We love sneakers. But even more than that, we love movie-themed sneakers. Designs inspired by all our favourite characters from the big screen; heroes and villains. So much so that part of the anticipation of waiting on an upcoming blockbuster has become fantasising about which sneaker brand will team up with the production house to treat fans to epic releases. With several big films, like Jurassic World: Rebirth, James Gunn’s Superman 2025, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, rolling out in the coming months, we thought we’d look back at some of the amazing sneaker drops our favourite movies have inspired over the years.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Freddy Krueger”
Freddy Krueger may be the stuff of nightmares, but these Nike SB Dunk Low kicks inspired by his signature ‘fit and gloves are every sneakerhead’s dream pair. But the design isn’t without its controversy. New Line Cinema, the company behind the Nightmare on Elm Street, never officially endorsed the shoes and issued a cease-and-desist order to Nike before the release date in 2007. To comply with the legal order, the Swoosh label had to destroy the shoes, but luckily, a few pairs made it out alive and into the hands of collectors.
Nike Air Mag “Back to the Future”
Owning a pair of Marty McFly’s power-lacing sneakers from the Back To The Future Part 2 movie seemed like an impossible dream back in the ‘80s, but Nike actually brought the design to life with self-lacing capabilities in 2016. Only 89 pairs of these shoes were produced and released through an online draw, but the mere fact that they exist convinces us that anything is possible, well, at least when it comes to sneaker design.
Reebok Alien Stomper High
Sigourney Weaver proved that the Reebok Alien Stomper is THE shoe you want on foot if you ever need to defend yourself against giant, flesh-eating aliens or just anything remotely similar. Her character, Ellen Ripley, wears these exact Reebok sneaker boots in James Cameron’s 1986 blockbuster, Aliens. Sadly for all fans of the movie, only 500 pairs of the high-top design were dropped in 2016 to mark 30 years of the sci-fi hit. Sure, there have been more recent versions of the design, but the high-top pair is still the most faithful to the OG movie look and just simply the best.
Air Jordan 1 High “Origin Story”
Marvel and Sony Pictures are certainly not shy to release sneakers based on all their Spidey adventures. For the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, they teamed up with Jordan Brand to create a special edition Air Jordan 1 High design. The sneakers take the Jumpman’s classic “Chicago” colourway and add a few extra details, like comic-style Ben-Day dots on the overlays, blue tongue labels, and icy translucent outsoles. But what makes this pair that much more amazing is that you can actually spot them on Miles Morales’ feet in the film.
Air Jordan 1 Stash Utility “Prowler”
These sneakers only appeared in a couple of frames in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sequel, but as soon as fans saw Prowler’s sneakers, they couldn’t get enough. The Air Jordan 1 Stash Utility “Prowler” was definitely one of the most sought-after kicks of 2023, but Nike made them available only to friends and family. Find out more about the Air Jordan 1 Stash Utility “Prowler”.
Nike Dunk High “Coraline”
Nike released 1,000 Dunk sneakers in 2009 as a way to commemorate the release of Coraline, a stop-motion animated film produced by Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s Laika production house. The shoe came in four distinct designs: a conventional pair, one with enormous buttons, and one with props from the movie. But the one that everyone wanted — and still wants — is the limited-edition design, packaged in a handcrafted wooden shoebox.
Nike Air Foamposite One “ParaNorman”
As a follow-up to the success of their “Coraline” Dunks, Laika and Nike teamed up again to create a sneaker inspired by the production company’s ParaNorman film. The sneaker offers a black shell body with volt-coloured flames that nail the film’s eerie visuals. Around 800 pairs of the shoes were up for grabs, but you could only get your hands on one by sharing your “weirdest” childhood photos on Twitter or through an eBay auction.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Oompa Loompa”
Who would think that a sneaker inspired by a small, orange chocolate factory worker could become so popular? Then again, Nike SB has a knack for turning the most unlikely inspirations into sneaker grails. Although this isn’t an official collaboration with the film or books, the colourway alone is enough to make these sneakers sell for more than three figures on resale sites.
