Nike Cortez in Forrest Gump: Running Through American Cinema

When Forrest Gump opened in 1994, Robert Zemeckis and Nike teamed up to give Tom Hanks’s titular character a pair of pristine white and red Nike Cortez that streamlined runner originally designed by Bill Bowerman in 1972 to symbolize both Gump’s unassuming everyman appeal and the film’s broad sweep through American history. 

Throughout the narrative, the Cortez become Forrest’s sole companions on epic cross country runs, the smooth leather uppers and herringbone rubber outsole quietly underscoring his resilience and innocence as he unwittingly intercepts landmark events of the 1960s and ’70s.

Even though the Cortez had already cemented itself as a classic road runner and streetwear icon, its starring role in Forrest Gump elevated the shoe into the cultural zeitgeist suddenly every boy wanted to “run like Forrest,” slipping on those clean lines and bold stripes. 

In Nike’s release following the film’s success, collectors snapped up “Run, Forrest, Run” commemorative editions within hours, and the Cortez enjoyed a second life on the podium of nostalgic ’90s revival. T

oday, the Forrest Gump Cortez remain a touchstone in product placement lore, demonstrating how a simple, utilitarian shoe can become inseparable from a character’s journey and a nation’s collective memory.