nike Air Max Penny I, Nike Air Max Penny II
Penny's first signature shoe set the tone for all of what was to come. Its great design and black/white/varsity royal colorway made these just as appealing for hoopin' in or rockin' to class, and Lil' Penny on the TV only heightened the appeal.
Q
5. Q
Notable sneakers: Reebok Pump Twilight Zone, Reebok Omni Zone Pump, Nike Baltoro Boot
If you haven't already peeped Juice, that's next on the Netflix queue. We feel Q with the morning conflict of what fly sneakers we're going to rock and throw on Instagram everyday.
Dwayne Wayne
4. Dwayne Wayne
Notable sneakers: Air Jordan II, Nike Air Trainer I, Air Jordan III, Air Jordan IV
Hillman's main man on campus had a pretty ill sneaker game. Why else do you think Kanye referenced the lead character from A Different World, "In two years Dwayne Wayne became Dwyane Wade" on Graduation? He did it for the glory.
Seinfeld
3. Jerry Seinfeld
Notable sneakers: Nike Air Trainer SC High, Nike Air Tech Challenge II, Nike ACG Air Mowabb, Air Jordan VI
Let's face it, Seinfeld has you bodied in every aspect of life. One of the biggest hit television shows, more money, more cars, and in case you didn't know he was wearing new pairs daily when you were still having your diaper changed.
Mars Blackmon
2. Mars Blackmon
As Seen In: Air Jordan III, Air Jordan IV, Air Jordan V, Air Jordan VI
Do you know, do you know, do you know? You already know, Mars (Spike Lee) was a pivotal moment in Jordan's brand going coast-to-coast, and acceptable to don Js in Madison Square. In the end Spike got the Spizikes out of the deal too. But where is Mars now? We're sure everyone is doing just fine.
Fresh Prince
1. Will Smith
As Seen In: The Fresh Prine of Bel Air
Notable sneakers: Air Jordan V, Nike Air Force 180 High, Nike Air Penny I, Air Jordan XI
From the very first moment Will Smith (Will Smith) pops up in the intro of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he dons a pair of black Air Jordan Vs. Throughout the first season it's obvious that The Fresh Prince was a huge fan of Js, and throughout the seasons the sneakers kept getting better from classic Jordans to Nike runners and Pennys. We have the full breakdown here, get familiar.