Whether it’s Steve Madden’s “Big Head Girls” or Run DMC rapping “My Adidas,” there are certain ads that are harder to shake than others. FN looks back at a few of the most iconic shoe advertisements in recent history.

Steve Madden’s “Big Head Girls”

Initially running from 1997-2005, Steve Madden’s “Big Head Girl” ads featured women with digitally altered heads and limbs made to look intentionally disproportionate. The campaign was so famous it was featured in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which Madden said in an interview “is unbelievable if you think about it.” In 2021, a new era of Big Head Girls was ushered in with a campaign starring Normani, Jordan Alexander, Sydney Sweeney, Nessa Barrett and Justine Skye. “We’ll always bring it back,” Madden told FN, “It’s never going away.”

Run DMC “My Adidas”

“My Adidas walk through concert doors/And roam all over coliseum floors” — Run DMC took the German footwear giant to new demographics with the 1986 song “My Adidas,” which is known to have strongly influenced the relationship between sneakers and hip-hop. The song led to a partnership with Adidas and a very memorable ad in which the rap hit can be heard. In the commercial, the group members take a dramatic journey to the stage wearing, of course, Adidas.

Converse Weapon NBA commercial

Another rap song from 1986 makes the list. A commercial for the Converse Weapon brought together NBA stars ranging from Magic Johnson to Larry Bird, as they all dropped bars revealing how the shoe enhanced their play. It was far from the last time that hip-hop intersected with footwear advertising.

Nike Air Mag “Back for the Future” commercial

Hollywood has also come to influence the shoe industry. The Nike Air Mag began as a fictional creation in “Back to the Future II,” entrancing audiences with its modern high-top design and elusive self-lacing technology. A version of the shoe actually hit the market in 2011, and a star-studded commercial paying homage to “Back to the Future” teased the release. Bill Hader plays a Nike employee trying to sell the shoe to Kevin Durant, whose dialogue references quotes from the iconic Robert Zemeckis film. The shoes were part of a fundraising effort for Parkinson’s disease through the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Nike LeBron James Swimming Pool commercial

LeBron James showed off his comedic chops in a Nike commercial that aired at the start of the 2006-2007 NBA season. In the ad, he plays several characters of various ages and dispositions hanging out at a posh swimming pool. Who could forget James gracefully diving into the pool wearing a white suit as “Summer Madness” by Kool and the Gang crescendos?

J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 ‘Medellín Sunset’ Sneaker Commercial

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Shot in the UK at St. Giles House in Dorset, ancestral home to the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, models are pictured riding motorcycles and dancing on tables, Sloane Ranger-style. 

The Prada-owned brand’s seasonal celebrations come on the heels of its 50th anniversary campaign, which was released in October.

Starring British actor Harry Lawtey, the campaign was shot in the 18th century country house West Wycombe House in Buckinghamshire. The home is famed for being the setting of Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” and Marek Kanievska’s 1984 film “Another Country” starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.

“I’ve always been really enthusiastic about footwear funnily enough, especially proper shoes. When I was around 15 or 16, I started taking much more of an interest in fashion, there was a real trend for classic dressing at the time — trenchcoats and suit trousers — which was probably quite influenced by ‘Peaky Blinders.’ Quite pretentiously, I chucked out almost all of my trainers and only wore leather shoes for a good few years: Chelsea boots, brogues and loafers,” said Lawtey in an interview.

“Even now I still wear almost exclusively smart leather shoes, certainly much more than I wear sneakers. I just like the strength it gives you from the ground up. It changes your gait and the way you carry yourself — it can make a big difference. Actors are always really interested in what shoes their character will wear and I think that makes a lot of sense,” he added.

The selection of products ranges from $100 for a pair of socks to $3,250 for a leather tote bag, and are available to purchase in Church’s stores and online at church-footwear.com.

Instead of a traditionally festive series of images, the 10-year-old Swedish footwear brand and its creative director Jens Werner are reinterpreting the meaning of holiday gatherings. For the brand’s new holiday 2024 campaign, ten guests are invited to dine inside a life-sized Axel Arigato shoebox with the idea of ushering in a fresh take on human connection and childhood nostalgia, the brand noted in a press release.

Inspired by the brand’s theme, “Good Things Come in Yellow Boxes,” this unusual gathering space aims to marry Axel Arigato’s signature aesthetic with a memorable dining experience. It also continues Werner’s and the brands’ recent inception of creating curious spaces – inviting viewers to feel like a guest themselves with intimate fly-on-the-wall content.

