Foot Locker Debuts Campaign Celebrating Sneaker Culture

Foot Locker has revealed its new ‘It Always Will be Foot Locker’ brand platform – designed to reflect the company’s role in sneaker and basketball culture. 

According to the company, the campaign – which features rapper Method Man and highlights the cultural influences that have shaped sneaker culture for more than five decades – marks the next chapter in its brand evolution. 

“For more than 50 years, Foot Locker has given sneaker culture a true home, helping define its iconic moments and milestones,” says Brett O'Brien, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at Foot Locker.

​​​​​​​“It Always Will Be Foot Locker is our love letter to that legacy and to the generations of customers and communities who have shaped it alongside us. It celebrates where sneaker culture has been, reflects where it is today and inspires the next generation to write the next chapter with us.”

Celebrating sneaker culture

The campaign was created in partnership with Someplace – who Foot Locker previously collaborated with for its ‘Hoops Lives Here’ campaign – with the hero film focusing on iconic chapters in sneaker culture and the lasting influence of specific footwear. 

This includes the arrival of the original Air Jordan 1 in 1985, the Converse Weapon and Nike Air Force 1s – with Foot Locker remaining a constant throughout.

“As someone who has been part of sneaker culture for decades, this project felt personal,” says Method Man. “Sneakers have always been bigger than footwear. They represent where you're from, what inspires you and the moments that shape you. 

“That's what makes this campaign so authentic. It celebrates the culture that's brought people together for generations while reminding us that the next chapter is still being written.”

The debut film marks the launch of an integrated campaign spanning broadcast, social, digital, out-of-home and in-store.

The company will also be expanding this campaign through the launch of Sole Stories. 

Launched in partnership with entertainment studio and distribution network Hartbeat, the company will release a 36 episode series that spotlights creators, sneaker enthusiasts and tastemakers, who will discuss the footwear that has shaped them through specific milestones and memories. 

‘Hoops Lives Here’ campaign 

This campaign follows the launch of Foot Locker’s ‘Hoops Lives Here’ year-round basketball brand platform and campaign, also created to reinforce the company’s position at the centre of basketball and sneaker culture.

Starring NBA and WNBA Stars Payton Pritchard, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jewell Loyd, the company says the campaign is designed to celebrate the role of basketball in everyday life. 

“Basketball is more than a sport, it's a culture, identity and a way of life,” Brett said. “With 'Hoops Lives Here', we wanted to capture the emotional connection of living and breathing the game in a way that only Foot Locker can. 

“From the brands we partner with to the Stripers who create unmatched in-store experiences, this campaign reflects Foot Locker's deep connection to the basketball community and our role in helping shape the culture on and off the court."