Bruce Lee not only left an impact on the world of film and martial arts but also on the world of sneakers. The black and yellow outfit and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers in the film Game of Death would inspire the fit worn by Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and later different sneaker releases from across the entire industry. Most of these Bruce Lee, Game of Death, or Kill Bill-inspired sneakers came from Asics and Nike, though adidas is entering the fray with an officially licensed collaboration on the adidas Jabbar Low.
What makes this collaboration on the Jabbar Low so fitting is that the unfinished Game of Death film co-starred Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers legend and the first basketball player to get his sneaker with adidas played Mantis, the film's 5th floor guardian and final boss. To defeat the much larger, stronger, and faster Kareem, Bruce Lee used the characters’ aversion to light to his advantage.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
