The Grant Hill 1 From FILA

The Grant Hill 1 From FILA

Young fans today probably have not heard of Grant Hill. They may know him as an NBA commentator, but do they remember him as an NBA star? They might not know that if it were not for injuries, Grant Hill could potentially be in the current GOAT conversation.

Day 1

The Grant Hill 1 from FILA was criticized from day 1 for being very similar to the Air Jor-dan 11. The biggest difference however between the two was the price point, the Grant Hill 1 was much more affordable than the 11. The style, despite it being derivative of the Air Jordan model, was still a cool looking sneaker.

The big and bold FILA branding was a huge part of the appeal. It put FILA, and Hill, in the spotlight. The unique closure system of the shoe allowed for a variety of lacing op-tions.

In the 1990s, FILA was an important sneaker brand. It was a popular casual sneaker maker, but the brand wanted a spot in basketball. FILA felt strongly that Hill was the player they needed to allow then to compete with names like Nike, adidas, Reebok, and more.

The impact was quick, the Grant Hill 1 was a success. It appealed to sneaker fans eve-rywhere. The FILA Grant Hill partnership would prove to be a strong one. Many popular signature models were made.

Legacy

Injuries hurt the career of Grant Hill. He was never able to reach the heights everyone thought he would as a basketball player in the NBA. Injuries would also hurt his impact as a signature sneaker athlete. While the mark the FILA x Grant Hill left is notable, they did not reach the heights of other iconic signature lines.

Over the years FILA has brought back various FILA x Grant Hill sneakers. The line still has a sizeable fanbase to this day.