The company said that at the heart of this campaign is the authentic connection between these guests. The table-scape becomes a stage for natural exchanges, as photography from Linus Morales and videography directed by Belle Smith captures the spontaneous energy, talent, and creativity flowing around it. One guest might break into dance, another reads a poem, while a third arranges flowers-a dinner like no other.

Further candid content is captured on guests iPhones and disposable cameras, adding a layer of personal, nostalgic documentation to the experience, the company added.

“This campaign is about tapping into the dormant childhood spirit of curiosity and creativity within us all,” Werner, who ascended to the creative director role in June, said in a statement. “The festive time is a period where this sense of nostalgia – of youthful inquisitiveness – is often recalled. This campaign continues my intrigue with creating spaces that everyone can connect to, twisting familiar environments into surreal, imaginative worlds that tap into our shared memories. Seeing how such a creative and inspiring cast came to life in this space was really special and unique.”

The campaign adds to the already busy year for the footwear brand. In September, Axel Arigato officially landed stateside with its first-ever store in the U.S. Located at 273 Lafayette Street in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC, the new 1,130 sq.-ft. space debuted just months after Axel Arigato opened its second London location in July.

The Foot Locker Inc.-owned shoe chain has kicked off “Always the Real Deal,” a holiday campaign that centers on value and the best deals for top brands like Nike, Jordan, Adidas, Converse and Vans. As part of its Black Friday promotions, WSS is offering 40 percent off Nike products as well as 50 percent off “But One, Get One” deals. WSS is also offering free shipping for order over $99 and the the chance to earn points with WSS rewards. The retailer is also launching a gift guide with five curated shops, including a Y2K shop and a winter shop, to help consumers find the right styles.

In addition to deals, WSS is rolling out toy giveaways at certain locations and giving families the chance to receive a free toy for their child along with the opportunity to meet Santa.

“Our commitment to community has been at the heart of WSS for over 40 years,” said Blanca Gonzalez, senior vice president and general manager at WSS, in a statement. “This holiday season, we’re focusing on spreading joy and giving back in meaningful ways through our Toy Giveaways and community events.”

Foot Locker Inc. rolled out its own holiday campaign, “Step Into Your Gift,” earlier this month. The new campaign that centers on the role of sneaker culture in the holiday gifting season and features NBA athletes such as Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball as well as Grammy-nominated artist Coi Leray. The lineup also includes style influencers and Foot Locker employees, best known as “Stripers.”

Last year, Foot Locker launched “The Heart of Sneakers,” a global platform that guides its campaigns, online and in-store experiences and community events. The new platform was developed in line with Foot Locker’s stated goal to connect more deeply with and expand sneaker culture, an objective outlined in March 2023 as part of the retailer’s “Lace Up” strategic plan put forward by CEO Mary Dillon. The plan is meant to help Foot Locker increase market share and grow sales to $9.5 billion by 2026.

According to the Tapestry-owned footwear brand, it has signed on actor, producer and talk show host Mark Consuelos to star in its first celebrity-fronted men’s campaign since launching the collection earlier this year.

Shot in the style of the brand’s signature minimalist black-and-white visual aesthetic, the new men’s campaign aims to stay true to Stuart Weitzman’s iconic imagery. It was lensed by fashion photographer Ned Rogers, who had previously photographed the brand’s “How Lovely to Be a Woman” campaign.

The campaign features Consuelos wearing two fall boot styles from the latest men’s collection including the Adam lace-up boot and the Aiden Chelsea boot.

Kaisy Mae O’Reilly, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Stuart Weitzman, said in a statement that it was important that the company chose a brand ambassador who represents a continuation of the brand’s narrative of celebrating modern womanhood. “Mark famously adores and supports Kelly, and we believe there is nothing sexier than that. This campaign shines a spotlight on men just like him,” O’Reilly said.

“I am thrilled to be named Stuart Weitzman’s first-ever men’s global ambassador,” Consuelos added in a statement. “I know the brand because of my wife, who has many blue shoeboxes in her closet. I’m honored to be thought of as the definition of the Stuart Weitzman man. When I told her about the campaign concept of strong, sophisticated and sexy, she encouraged me to go for it — and put all my hours in the gym to good use!”

First seen by FN at the brand’s Milan Fashion Week presentation in September, Stuart Weitzman made a bigger splash for its new men’s collection during January’s Milan Men’s Fashion Week event, which included an appearance by Brooklyn Beckham.

