The Nike Air Jordan was not just a sneaker – it was one of the cultural phenomena of the 80s and 90s. We – Yemi, Michael, and Will – are now experienced filmmakers but, as kids in that era, there was nothing else we wanted more on our feet. The style, the colours, the painfully cool Spike Lee joints for adverts made the Jordan an instant, desirable, transcendent classic that has endured over 30 years. And now we want to tell the real story behind the shoe.

We have done everything we can as creatives, improvising, using our own kit, we have been through hell and back to get to this point, where we have been selected for SXSW. HOWEVER – despite everything we’ve done, this story CANNOT be told as the lawyers and the brands are protective of their image. So we need YOUR HELP to deal with these FINAL PROBLEMS! We’ve done everything we can, but we now need you!

‘One Man and His Shoes’ tells the story of the phenomenon of Air Jordan sneakers showing their social, cultural and racial significance and how ground-breaking marketing strategies created a multi-billion-dollar business. But it is also a story with a dark side – manufacturer Nike's high price tag and genius marketing strategy has fuelled a demand so high that since 1989, young people have killed and been killed for a pair. Nike has turned a blind eye. This film is a parable of America's dark love affair with consumer capitalism and celebrity culture. 

Using a mix of archive and graphical animation to support a story-line set in motion by those who made it happen – characters from the world of sport, music, fashion and culture – we are taken back through an era that feels so distant, even nostalgic, but was only a few decades ago. For Director Yemi Bamiro, it was important to use a contemporary animated style that gives the film a super stylized look and fast-paced effect. With a soundtrack and score that nods to the 80’s and 90’s hip hop scene, so inextricably intertwined with this brand, the film blends retro cool with the contemporary for a youthful feel. 

We have been incredibly lucky to get some truly legendary people to appear in the doc. Our contributors include Michael Jordan's close friends and associates like David Falk (his former agent and an NBA superagent who has represented more than 100 NBA players), David J Stern (NBA commissioner 1984-2014), Sonny Vaccaro (the man who scouted him) and Jim Riswold (Nike marketing and ad exec). Peter Moore who designed the first shoes and logo, Nike marketing and advertising executives Jim Riswold and Julie Strasser. Journalists Jamele Hill and Scoop Jackson who’ve reported on the so-called sneaker crimes. Fans from France, Japan and USA and, bringing the film to a moving climax, Dazie Williams and her daughter Joselyn, who give us a real case study in sneaker crime as we follow them through the court trial of a man who killed their son and brother over a pair of Air Jordans.
 

DIRECTOR 
Yemi Bamiro is a British documentary director who lives in London. His filmmaking has a focus within the genres of sport, the arts and specialist factual.  Yemi has directed documentary films for a host of UK and US broadcasters, ranging from the BBC, Channel 4, SKY and VICELAND. One Man and His Shoes is Yemi's first feature-length documentary.  

EDITOR 
Michael Marden has edited BAFTA and NTA award-winning shows for the major UK broadcasters across a variety of genres both long and short form.

PRODUCER
Will Thorne spent over ten years producing TV and branded content before setting up Break Em Films to produce narrative and feature documentary films. Shortlisted for the BFI vision awards, 'One Man and His Shoes' is the second feature film he’s produced.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Christopher Hird is the founder of Dartmouth Films, one of the UK's leading producers and distributors of independent theatric documentaries. Dartmouth's films have been shown at international festivals such as Sundance, IDFA and BFI London and sold to broadcasters and platforms across the world.

We came to Greenlit to raise funds to complete the film we have started six years ago. The film is COMPLETELY SHOT AND EDITED but we still need to pay for and clear the amazing archive materials,  - and that's where you guys come in! We have set our minimum target to £20,000 to raise through Greenlit (not because that's enough, but because that seems achievable) and are seeking funding with traditional methods to make up the rest. The push we will get from this campaign will also help us raise more outside of it. Nothing is guaranteed though so however much we can raise towards the full amount here will get us closer to finishing the film and it will also help us stay independent and as true to our story as possible. Even though we are not going against Nike, the subject is definitely controversial and we want to tell the truth without compromising the integrity of the story. WITH YOUR HELP - we can achieve this!

Your contributions will go towards the post-production process and mainly the vital archive we need to tell this story right. We need archive photos and footage to tell the story, which counts for one the biggest amount of costs. This can be up to $8000 per minute just from news stations and even more for branded material. It also takes time to find the material and then to license it so this is something we need a professional Archive Producer to do.  Making a film about a brand as big as Air Jordan, also means we need to have legal advice along the way, and also for the final cut it will need to be passed as legal by more than one lawyer both in the US and the UK– I think we all know that’s not going to be cheap!  

We’ve managed to keep the general post-production costs low by putting the film together ourselves and we’ve managed to pull a lot of favors. We have already done a big junk of the work but we still need more funds to complete the film.  More money we can raise, the better the film will be - it's just that simple :)

We have some great perks on offer for both sneaker and film fans alike that we’ve worked hard on, to try and make as personal as possible. By supporting this campaign you will get to see the film before anyone else, you can join us for the UK premiere party, become a Producer or you can simply grab yourself some one-of-a-kind collectible items you can't get anywhere else! See the full list on the right side of the page.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

We know that not everyone can contribute but don’t worry, you can still help us by sharing the news about our film and the campaign to your friends and family.

Like our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, and Instagram.
Email the link to this campaign to your friends and family: https://grn.lt/gofundshoes 
Check out our official site: www.onemanandhisshoes.com
The official hashtag is #OMAHS
GET CREATIVE! Do you have another idea, go for it!

We are relying on the passion of people like you to cross the finish line so we invite you to our join team. THANK YOU!