A new documentary charting the life of tennis Hall of Famer and sneaker icon Stan Smith will hit the theaters soon. Directed by Danny Lee and executive produced by LeBron James, “Who Is Stan Smith?” will tell the story of his tennis career and follow him as he takes on the world of fashion.
“Who Is Stan Smith?” will premiere in Los Angeles on May 3 followed by a premiere in New York City a week later. The film will then get a theatrical run spanning 50 cities across the U.S., including Washington, D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco, Denver and Dallas.
“More than the namesake of one of the most iconic sneakers, Stan Smith has lived a champion’s life on and off the tennis court,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “Chronicling his rise from collegiate superstar to World No.1 and beyond, Smith blazed new paths for athletes, both as a fashion icon and a humanitarian. Complete with intimate first-person accounts and dynamic archival materials, ‘Who Is Stan Smith?’ is a powerful and inspiring portrait of the man behind the shoe that became a movement.”
In the trailer for the film, fellow Adidas collaborator and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams declares, “Stan’s shoes set a standard.”
Tennis legend John McEnroe and founding member of Run DMC Darryl McDaniels are also featured in the documentary.
Stan Smith rose to stardom on the tennis court in the 1970s, leading to Adidas’ naming a tennis shoe after him in 1978. A world No. 1 player and two-time major singles champion, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame nearly a decade later in 1987. He is also known as a humanitarian. Everyone from John Lennon to Jay-Z and Barack Obama has sported his timeless white and green tennis shoes. The Stan Smith has been remixed numerous times since its release.
