‘Air’ is suitable for a general audience, but especially for anyone interested in the history of shoes. I don’t consider myself a sneaker-head; I don’t collect shoes, but from skating, I go through a lot of pairs. And anyone interested in business will find this a fun movie. Nike and the Matt Damon character basically gambled that Michael Jordan would be the best. The plot is already known to some viewers, as it’s non-fiction, but I’ll stop the movie review here to avoid giving spoilers.
Nike changed the skateboard industry. According to the Leo Baker documentary, pro skaters sponsored by Nike, Adidas, and Vans are the only ones truly making money. Nike began with some questionable practices, such as forcing small shops to carry every size and color way in the SB collection, which resulted in several shops folding due to owing Nike thousands. However, the online dynamic has changed all businesses, so it’s hard to tell which had the greater impact.
In the skate world, Nike sponsors both Brian Anderson and Leo Baker, which has made a significant impact on the inclusion of women and LGBTQ skaters in the past 7 years or so. In the larger sports world, they sponsor Colin Kaepernick, who got ousted from football for a peaceful protest. A corporate brand standing up for inclusion is a change, and for the better. If Chick-fil-A and Papa John’s can donate to conservative causes, liberals should have brand options as well.
Not everything is peachy, though. Nike still manufactures shoes in Asia under subpar working conditions. As a skater, I wouldn’t mind skating the Nike Dunk, but I can’t get my hands on a pair. They have fetishized their shoes. The Nike Dunk goes through a series of minor releases. They do collabs with shops and artists. The shops that carry Nike have to set up a raffle for winners who pay $125 for a pair. Then the resale online can be three to four times as high. I don’t understand why they don’t have a yearly color way and mass-produce those so people who want to skate them can. They could still have limited-edition collabs.
Adidas released a skate shoe inspired by an 1984 basketball shoe comparable to the Nike Dunk. I might get a pair because they look comfortable and I can afford them. And to end this drivel. Watch the movie, but wear whatever shoes you want to.
