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8 iconic shoe moments in movies according to pascoe vale podiatrist

8 Iconic Shoe Moments in Movies

If you were going to draw a Venn diagram of my passions as a podiatrist, great movies and great shoes would be overlapping circles. Here I’m going to lighten things up a bit with 8 iconic shoe moments in movies.

We’re talking classic flicks and iconic kicks. From 8 to 1…

8: Pretty Woman

The first shoe moment of this list is indeed a heel, they are an iconic shoe style for any film. Not only is Pretty Woman iconic for the love story between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s characters but also for the classic boot heel that Julia wears. I’m not talking about just any old boot heel. I’m talking about *that* knee high boot heel.

As I said, iconic. 

Now while I don’t suggest you go walking down sunset boulevard in these shoes like Julia, I will say they can complete a great look on a night out. However I would suggest something with a more wedged heel like these shoes from Bared.

Hey 80% of the time we wear our practical shoes and 20% of the time we get to have a bit of fun with shoes like these.

7: Space Jam

He was the man that reinvented the basketball shoe (sorry Converse) and in the meantime earnt himself more money then what he got payed to play basketball. The man is Michael Jordan and the shoe is the Air Jordan. 

When the iconic film Space Jam came to everyone’s screens we got to see quite a few of the top basketball shoes of the time. Of course plenty of them were Nikes with a couple Reeboks and Converses but the star were the Air Jordans. 

Buggs and Daffy even had to go back to Earth to collect Michael’s Air Jordan 9’s for him they were that important. 

The main model of Nikes in the film is the special edition Air Jordan 11’s ‘Space Jam’. A signed pair that Jordan didn’t even wear was set to collect about $150000 to $200000 at auction.

If these are a bit too pricey then at least you can still get a pair of Lebron’s Nikes from the new Space Jam collection.

6: Dirty Dancing

The classic white Converse style shoes. They definitely became a lot more popular after this film. It’s amazing how something so simple can be very stylish when paired with the right outfit.

Even to this day the white sneaker is never a bad choice when deciding what shoes to wear out. And if the right white sneaker is chosen then you can wear them all day every day shopping as they are just so comfortable.

Here are a couple of very comfortable options from Frankie 4.

5: Risky Business

Ok, so I know these are not a shoe moment but those are some iconic socks!

You can’t just slide around in your undies in any old socks.

In regards to the socks that I like to slide around in at the moment they would have to be bamboo socks such as the ones found from Fresh Feet Sock Co. (so comfortable and warm, created by my colleague podiatrist Gus McSweyn too). But if you struggle with cold toes then getting yourself a pair of merino wool socks will help fight off the chills.

4: Cinderella

Ahh, the classic shoe movie. Some of you may have thought that this would be my number one and while it did cross my mind I just couldn’t find it in myself to move the top three from their positions. Its classic and elegant and helps her find the man of her dreams. 

However, if the shoe had just had a strap or something to keep her foot in it a little more and even a wider heel then she would of never of lost the shoe in the first place. But also the prince wouldn’t of been able to find her either so 🤷‍♀️.

3: Back To The Future

Marty McFly and his self lacing kicks, classic shoe moment!  Everyone wanted a pair of shoes like these and they would be very handy for many of us now who struggle to get down to our feet to tie up our laces.

The good news is that Nike did actually invent a pair of self lacing sneakers. Bad news is they will cost you an arm and a leg to get them. According to CNBC a few years back the replicas went for about $100,000 in auction. If you’re looking for self lacing shoes that aren’t replicas from Back To The Future there’s some options in Nikes basketball range.

2: Forrest Gump

“You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes.” – Momma

Couple of good shoe moments in this film. The first that comes to mind is the leg braces Forrest had. According to the doctor that prescribed them “his legs are strong.. But his spine is as crooked as a politician”. Even the Nike Cortez’s that Forrest wears (a gift from Jenny) to run around the country were symbolic with sales increasing after the film.

1: Wizard of Oz

There was never really any question that this would be my number one. As soon as I started thinking about this piece I knew straight away what it would be. They may not be practical, they may not be comfortable, they may not be long lasting, but they definitely are memorable.

Did I miss any shoe moments that are memorable or iconic to you?

About the Author

pascoe vale podiatrist hannah moloney

Hannah Moloney loves great movies, great TV and great podiatry care. Han’s available for podiatry consultations in Pascoe Vale where you’ll be able to overcome your foot and ankle injuries and chat about classic films if that’s your interest too.