Jordan Spizike

In the sneaker world, Spike Lee is best known for his appearances in Air Jordan ad campaigns in the late 1980s and 1990s, playing the fictional character Mars Blackmon, the sports and sneaker-loving Brooklynite.

Lee starred in commercials for the Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9. He coined the phrase, "It's gotta be the shoes," and fully embodied what it meant to be a sneaker fanatic — a phenomenon that was relatively new at the time.

In fact, Lee's affinity for Air Jordans dates back to Mars' performance in the classic 1986 film She's Gotta Have It. In the movie, the character loved his original Air Jordan 1s so much, he refused to take them off when finally given the opportunity to be intimate with his love interest, Nola Darling. That scene was one of the earliest depictions of the cultural significance of Air Jordans off the court.

In 1989, Spike Lee created another iconic sneaker moment in the film Do the Right Thing. A character named Buggin' Out gets his new "White Cement" Air Jordan 4s scuffed by a Celtics fan and contemplates making him pay $100 plus tax for a new pair. Later on, Spike Lee also featured the Air Jordan 13 in his 1998 film He Got Game.

The initial plan for the Jordan Spizike was to release only the first two colorways. Many sneakerheads were skeptical of the hybrid mash-up. But sales momentum grew, and Nike eventually released more than 30 colorways, making the Spizike one of the most iconic shoes in the Jordan family.

The first Spizike got released in the "White/Varsity Red/Classic Green" (315371-161) colorway. To commemorate Lee's and Mars' Brooklyn roots, the shoe was only available on the East Coast and was limited to 4,032 pairs. Each pair was individually numbered and came with a hangtag.

In 2007, the Jordan Spizike saw wider releases in seven colorways. The first three colorways — "Black/Varsity Red/Classic Green" (3125371-061), "True Blue" (315371-163) and "White/Varsity Red/Cement Grey/Black" (315371-164) — were only available in men's sizes.

Next, Jordan Brand paid homage with the "Kings County" (315371-071) colorway. Featuring eye-catching elephant print overlays, it was the first pair to get released in grade school sizing. There was also a limited-edition "Do the Right Thing" (315371-162) colorway and a women's "Black/Pinkfire/Ice Blue" (317574-062) version.

At the end of 2007, the "Cement Grey" (315371-101) colorway got released in full family sizing. It was the first widely available general release. Since the original run of the Spizike in 2006 and 2007, the sneaker has been released in a handful of additional colorways — some inspired by classic Air Jordan colorways, others new takes.