The men’s collection is divided into three lines — Premiere, Club and Resort, designed to offer shoes for all occasions crafted by artisans in Italy.

The Stuart Weitzman men’s collection is now available on stuartweitzman.com and at select retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom and The Level Shoes Dubai.

This launch comes after Tapestry reported earlier this month that net sales at Stuart Weitzman in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 increased 2 percent to $53.7 million.

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Silver noted that footwear, a consistently strong business driver for Dick’s, will be front and center this holiday season via a footwear-specific television spot as well as in the retailer’s holiday catalog. Silver called out styles like the Nike Dunk and Adidas Samba as well as hot brands like On, Hoka and New Balance that are poised to capture demand this season.

The retailer’s larger holiday spot, which features features NFL legend JJ Watt and his family, offers “a humorous take on what can happen any of us are shopping with our families in store,” Silver said. The spot features several references to classic holiday movies and represents the retailer’s latest efforts to add more humor into its marketing mix.

“As a brand, we’re really leaning into [humor] this year for a number of reasons,” Silver said. “It’s a universally positive emotion. We want to keep things light-hearted and fun. And we think it lends well to sports in general and the element of play that comes out with sports.”

The retailer this week unveiled a global campaign celebrating the different ways people gather and celebrate the seasons with one another. The film’s hero video, The Family Portrait, offers a realistic view of holiday gatherings with friends and family and represents a departure from the typical picturesque holiday scenes often depicted on television.

The spot, which was was created by agency Uncommon Creative Studio, features celebrities such as rapper Central Cee, mixed martial artist Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, soccer player Trent Alexander Arnold and more.

“Our JD ‘Family’ campaign honors not just the families we’re born into, but also those we choose along the way,” JD Sports’ UK and EU marketing director Chris Waters said in a statement. “At this time of year, the essence of family is woven into everyday life, and our campaign seeks to highlight the authentic connections and lived experiences of all forms of family. As the leading retailer in sports fashion and lifestyle, JD proudly showcases this year’s incredible talent alongside their families, celebrating the bonds that truly matter in moments that represent them.”

Customers with the JD Status app will be able to visit a “JD house” photobooth in select stores to get their own “family” pictures. Then, consumers will be able to post their pictures on social media for the chance to win a JD gift card.

JD Sports, which will be honored as Retailer of the Year at the FN Achievement Awards in December, recently reported record interim results for the first half of fiscal 2025 last month. The company delivered revenue of 5 billion pounds in the first half, a 5.2 percent increase from 4.8 billion pounds in the first half of fiscal 2024. Net profit before tax and adjusted items was 405.6 million pounds in the period, up 2 percent from 397.8 million pounds the same time last year.

When it comes to North America, now JD’s largest market following the recent acquisition of Hibbett, revenue grew 14.5 percent to 1.2 billion pounds in the first half of the year. The company said that its organic sales growth in North America was 13.2 percent in the period, reflecting the growing presence of the JD brand with 275 JD stores open at the end of the period in North America, compared with 175 just 12 months’ prior.

The footwear retailer on Wednesday unveiled “Step Into Your Gift,” its new campaign that centers on the role of sneaker culture in the holiday gifting season. The accompanying advertisements, which will live across paid media, social media, e-commerce, digital and in-store displays, will feature NBA athletes such as Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball as well as Grammy-nominated artist Coi Leray. The lineup also includes style influencers and Foot Locker employees, best known as “Stripers.”

“Choosing the perfect gift, whether for yourself or someone special, is more than a holiday tradition – it’s an opportunity to create lasting memories,” said Foot Locker chief customer officer Kim Waldmann in a statement. “Informed by Gen Z consumer insights, Step Into Your Gift brings an energetic, uplifting spirit that underscores Foot Locker’s commitment to putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. We’re taking the pressure off and reinvigorating the magic of gifting with a campaign that evokes nostalgia and celebrates the unique gifts we each possess.”

The campaign comes a year after Foot Locker launched “The Heart of Sneakers,” a global platform that guides its campaigns, online and in-store experiences and community events. The new platform was developed in line with Foot Locker’s stated goal to connect more deeply with and expand sneaker culture, an objective outlined in March 2023 as part of the retailer’s “Lace Up” strategic plan put forward by CEO Mary Dillon. The plan is meant to help Foot Locker increase market share and grow sales to $9.5 billion by 2026.

