If you were old enough to remember the 1990s sports marketing boom, you’d know that it birthed some of the most memorable (and forgettable) ads featuring athletes. From the “Like Mike” Gatorade TV spot, to Jerry Stackhouse’s FILA-delphia campaign, there were certainly some bangers. The “Grant Hill Drinks Sprite” commercial was part of Sprite’s epic “Image Is Nothing” campaign, and it also sprouted something of intrigue for sneakerheads; Hill repped a PE pair of Fila Grant Hill 1s made especially for the ad:
That pair was never released to the public but now, over 25 years later, Hill, FILA, and Sprite will reunite to make good on a long-tease, with the pair finally made available to the public.
Reminiscent of Sprite cans from the mid-1990s, the pair sports the famed gradient green/blue effect on the tongue and mudguard, while the silver “shred” graphics appear on the upper as well as on the exterior lace eyelets. The speckle pattern suggests the pleasant fizzy feeling of the carbonated citrus drink, while the translucent outsole mimics the clear nature of the globally beloved soda. Finally, Sprite logos appear on the tongue pull-tab, the heel, the outsole, and even the custom shoe-box packaging.
The Sprite x FILA Grant Hill 1 is available now on FILA.com for$140, followed by a second-up release on ChampsSports.com online and in-store beginning on Thursday 10/21.
Sprite x FILA Grant Hill 1
Release Date: October 19th, 2021
Style Code: 1BM01372
Color: White/Mazarine Blue/Jelly Bean
