BeforeWill SmithandMartin Lawrencehit the premiere ofBad Boys for Lifeon Jan. 17, the actors hitStadium Goodsin New York City for a new episode ofSneaker Shopping withComplex.
During the clip, Smith and Lawrence reminisce on some iconic hip hop trends and share behind-the-scenes secrets about their footwear in sitcoms likeFresh Prince of Bel Airand films likeDo the Right Thing.
“Do you guys remember, from an early age, what good shoes can do to a kid’s confidence?,”Complex’sJoe La Puma asked the actors.
“Most definitely,” Lawrence, 54, said with a smile.
And reflecting on his early career as one half of the West Philadelphia-born hip hop duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Smith, 51, added that shoe style “was everything.”
“It was like a serious status symbol,” he told La Puma. “When me andJeff [Townes]first started up, it was like what you had on on stage was everything. It was part of the performance.”
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Smith also shared that, while filmingFresh Prince, he wanted his character to wear trendy sneakers before they were released to the public. TheOscar nomineegravitated towards colorful styles to reflect the goofy attitude of his character (and it was the 1980’s, after all!)
“So I started doing that on the show [Fresh Prince of Bel Air] — no shoe strings on the show — and it was really just ease,” he said. “It was the ease to just jump up and pop right in them.”
While Lawrence’s contribution to sneaker pop culture came during one of the most memorable scenes inSpike Lee’s1989 filmDo the Right Thing, when one character almost got in a physical altercation over a scuffed-up pair of Air Jordan IVs.
“It was just fun. And it was real!” he revealed of the clip. “If somebody steps on your shoes, it could start a fight — especially Jordans!”
As La Puma pointed out in the clip, bothBad Boysstars set sneaker trends that were validated years later — in 2019, Nike dedicated a pair of purple and blackLebron 16’s to Lawrenceand a pair of white and purpleAir Jordan Vs to Smith.
“That was big for me,” Lawrence said. While Smith added, “That was very special.”
source: people.com