Foot Locker has also recently pushed more deeply into the basketball category, leveraging partnerships with brands like Nike and Jordan to bring new product to life. In August, Foot Locker introduced “Home Court,” a designated area in its revamped Manhattan Herald Square developed in partnership with Nike and Jordan Brand that highlights Foot Locker’s assortment of basketball sneakers and the sport’s central roll in sneaker culture.

After bringing in Will Arnett and Kathryn Hahn to star in a campaign earlier this year, the retailer has now enlisted the famous Watt family for the holiday season. With J.J., Derek, T.J., Connie and John all featured, the commercial shows the family in a chaotic pursuit of specific items at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Viewers might notice several nods to classic holiday movies including “Home Alone,” “Elf,” “National Lampoon Christmas,” “A Christmas Story” and “Love Actually.” J.J. rocks a pair of the Nike Dunk Low Retro Pandas throughout the ad.

Referencing the 1990 film “Home Alone,” the Watt family realizes they forgot J.J. at Dick’s Sporting Goods. “I made my family disappear,” he says in an imitation of Macaulay Culkin’s iconic character Kevin.

Later on, in a reference to perhaps the most famous scene from the 2003 rom-com “Love Actually,” the security guard of the store holds up handwritten cards to send a message to J.J.: “Just because it’s Christmas — doesn’t mean you can trespass. Just go to Dicks.com, it’s open 24/7.”

An official release for the campaign includes a statement from the retired NFL star.

“Any chance I get to spend some extra time at Dick’s Sporting Goods, I take it. And our family definitely made the most of this one,” said Watt. “Getting to re-enact our favorite holiday movies and start my gift shopping a little early was a blast, and with the massive selection of products, I could’ve spent all night in there!”

Mark Rooks, vice president of creative and entertainment at Dick’s Sporting Goods, also made a statement. “J.J. has been a great partner this year. After the fun we had filming ‘J.J.’s House,’ and during a time that is all about family and friends, we knew we had to bring him back in-store and find a way to incorporate Derek, T.J., Connie and John,” said Rooks. “All five of them really brought their A-game and filled the set with energy and humor. While we are happy J.J. feels so at home in a DICK’S Sporting Goods, we will have to gently remind him of our closing time.”

Watch “A Watt Holiday Classic” here.

Top NBA Christmas Day Sneaker Moments [PHOTOS]

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Called “Same, but different,” the Genesco-owned retailer calls the campaign a “new brand platform” that aims to “transform Schuh from a multi-brand retailer into a meaningful high-street footwear destination.”

According to Schuh, the campaign leads with two 30-second ads, marking the brand’s return to UK television screens after more than a decade. The company said the spots will feature children and young adults embracing their main character energy against a backdrop of relatable, everyday situations. The unique cast of characters includes a collective of models, artists, creatives and writers.

Footwear also takes a starring role in the campaign. The company noted that New Rock wedges make a statement in a late-night chicken shop; The Schuh Collection boots turn heads in the aisles of a grocery store; Nike Air Max stride through a high-society tennis club; and Dr. Martens’ boots take ownership of a gentleman’s barber shop.

Marking a new phase for the brand, the first “Same, but different” campaign aims to “forge stronger relationships with audiences who are rejecting the mundane homogeny of uniformed dressing and are opting to express a more creative side to their personal style,” the company said in a release on Thursday.

Stephanie Legg, who joined the company in March as chief marketing officer at Schuh, added that at the heart of the platform is a new brand manifesto that embraces non-conformity and freedom in personal style.

“Schuh has always supported and celebrated self-expression and cultural diversity, and we continue to be that progressive and inclusive brand today,” Legg said in a statement. “Where other retailers box people in, we help people break out. We’re committed to forging a safe space where young adults can confidently showcase their unique style without fear of judgement and be unapologetically themselves. We’re the same schuh, but same looks different these days.”

The campaign is now live across television, video-on-demand, and social channels such as TikTok and Instagram, as well as out-of-home, gaming video, and through numerous digital partners until the end of the year.

This is the latest move from Genesco as it works to continue to evolve its banners. In September, the Nashville-based footwear company reported that net sales in the second quarter increased to $525 million, driven by a strong start to the back-to-school season.

By banner, sales increased 4 percent at Journeys and 1 percent at Schuh and declined 9 percent at Johnston & Murphy and 13 percent at Genesco Brands.