Even superheroes and villains need drip.
There’s a long history of onscreen adaptations of legendary comic book characters wearing streetwear and sneakers, starting as far back as Michael Keaton in Batman Returns (1992), long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe became a thing. Whether it be custom pieces produced by major brands for the movie, or a sly incorporation of existing pieces into costume design, superhero movies frequently have something there for the sneakerheads and streetwear fans.
Check out a breakdown of some iconic pieces that made it to the big screen below.
Spider-Man (2002)
Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film reinvented what a comic book movie could be, turning the web-slinger into a certified blockbuster franchise thanks to its kinetic camerawork and strong performances, with Willem Dafoe’s take on the Green Goblin immediately becoming one of the most iconic film villains. In his costume, Dafoe wore a custom pair of Nike Flightposites. The unreleased pair became so beloved that fans have since renamed several sneaker colorways after the villain.
X-Men (2000)
Ahead of James Marsden reprising his role as Scott Summers (b.k.a. Cyclops) in Avengers: Doomsday later this year, we have to highlight the shades he wore in his first time portraying the X-Men character. In the film, Oakley produced custom Juliets. The sunglasses producer unfortunately never made the shades available to the public, but it’s hard not to imagine Cyclops helped increase sales for Oakley after the movie debuted in theaters.
Black Panther (2018)
In Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger looked effortlessly cool in just about every scene he was featured. The first time he appeared on screen in the movie, he pulled up to a museum heist in an Amiri distressed shearling denim trucker jacket and Balmain boots.
The late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa also wore Alexander McQueen Sandals in a scene where he was roasted for wearing “royal sandals” by Shuri.
Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton’s Batman Returns saw the director fully embracing his dark fairytale look for the sequel, but it also saw an update to Michael Keaton’s outfit as the Caped Crusader. Keaton wore modified Air Jordan 6s and Nike Air Trainer 3s in the 1992 film, and word has it that he still owns the shoes today.
Blade II (2002)
Wesley Snipes’ take on Blade was always stylish, but he brought the look to a new level in the 2002 sequel. Snipes complemented the look with Oakley Four sunglasses, and the company even produced a limited Blade II edition of the shades to coincide with the release of the film. Ever since, the shades have become a highly sought-after piece on the second-hand market.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Despite being an animated film, Miles Morales’ first major Spider-Man movie featured a nod to sneaker culture by seeing him wear the Chicago Air Jordan 1s in the teaser trailers. It eventually led to an official collaboration with Jordan, and pairs have been known to resell for upwards of $500 ever since they debuted.
Ghost Rider (2007)
The 2007 Ghost Rider film might not be as well-loved as some of the other entries on this list, but we’ll be damned if we don’t highlight Nicolas Cage wearing a custom Chrome Hearts outfit made exclusively for the film. The outfit featured a $10,000 leather biker jacket, but it was the studded biker gloves that really let the look shine.
