Hollywood’s 10 Most Iconic Shoes (Including The Self-Lacing Nikes)

Movie fans remember the stories, the sets, and the characters of favorite films, but that’s not all they remember. There are some fashion decisions in costuming that show monumental success years after a film’s release.

Sneakers, boots, heels, and magical slippers all have their place in cinematic memory. Historians prize certain shoes as artifacts to never be forgotten. From Marty McFly to Cinderella, some characters really took the right steps with their footwear.

10 Self-Lacing Nikes (Back To The Future Part II)

It doesn’t get more iconic than the Nike Air Mag. It’s a famous tennis shoe thanks to Marty McFly, and Back to the Future fans would love to try it on. The second film of the trilogy briefly takes Marty from 1985 to 2015, and all the cool kids of the future have a pair of these self-lacing Nikes.

The sneaks are perfectly convenient for getting around on the hoverboard. People have paid thousands of dollars to own replicas of the Air Mags in real life, and they would love to see them in one more Back to the Future movie.

9 Nike Blazers (Like Mike)

The beat-up high-top sneakers Bow Wow donned for Like Mike are actually Nike Blazers. The classic kids’ movie focused on the lives and friendships of orphans, and the first glimpse of the shoes still takes viewers back.

These Blazers were supposedly worn by Michael Jordan, which endows the wearer of the shoes with a special kind of magic.

8 White Nikes (Big)

Nike Air Force 2 also became a famous shoe model after Tom Hanks played Josh in Big. The 1980s favorite features Hanks side by side with Robert Loggia on a floor piano in FAO Schwartz.

Even for people who haven’t seen the whole movie, this is a celebrated scene which led to viewers buying floor pianos of their own (and maybe even some Nikes to play the piano with).

7 Black Boots (Pretty Woman)

Pretty Woman is a rom-com classic, and Julia Roberts’ wardrobe steals the show multiple times. Her thigh-high black leather boots form an incredible statement piece, which is probably why they are on the old VHS/DVD covers.

Thirty years after the film, fans still love and remember those boots. They definitely could have inspired Andy Sachs’ look after the character’s makeover in The Devil Wears Prada.

6 Cher’s Shoes (Clueless)

Some fans of Clueless have tried to imitate the renowned appearance of Cher Horowitz. The teen fashionista created many stylish looks, but her white Mary Janes are the most sought-after shoes of the movie. She wears them with her smart yellow plaid blazer and mini-skirt. It’s the best teen movie ensemble of the 1990s, and it wouldn’t be possible without these shoes.

5 Sharpay’s Boots (High School Musical)

Sharpay Evans is always dressed to the nines in High School Musical, and her shoes complete her outfits. This is especially true in the third movie, which was theatrically released.

Sharpay’s pink tall boots really help her make an entrance as the Wildcats build themselves up for one last adventure. In fact, the footwear earns a long close-up in High School Musical 3 to establish Sharpay’s dominance for senior year.

4 Baby’s White Keds (Dirty Dancing)

Jennifer Lawrence and Patrick Swayze are forever captured as soulmates in Dirty Dancing. Baby learns to dance while wearing her plain white Keds, thus inspiring viewers everywhere to rock the exact same pair.

Thanks to a movie star wearing their signature Champion shoe, Keds had quite the success in sales after Dirty Dancing, and the brand will always be associated with the film.

3 Mia’s Doc Martens (The Princess Diaries)

Mia Thermopolis brought Doc Martens to Disney cinema, and they were perfect with her knee high socks and school uniform. Queen Clarisse isn’t too keen on the bulky brown lace-ups, but they’re all the rage on the teen scene.

Mia wears the shoes throughout the first movie, and some promotional posters have a little fun with the shoes and show Mia wearing them right along with her princess gown, crown, and Walkman headphones.

2 Glass Slippers (Cinderella)

Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, Cinderella’s glass slippers (especially the one she left behind) were probably the most well-known pair of shoes in an animated film. Live-action adaptations brought the stunning heels to life. Brandy wore a simple but elegant pair for the 1997 edition on The Wonderful World of Disney. 

Disney upped the ante for their 2015 live-action Cinderella and had costume designer Sandy Powell create a stunning look. The real slippers, encrusted with Swarovski diamonds, rest safely in the Disney archives.

1 Ruby Slippers (The Wizard Of Oz)

If there’s anything more show-stopping than Cinderella’s slippers, it’s Dorothy Gale’s ruby red shoes from The Wizard of Oz. They were supposed to be silver, but the change truly made them pop. “Tap your heels together three times” is one of the most quoted lines ever, and it’s all thanks to the slippers Dorothy nabs from the dead Wicked Witch of the East.

Gilbert Adrian, chief costume designer of MGM in the 1930s, created the shoes, of which there are multiple pairs. The ruby slippers are a fun element of folklore from the movie, and fans are glad that some are preserved at the Smithsonian (and that the pair stolen from the Judy Garland museum was recovered).

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