Nike “Fantastic Four” Collection
Nike dropped a pack of “Fantastic Four” sneakers in 2006, just one year after the release of Tim Story’s movie. Although this was another non-official collaboration from the Swoosh, the brand made an effort to include all four Marvel superheroes on different models, and even threw in a pair for the movie’s villain, Dr. Doom. Someone at Beaverton HQ must have a low-key obsession with the Fantastic Four because just two years before, the brand released their grail Silver Surfer Nike Dunk Low design. Hopefully, this means we’ll get more designs for The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie arriving this year (2025).
Nike Air Force 1 “Invisible Woman 2.0”
Speaking of this year’s Fantastic Four movie, Nike already has plans for a new iteration of their Invisible Woman AF1 sneakers this year. In my humble opinion, the design is a more wearable take on the transparent panels trend of yesteryears, which they achieved just by adding a little white overlay at the toe cap. Find out more about the Nike Air Force 1 “Invisible Woman 2.0”.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Wizard of Oz” (Rare)
Don’t confuse these with the regular, way less appealing “Wizard of Oz” Dunks covered in poppy graphics. This is the far more glamorous, limited-edition pair inspired by Dorothy’s Ruby Red slippers from the 1939 film. Only 85 pairs exist in honour of the movie’s 85th anniversary in 2024, and some lucky sneakerheads just got to open up their Wizard of Oz “Poppy Field” Dunk boxes and find this pair in its place instead.
Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam”
Every Air Jordan fan is more than familiar with the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam”. MJ wore these black and white sneakers while taking on aliens in a not-so-friendly game of basketball, but did he really need to do all that to make these kicks a hit here on Earth? Probably not.
“Wolverine & Deadpool” adidas Rivalry Low
The only thing better than seeing two of Marvel’s most deadly anti-heroes team up in one epic movie is having the chance to own a duo of sweet sneakers to savour the experience. Adidas released their Rivalry Low collection a few days after the film arrived in cinemas, and with everyone hyped up about all things Deadpool and Wolverine, they sold out pretty quickly.
DC Comics X PUMA Suede “Superman Black Suit”
Henry Cavill’s run as Superman may be done, but we’ll always have these all-black PUMA Suede sneakers to remember him by (along with the actual movies, of course). The shoes were inspired by the alternate black suit he wears in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. They use black suede for the uppers instead of the conventional blue and add a textured Formstrip along the side to match the costume’s material. The insole also features Jen Bartel’s artwork, which we think is a nice touch. Find out more about the DC Comics x PUMA Suede “Superman Black Suit”.
adidas ZX 8000 x Star Wars “Darth Vader”
You can’t have a list of movie inspired sneakers without mentioning at least one of adidas collaborative releases with Star Wars. Although the duo have joined forces (pun intended) for more than a few releases over the years, our personal favourite is the Darth Vader ZX 8000. As expected, the shoes are predominantly black with subtle red accents, and they feature an image of the Sith Lord himself on the tongue as well as his name in Sith font at the heel. They even arrived in blister-style packaging on an action figure card for a nice touch.
adidas Originals’ Stan Smith “Christmas Monster”
Say what you want about the adidas Stan Smith “Christmas Monster”, but we love their quirky design. The brown/white fur combo and big Mogwai eyes on the heel really make it feel like you’re unboxing Gizmo himself–just like when Billy unwraps his furry friend in the Gremlins movie.
adidas Samba x Toy Story “Woody”
Adidas’ ongoing partnership with Pixar has resulted in some really cool movie sneakers, including a bunch of Toy Story-themed pairs for kids and adults. One of their best looks has to be an adidas Samba inspired by the toy cowboy. They’re not perfect; adidas wasted the chance to include the ‘Andy’ marking at the bottom of the shoe and maybe even add a snake graphic on the insole as a play on Woody’s famous “There’s a snake in my boot!” line. But you can definitely spot the connection to the character with just one look at this refined design.
