Image via Amazon Studios
By this point, most self-respecting sneakerheads have seen the movie Air, which tells the story of how Sonny Vaccaro signed Michael Jordan to Nike and convinced brand execs Phil Knight and Rob Strasser to bet the house on the young guard from North Carolina. The film, starring the likes of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis, is a star-studded affair that tells Vaccaro’s side of signing Jordan to Nike, a narrative that the brand has never publicly endorsed.
While an enjoyable film for non-admirers, there are also nuggets of Nike history in Air, such as Knight initially wanting to call the brand Dimension Six and the origins behind the Swoosh logo, designed by college student Carolyn Davidson.
Air might be the biggest sneaker movie of all time, but there are a handful of others out there that will help educate you on the footwear world. Almost everyone has seen The Last Dance as well. While centered around Jordan and featuring some information on his sneakers, it really wasn’t a sneaker documentary.
There are sneaker-related movies, documentaries, Netflix series, and television episodes over the years that you can watch right now, and mostly for free. (If anyone can find ESPN’s It’s the Shoes, shoot me a link and I’ll add it to the list.) These are the sneaker movies and documentaries that you need to see.
'Just for Kicks'
Year released: 2005
Where to watch: Stream here
If there is one documentary to watch on sneaker culture, this is it. While it may be outdated for today’s world (it was made in 2005), Just For Kicks covers the start of the sneaker obsession from New York City basketball players in the ‘70s to the rise of the b-boy and hip-hop in the 1980s to Michael Jordan and Nike. Where the movie finds its sweet spot is the discussion of the mid 2000s sneaker scene. It has interviews with Stash, Futura, Jeff Staple, Bobbito Garcia, Dame Dash, Grandmaster Caz, and Scoop Williams.
The crux of the film, however, is centered around Tommy Rebel, a sneaker collector best known for his work on the Supreme x Nike Air Trainer TW 2, and his relationship with his girlfriend. He’s stuck in his parents’ basement with his sneakers from the ‘90s and can’t see past collecting, and she wants him to move on to bigger ambitions. The doc also covers the Pigeon Dunk release, Dame Dash explaining why he only wears sneakers once, and a look into early Nike SB. Bonz Malone’s cameo alone is worth the watch.
'Abstract: The Art of Design — "Tinker Hatfield: Footwear Design"'
Year released: 2017
Where to watch: Stream here
There’s one person in sneaker design who only needs one name for people to recognize his work: Tinker. Tinker Hatfield is best known for his work on the Nike Air Max 1, the first shoe with visible Air, and the Air Jordan 3, the sneaker that saved Michael Jordan from going to Adidas. Or the Air Trainer 1, Air Jordan 11, Air Max 90, Air Tech Challenge series—the list goes on and on. In Netflix’s eight-part series, Abstract: The Art of Design, Hatfield is profiled in an episode where he talks about his design process and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how he works through ideas and sketches to get his final product.
In the episode, Hatfield talks about working with John McEnroe, making the Nike Mag for Back to the Future: II, working with Michael Jordan to help save Nike (Phil Knight’s words), and his thoughts on sneaker culture, something he in part helped create. The documentary is short, clocking in around 40 minutes, but packed with information.
'That’s the Name of the Game, Puma vs. Adidas'
Year released: 2016
Where to watch: Stream here
Most of this list centers around Nike, and especially Michael Jordan. If that’s the only reason you’re here, then you’re missing out on a chunk of footwear history. While mostly everything else on here is a documentary, That’s the Name of the Game, Puma vs. Adidas, is a dramatized telling of Germany’s biggest sneaker rivalry. Going back to the 1920s, brothers Adolph and Rudolph Dassler started a footwear company together and worked together through World War II (yes, sadly, they were both Nazis). The movie goes through the war, the brothers’ split, and going on to form their own brands (Adidas and Puma). The movie is in German, but is available with English subtitles.
'Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1'
Year released: 2018
Where to watch: Purchase to stream here
The mystique behind the Air Jordan 1, Michael Jordan’s first signature sneaker, was its being banned by the NBA for not having enough white on the sneaker. Nike ran with this story, and much of it is prematurely brainstormed in Air, and made the Air Jordan into sneaker lore. But did Jordan actually wear this shoe when the NBA came down with the hammer? Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 explores this topic.
The documentary, directed by Dex Deboree, who once, in a time far past from now, appeared on Full Size Run, features a who’s who of sneaker culture: Tinker Hatfield, Carmelo Anthony, Spike Lee, Michael Jordan, DJ Clark Kent, Mark Wahlberg, David Stern, and more. The documentary intends to give a 360-degree view at the influence of the Air Jordan 1 and its role in pop culture. Unbanned has been met with some mixed reviews, but there’s no such thing as too much info for sneaker fanatics. Released in 2018, the documentary would have been bigger if it came out today.
'30 for 30: Sole Man'
Year released: 2015
Where to watch: Purchase to stream here
At the center of Air is one man. No, not Michael Jordan. Sonny Vaccaro. The Italian American with olive skin and jet black wavy hair was portrayed by Matt Damon in the film (an odd choice to me). But who is the real Sonny? You could just listen to his episode of the Complex Sneakers Podcast, or you could watch Sole Man, ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary from 2015 on the legendary footwear deal broker who helped bring Michael Jordan to Nike, Kobe Bryant to Adidas, and who missed out on signing LeBron James to Adidas when he came out of high school.
Vaccaro may have been known to true sneaker industry insiders, but this is the work that put him on the radar for the masses. One interesting tidbit that you’ll get from the documentary is how Vaccaro swayed Tracy McGrady from Nike to Adidas. There’s also the stories about Vaccaro convincing NCAA coaches to become powerful, paid ambassadors of Nike and help build the brand through the Dunk era of the game, but also funnel players to the brand.
'Shoes: Inside the Factory'
Year released: 2016
Where to watch: Stream here
Mostly everything on this list is either a movie or documentary, but for the sake of giving the reader a look at another brand, and another aspect of the footwear industry, check out this 2016 television episode of Inside the Factory. The episode takes a look inside New Balance’s famed factory in Flimby, England, a small town in the Cumbrian countryside located just a stone’s throw from Scotland. During the episode, you see a pair of New Balance 576 sneakers made from start to finish. The episode, hosted by Gregg Wallace, reveals that New Balance, at the time, made 3,500 pairs of sneakers every 24 hours.
