Jordan sneakers have not only dominated sneaker culture for decades, but they’ve also been stealing the show in movies for almost as long. Whether you remember pining after a pair you saw in basketball movies like Space Jam and He Got Game or made an obscure sighting in a horror film like Munchies, there’s something about seeing your fave Jordan kicks on the big screen that builds up excitement. Here are ten of the best Jordans worn or featured in films.
Air Jordan 1 (Munchies 1987)
You wouldn’t expect Nike and Jordan sneakers to pop up in a low-budget film alongside cheap-looking puppets and poorly staged effects, but lo and behold, the Air Jordan 1 (and a few other Nike models) are suspiciously shown off throughout the 1987 cult classic Munchies. Paul Watterman (played by Charlie Stratton) wears the classic white, black, and red “Chicago” colourway throughout the film, a colourway many sneakerheads are still chasing after to this day.
Air Jordan 4 (Do The Right Thing 1989)
Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do The Right Thing carried the Jordan 4’s “White Cement” fame beyond the court. In the film, Buggin’ Out (played by Giancarlo Esposito) confronts a cyclist wearing a Larry Bird tee after the man’s bicycle scuffs his brand-new Jordans; every sneakerhead’s worst nightmare. Of course, the pair worn in the film is not your standard Jordan 4. The perforated leather on the vamp indicates that this could have been a sample pair, but only a keen-eyed sneakerhead would notice.
Air Jordan 6 (Batman Returns 1992)
Michael Keaton’s version of the Caped Crusader rocked some serious heat on his feet while cleaning up the streets of Gotham. Bob Ringwood, the film’s costume designer, customised Michael Jordan’s sixth signature shoe with distinct armoured plating and a longer boot-like style to give it a more superhero look for Batman Returns. It’s still one of our favourite movie sneaker moments to this day.
Air Jordan 11 (Space Jam 1996)
Jordan fans are simple. We see a pair of black and white Jordan 11s, and we want them. That’s precisely what happened when Mike rocked his exclusive “Space Jam” Jordan 11s while helping Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes defeat the evil alien Nerdlucks on court. Sure, it took four years to get the Space Jams on our feet, but the wait was worth it for a colourway that has become a classic in its own right.
Air Jordan 13 (He Got Game 1998)
Spike Lee’s ties to the Jordan Brand run deep; he did, after all, advertise a number of the brand’s iconic models as the quirky Mars Blackmon. This also explains why some of the filmmaker’s biggest movies to ever be released have a pair of Jordan sneakers woven into the storyline. Lee used his connections at JB to secure an unreleased pair of Jordan 13s for Denzel Washington’s character, Jake Shuttlesworth, to wear in the 1998 film He Got Game. Now, the black and white colourway is forever linked to the story.
Air Jordan 21 (Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift 2006)
The beautiful Air Jordan 21 “Red Suede” appears on screen briefly in the third Fast and Furious flick, but even those fleeting seconds are enough to leave an impression. Bow Wow, or Twinkie as he is known in the film, takes them out of his duffel bag before gloating about owning the shoes before anyone, even LeBron James. These are one of the most underrated Jordan sneakers in our opinion. Still, if you ever hear someone talking about them, they’re probably mentioning their memorable stint in the Tokyo Drift film.
Air Jordan 4 (White House Down 2013)
The Jordan 4 is not only the current star of the Jumpman lineup, but it is also a recurring favourite in Hollywood films. In fact, it was practically one of the heroes of the 2013 film White House Down. Jamie Foxx’s character, President James Sawyer, famously utters the lines, “Get your hands off my Jordans,” as he kicks a bad guy in the face (several times) with his “Fire Red” Jordan 4s. As violent as it sounds, and we know it sounds pretty violent, it’s one of the most unforgettable scenes in the entire movie.
Air Jordan 11 (Creed 2015)
The Space Jams weren’t the only popular Jordan 11 colourway to make their way onto the big screen. Michael B. Jordan, also known as Adonis Johnson within the Creed franchise, rocked the famous “Bred” Jordan 11 and several other Jordan and Nike sneakers throughout the 2015 movie. Whoever said boxing and basketball shoes don’t go together? Amanda Serrano has definitely proved otherwise.
Air Jordan 1 (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2018)
Even Miles Morales couldn’t resist the power of a pair of “Chicago” Jordan 1 Highs. The superhero wears his pair with everything from his school clothes to his homemade spidey suit in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Jordan Brand made the release of the movie even more memorable by dropping a pair of “Chicago” Air Jordan 1s with cool features like comic-style Ben-Day dots on the overlays and icy translucent outsoles that nod to Miles’ invisibility powers. Simple details that made the classic style that much more interesting for Spidey fans.
Air Jordan 1 (Air 2023)
The ultimate Jordan movie! Air is a retelling (albeit slightly loose) of how the Jordan Brand came to be. Of course, you can’t have a movie about the sneaker that started it all without showing off the sneaker that started it all. Again, it’s the Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” that steals the spotlight in this flick. What can we say, Hollywood (and Jordan fans) can’t get enough of the Bulls-inspired colour scheme.
