By Adam Cheung

Copyright gq

When you’re as into sneakers as I am, half the fun of going to the movies is ID’ing the kicks on screen. Sure, plot, dialogue, cinematography—blah, blah, blah—all very important! But sometimes, you’re just there for the good stuff. And over the weekend, while watching The Smashing Machine, I was a very happy boy. Because not only is this Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s best performance to date, it’s also packed with plenty of vintage heat.
Set in the late ’90s and early ’00s, Benny Safdie’s biopic doesn’t just nail the sweaty, bruised-up realism of MMA’s early days—it smashes the footwear, too. This isn’t just product placement. It’s rock-solid proof that someone on the costume team really did their homework.
Without giving too much away, there’s a scene where Mark Kerr laces up the N Air Max Tailwind 4 in its original ‘White Volt’ color combo. First released in 1999, the silhouette was way ahead of its time, with ribbed side panels, visible Air bubbles, and aggressively sculpted lines. Even today, it looks like something ripped straight out of the future. (Fun fact: For a time, the Tailwind 4s were apparently the most shoplifted sneakers in Australia, earning them the excellent nickname “Jailwinds.”) The Rock’s ‘White Volt’ pair actually re-released in 2019 to celebrate the model’s 20th anniversary.
But it’s not just about the Swoosh. When Kerr steps into the ring, he switches things up with two old school Three Stripes bangers. The Adidas G-Response, also from ’99, debuted in three colorways—red and navy, black, and orange (the least popular, according to Rare Wrestling Shoes).
The Adidas Adistar Kendall Cross, meanwhile, first launched in 1996 and was named after the legendary freestyle wrestler who won gold at the Atlanta Olympics that same year, wearing an all-white pair nicknamed the “Pearl Kendalls.” The version seen in The Smashing Machine is currently listed on eBay for $700, just in case you’re thinking of grabbing a pair.
That kind of period accuracy is no small thing. Get it wrong, and it can completely pull you out of the movie. Costume departments often obsess over haircuts and hemlines, but sneakers are their own form of storytelling. It’s also a reminder that the ’90s weren’t just about Air Jordans or Superstars—the era had its own wild energy, where every single brand out there was experimenting with new shapes and tech in ways that feel almost alien compared to today’s hype cycles.
And it’s fitting, too, because wrestling shoes, once the niche choice of grapplers and gym rats, are now one of the biggest trends of 2025. There’s also something poetic about The Rock—who now has his own Under Armour line, Project Rock—revisiting the footwear that defined his early wrestling years. It’s a full circle moment: a guy who built a modern fitness empire now embodying a character from the era that birthed both MMA and the golden age of sneaker excess.
So yes, The Smashing Machine is an intense sports drama—sweat, struggle, redemption, and all that. But it’s also a sneaker movie in disguise. And if you spot me rewatching it in theaters this week, don’t judge me—I’m just there for the kicks again.
This story originally appeared in British GQ.