Walking in their shoes

Inspired by Hollywood, fans lobby for look-alike footwear

MISTY HARRIS
CanWest News Service

Almost everyone dreams of walking in a movie star's shoes. But for growing ranks of "sneaker activists," fantasy is not enough.

Inspired by their favourite film-based footwear, people around the globe are lobbying shoe manufacturers to produce copies of runners worn by the likes of Uma Thurman, Bill Murray and Michael J. Fox.

At least three petitions have been launched this year, each spawned by sneakerheads hoping Hollywood cobblers will sell them their soles.

The latest campaign was launched last week by [frequent steve's blog contributor] Al Cabino, a Montrealer who wants Nike to re-create the runners worn by Marty McFly in the 1989 movie Back to the Future II.

The petition has already been signed by hundreds of "activists" from every corner of the world, including celebrity sneakerphile Adam Goldstein - otherwise known as DJ AM, fiance to tabloid fixture Nicole Richie.

"We're not ending world hunger here," Cabino said in an interview. "Sneaker activism is about mobilizing people for the same cause to get something done ... and I want to help advance sneaker culture."

For example, this year, Cabino got the attention of the Paris boutique Colette by commissioning a one-off pair of Nike Vandals made entirely of Swiss chocolate.

The sugary sneaks, released about the same time as the Johnny Depp film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were promoted with the slogan Al Cabino and the Chocolate Factory.

"I'm very inspired by movies," Cabino said.

"So it just felt right to do this petition."

To Cabino, the Back to the Future II runners, which resemble a cross between high-tops and moon boots, are the holy grail of movie sneakers. They were never sold in stores and were never worn beyond the silver screen.

Once Cabino gets a "respectable number" of signatures on his online petition, he plans to bring it to his contacts at Nike.

"As a journalist, you want to report the news," said Cabino, who for two years has written about the shoe scene for Sneaker Freaker magazine.

"But at the same time, sometimes you just feel like you have to take charge to advance the culture."

In January, coolhunting.com founder Josh Rubin - arguably the original sneaker activist - spurred a similar worldwide effort.

His mission: Persuade Adidas to produce the special edition runners featured in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Although the campaign was a huge success by publicity standards, executives at Adidas dug in their heels.

The movie, after all, failed to make back half of its $50-million (U.S.) budget at the box office.

A smaller campaign on behalf of the Tai-Chi Onistuka Tigers shown in the blockbuster Kill Bill Vol. 1 saw better results.

Rubin reports "after much pleading," an exclusive production run of the sneakers (originally limited to just 1,500 pairs) was undertaken in June.

"We're definitely starting to see manufacturers respond to the fact consumers want a say in the product they're purchasing," Rubin said.

"Sometimes that means, 'I want to pick my own colours.' Sometimes that means, 'I saw those sneakers in a movie and I want them.' "

Piers Fawkes, a marketing consultant with the New York-based trendspotting collective PSFK, has supported sneaker activism from the beginning.

Although not a sneakerhead, Fawkes likes the idea of people taking control of what's important to them.

"It's very grassroots," he observed.

"I would be surprised if Nike came out with the Back to the Future sneaker, but they might have a look at the trend that's really behind (the petition). ... They're pretty forward-thinking."

On the Web: Cabino's petition is at www.petitiononline.com/future2/petition.html