Before trainers became fashion, before signature shoes became global status symbols and before sneaker culture had a name, Foot Locker was there. It never left.
Launching today, ‘Then. Now. Always.’ is a new campaign film celebrating Foot Locker’s role in giving sneaker culture a home and helping shape it into what it is today. Moving through defining eras and iconic sneakers, it shows how communities turned performance footwear into a language of identity.
“A favourite pair of trainers is never just a shoe,” said Slavka Jancikova, VP Marketing EMEA, Foot Locker. “Ask anyone about theirs and you’ll get a memory back: a first day, a first win, a first night out. This film is our way of saying we were there for those moments, alongside the people and communities who lived them. A new generation is already writing their own version of that story, and we’re right there with them.”
At the heart of the film are Foot Locker’s Stripers, not just the people who sell the shoes, but the ones who have helped shape sneaker culture from inside it. For more than 50 years in the US, and over four decades in Europe, Stripers have stood on the same courts, in the same clubs and on the same match-day terraces as their communities, spotting what mattered next before it had a name. They’re the ones who called next season’s must-have, held a pair for a regular, and helped a brand-new trend earn its place in the neighbourhood. Then. Now. Always. They haven’t just sold sneaker culture: they’ve lived it alongside the people who built it.
Sneaker culture grew up on both sides of the Atlantic, finding its roots in the courts, neighbourhoods and communities that shaped local identity on both continents. From American city blocks to Europe’s housing estates, clubs and terraces, the culture evolved through shared influences and distinct local stories. ‘Then. Now. Always.’ is Foot Locker’s tribute to the European side of that story: the moments that shaped how this side of the world wears sneakers, then, now and always.
Each moment in the film is grounded in something real. It opens with trainers as pure function, before Jordan changed what a sneaker could mean. The Nike TN’s shark-like upper earned it the nickname “Requin” on the housing estates of France and defined a whole era of UK street and rave style. Foot Locker was the first retailer anywhere to stock it exclusively. On the touchline, the adidas Stan Smith, a 1965 tennis shoe adopted by Manchester’s football casual scene, set the template for the clean, off-duty look coaches still wear today. Meanwhile, the armchair gaffers, dads shouting tactics from the sofa, wore the same New Balance sneakers as the supermodels on the catwalk. Today, Saucony’s archive runners are finding new relevance on Europe’s high streets. Different decades, different scenes, one throughline: Foot Locker was there. It still is.
‘Then. Now. Always.’ makes a clear statement about Foot Locker’s role in that story. Its stores were where new releases landed first. Its communities decided what mattered next. That next chapter already includes brands like On that didn’t exist a decade ago, and archive names like Saucony, whose vintage running silhouettes have stepped from the archives back into the spotlight, appearing across fashion weeks and on the feet of a new generation.
Foot Locker’s role hasn’t changed: giving sneaker culture a home. Then. Now. Always.
Foot Locker has continued to move between performance and lifestyle, connecting landmark releases with the communities that gave them relevance. From basketball and hip-hop to nightlife and fashion, the brand has remained present as sneakers moved from specialist sportswear to a central part of cultural identity.
‘Then. Now. Always.’ brings those connections together in one statement: trends change, styles evolve and new movements emerge, but Foot Locker is there. Then. Now. Always.
‘Then. Now. Always.’ launches as an integrated campaign across film, out-of-home, social and creator partnerships. Across social, the campaign comes to life through a social-first adaptation of the brand film, with Stripers leading audiences through different eras of sneaker culture via creator content, teleshopping-inspired moments and nostalgic references spanning the 90s, Y2K and beyond. Foot Locker UNLOCKED builds on this with social-first content inspired by popular YouTube games and challenge formats, reimagined through a Foot Locker lens and hosted by French creator Boris Becker. Beyond social, the campaign will take over the streets through a series of large-scale murals across France, the UK and Italy, bringing scenes from the film into the communities that continue to shape sneaker culture today. For campaign updates, follow @Footlockereu.
Alongside the film, Foot Locker is launching its Back to School campaign, helping the next generation start the school year with their favourites. The campaign arrives with a line-up of exclusive footwear spanning established icons, revived archive models and the performance silhouettes currently reshaping street style.
