It’s safe to say The Fresh Prince of Bel Air it left a lasting impression on viewers as many still quote jokes and discuss certain scenes today. Of course, many still talk about fashion. Each week, viewers could see what Will Smith and the Banks family were wearing and had brand new cuts. Smith’s fashion choices were especially notable among the fresh prince the cast members. One of the things fans apparently enjoyed the most was his character’s epic shoe play, especially his preference for Air Jordans. Looking back on his time on the NBC sitcom, Smith opened up when he begged Michael Jordan himself to let him wear the coveted basketball shoes on the show.
Let’s be honest, Will Smith’s shoe game was always perfect, and that’s what the actor wanted for his character. I’m sure there are those who remember the high schooler wearing Jordan 4s when the show opened. While discussing his well-received performance in Emancipation during show time all the smoke, Smith explained how he was able to secure exclusivity when it came to Jordan. Smith recalled begging Michael Jordan to wear them on the show, receiving a straightforward response from the then Chicago Bulls icon:
I was literally calling Jordan and I was like, ‘Mike, please don’t give this to anyone else. As if I let it be the first person. I must be the first person to use them. He was like, ‘Dude, I’m not running this.
It’s hard to imagine seeing Smith’s character with his new kicks. Of course, Will’s shoe play was only part of his characteristic sense of style, as his colorful hats and inside-out Bel-Air jacket were also extraordinary. However, shoes were essential and he finally got what he wanted. Smith sported the now classic Jordan 4 not only during the show’s iconic opening theme sequence, but also during promotional shooting for the first season.
Eventually, the shoes became so synonymous with Smith and the show that they were referred to as The Fresh Princes, a moniker they still bear today. I’m sure the extra publicity didn’t hurt the success of Michael Jordan’s sneakers at the time. Before the 90s sitcom was reinvented in 2022, the basketball shoe was even relaunched in 2018 as the Air Jordan 5 to celebrate the Hollywood star’s 50th birthday.
the Independence Day Star didn’t realize the impact his shoe game was having on black people (and pop culture in general) at the time. Looking back, she summed up that period of her life with one simple answer:
I had no idea. I was just experiencing the culture.
when cool prince Released in 1990, Will Smith was a fish out of water in the acting world, as his music career was in limbo at the time. He recalled in his best-selling memoir of him, Sara, who was broke before landing on the classic ’90s sitcom. He gained his initial fame and success as part of the rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. The duo had hit albums and singles, complete with colorful and outlandish music videos. Therefore, fans of rap music already knew his style when the public saw him every week.
Now, three decades later, Will Smith is still a ’90s fashion icon and still loves Jordans today. You can revisit your classic shoe picks on stream The Fresh Prince of Bel Air using an HBO Max subscription. Once you’re done with the original sitcom, you can experience its dramatic reimagining, beautiful airwith the use of a Peacock subscription, in case you are comparing Wills shoe games.
Source: Cinemablend
