Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty
One of the most classic sneakers that have seen an insane revival lately is the adidas Stan Smith.
The kicks were named after its namesake, tennis great Stan Smith, and while the designs have been seen all over the world, little is known about the man himself.
But now, a new documentary dubbed Who Is Stan Smith? executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company, and directed by Danny Lee, sets out to tell the story of who Stan is as a man and how swinging a racket led to him fighting for causes more significant than himself. He’s even been branded an activist for HIV-AIDS and infamously boycotted Wimbledon in 1973 as the reigning champion, which helped popularize the ATP and was in support of the tournament upholding a suspension of Yugoslavia’s Niki Pilic.
The Who Is Stan Smith? documentary will take an extended peek into “the groundbreaking athlete who went from being one of the world’s greatest tennis stars to a leading civil rights and AIDS activist, blazing a trail along the way with his namesake Adidas sneakers – the iconic shoe that has become a fashion statement for hip hop musicians and celebrities for more than 50 years.”
To tell the story, the team behind the documentary recruited some of the biggest names in sports, Hip-Hop and fashion to give their takes on how much the Stan Smith –and Stan– mean to the culture.
“The film features extensive interviews with Stan Smith, his family, and many of the world’s most famous athletes and celebrities, including John McEnroe, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, and Donald Dell,” the synopsis reads. “Who Is Stan Smith? is a powerful and inspiring portrait of the man behind the shoe that became a movement.”
On Friday, May 10, the film opens in Los Angeles and New York City, with plans to expand to 50 more cities throughout the month, including Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, San Diego, Honolulu and San Francisco.
Peep the film’s trailer above. Hopefully, after its tour through America, it will be available on a streaming service.
