5 Iconic Sneaker Adverts of the Past

The marketing space within the sneaker industry is always an interesting area to follow, with brands constantly trying to one-up each other and promote their latest technology, backed-up by some pretty awesome advertising campaigns. While modern-day advertisements are getting more and more adventurous by the day, here at The Sole Supplier we believe that the golden-age of sneaker marketing was back before the internet, when most sneakers were promoted by word of mouth or print advertisements.

While print advertising is now virtually defunct for sneakers, we’ve been flicking through the history books and have selected some of the most iconic examples from throughout the years. While you may be familiar with one or two in this list, we’ve thrown in a few curveballs that you may learn something new from! Keep it locked in right here at The Sole Supplier and without further ado let’s get into our top five sneaker adverts from the past!

Let’s kick things off with an epic example of a one-liner from none other than ASICS. When the Japanese label first launched the now-iconic Gel-Lyte III back in 1991, one of its major selling points was just how lightweight the sneaker was, which is perhaps why this headline is so awesome. Reading “this magazine probably weighs more than the ASICS Gel-Lyte III’, the advert instantly grabs the reader's attention, likely making them want to read the small print regarding the sneakers in question. Combine this with images of several OG colourways and you have an instant winner! It’s likely this advertisement was successful, as the GL3 remains one of the most popular ASICS sneakers to this day.

Moving on to perhaps one of the most well-renowned sneaker advertisements of all time, we have Nike’s “Have You Hugged Your Foot Today?” campaign that accompanied the launch of the Nike Air Huarache OG back in 1991. Referencing how the sock-like upper of the sneaker cushions the entirety of your feet, the slogan stuck out to many sneakerheads and is now immortalised as a classic along with the sneaker itself. The “Purple Punch” colourway has since been re-released multiple times, with the 2018 release even coming complete with printed box-paper displaying the original advertisements, and a “Have You Hugged Your Foot Today?” pin badge.

Currently enjoying an ongoing wave of popularity, New Balance has always been on top form when it comes to marketing, with this particular print advertisement from the late 1980s instantly springing to mind here at TSS HQ. The advert depicts several high-end runners from the NB catalogue at the time and lists their specific qualities beneath, with the headline reading “To Indicate What Kind Of Runner You Are, Check One Of These Boxes” - essentially implying that the brand makes sneakers for any kind of runner. It’s exactly this kind of attention-grabbing marketing that makes sneaker adverts from this period so appealing - right on, New Balance!

There aren’t many sneakers as legendary as the original Air Jordan 1 High, and perhaps that’s why the accompanying advertising campaign from 1985 holds a similar status. A double-page spread featured in all of the hottest magazines at the time, depicting Michael Jordan performing his signature slam-dunk move, wearing the AJ1 “Bred”, with the only text on the pages reading “Who Said Man Was Not Meant To Fly?”. The simple yet effective nature of this campaign is timeless, with the advert cementing itself amongst the greats from the same period.

While not strictly a sneaker advertisement, it was impossible for us to write this round-up and not include that time when the Nike Air Max 93 featured on a Range Rover advert. At the time of printing in 1993 the AM93 was the flagship model for Nike, and Land Rover decided to use the sneakers to promote the new air suspension system that debuted on the Range Rover, along with the headline “Now there’s an air suspension system for every size budget”. While the AM93 didn’t need any extra marketing at the time, this co-sign of course boosted sales, introducing a new demographic of people to the sneaker universe.

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