Shoes have always been an important form of expressing oneself, and none can deny the impact that some pairs can have on a culture. Chuck Taylors are typically the first to come to mind, but for those sneakerheads out there, there is another huge iconic shoe! Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 looks to focus on the phenomena of the original Air Jordan 1’s, considered to be one of the most important shoes in 1990’s culture. Here’s the trailer:
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 will go into a deep analysis of the Air Jordan 1’s, the pair of shoes that were banned by the NBA because of a specific rule. Michael Jordan would supposedly continue to wear the shoes regardless of the charge, and the sneakers quickly became an iconic cultural force, changing the social, commercial, and artistic world while creating greater conversations; it also began what is called “sneaker culture,” which is essentially the social environment of and praxis behind collecting and maintaining shoes and sneakers of many kinds.
Deadline reports that he film features a variety of different actors, basketball players, and important figures to discuss the shoes including rapper and producer DJ Khaled; actor and much-acclaimed antagonist of Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan; Spike Lee, director of films like Do The Right Thing and She’s Gotta Have It; point guard Russell Westbrook; small forward Carmelo Anthony; and many others. The film is directed by Dexton Deboree and is set to premiere during the NBA All-Star Game festivities sometime soon.