106 years ago to date brothers, Giansevero & Fratelli Fila founded the now iconic sneaker/sportswear brand “FILA”. With the endorsement of the grandslam superstar Björn Borg — the brand catapulted to the forefront as a main contender against heavy hitters in sportswear such as Nike and Adidas.
Other athletes attributed to Fila’s laid-back, yet looming presence in sportswear, such as Jerry Stackhouse, Akiko Morigami, and more recently John Isner — but none other compare to the iconic Grant Hill collaboration.
1996 was heralded as one of the years best basketball sneaker holy grails. Considering the US Olympic team had no shortage of talent and style, like names of Scotty Pippen with The Uptempo’s, and Charles Barkley with his CB34 II. The Grant Hill II (Fila ’96) were just one of five signature sneakers that each excelled in design and function. This collection was one of the more successful collaborations for Fila when heavy hitters like Air Jordan, Adidas, and Reebok were all in the mix.
FunFact: Grant Hill granted Tupac with these specific pair personally for his All Eyez Me Album booklet.
Most recently the exact pair Grant Hill wore in the 1996 Olympics were inducted and held on display in Toronto at the Bata Shoe Museum in 2013. You can find the Fila 96 being retro’d and released at a store near you.
Written By “Supa”