More often than not, when fashion plays a key role in a film, it’s primarily meant to observe rather than imitate. The Devil Wears Prada may be the defining “fashion movie” of the last few decades, for instance, and many of its outfits are beyond the means of the average viewer. A film like Black Swan stuns us with bold looks now and then, but they’re more like costumes than real-world outfits. And for that matter the same can be said of the fashion in Cruella — a recent film with some wildly inventive looks, but little actual real-world inspiration (we won’t be trying Emma Stone’s garbage truck dress on anytime soon).
Well, this summer we might actually be seeing an exception, and a somewhat looney one, so to speak. The long-awaited release of Space Jam: A New Legacy is upon us, and while early reviews are less than stellar, the film is virtually guaranteed to have a place in pop culture — as well as in sports-adjacent fashion.
If you’re not familiar with the Space Jam legacy, here’s the quick summary: Back in the ‘90s, Michael Jordan teamed up with Warner Bros. to make a ridiculous but irresistibly charming film alongside the “Looney Tunes.” The film became a beloved classic of sorts for a generation or two’s worth of kids, and now LeBron James has rebooted it for HBO Max.
Get Ready to See Space Jam Sneakers
Now, at a glance these films have extraordinarily little to do with fashion. Sure, you’ll see someone who grew up in the ‘90s wearing a “Tune Squad” shirt now and then, but the most memorable style from the original is a sweaty pickup basketball outfit sported by Bill Murray (who is Jordan’s friend in the film). That is, until you get to the shoes, which have had a massive impact on what we might refer to as the elevated athletic fashion scene over the years.
The legacy of Space Jam sneakers actually predates the original film. Michael Jordan is well known for having given rise to the most successful athlete-branded shoe and apparel line in history. Air Jordans transcend sports style to the point that they are at once fashion statements and collectors’ items to this day. And it was back in 1992 — four years before the original Space Jam released — that a “Hare Jordan” ad paired the basketball legend with the Looney Tunes’ own Bugs Bunny. In retrospect this ad, which Bugs himself calls “the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” looks very much like a seed for Space Jam.
It was also a seed, however, for a lasting connection between the Looney Tunes and what would ultimately become the Air Jordan brand (originally just Nike Air Jordans). While the brand would have thrived with or without Space Jam, there is no question that the film helped to highlight specific editions of Jordans. There are shots in the film that zoom in on multiple different pairs of shoes, with the Air Jordan 11 in a specific colorway taking center stage. This “Space Jam” Air Jordan 11 was later released to the public for the first time in 2000, setting off a frenzy among shoe style enthusiasts and collectors.
Well, now it’s LeBron James’s turn. James does not quite have the personal apparel brand that Jordan developed (in all likelihood no athlete ever will), but his shoes are still extremely popular. And given the history with Space Jam and Air Jordans, James and others involved in the production of the reboot were well aware of the opportunity they had to promote some brand new looks in the film. James, Nike, and Warner Bros. more or less went wild, releasing an extensive combination of shoe styles and colorways based on the film (and of course modeled by James in some instances). There are game-ready sneakers in “Tune Squad” colors; there are Nike Air Force 1s augmented with character designs; there are even Looney Tunes-inspired Converse Chuck Taylors. Nike pulled out all the stops.
Whether or not this film can create a new sneaker legacy, as some have suggested, or elevate James to Jordan’s level on the apparel front, remains to be seen. But rest assured, the cultural standing of Space Jam and the clout of LeBron James will combine to make some of these shoes popular fashion statements. Throughout the summer and into the fall we’re going to be seeing a lot of Space Jam sneakers.
If we had to bet, we’d peg the LeBron 18 Low “Bugs Bunny vs. Marvin The Martian,” the LeBron 18 Low “Lola Bunny,” and the Chuck Taylor “Tune Squads” as being destined to become instantly beloved sneaker styles.
#Get Ready to See Space Jam Sneakers
#Get Ready to See Space Jam Sneakers
#Get Ready to See Space Jam Sneakers
#Get Ready to See Space Jam Sneakers
