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Long before sneaker culture exploded into what it is today, the Nike Cortez was one of Nike’s true staples — and because of that, it pops up all over ’80s pop culture. The Cortez shows up in films like Forrest Gump, The Karate Kid, The Wolf of Wall Street, Wonder Woman 1984, and Do the Right Thing. But it wasn’t confined to the big screen. Television had its share of Cortez sightings as well.
One particularly great example comes courtesy of Mr. T as B.A. Baracus in The A-Team. While the sneakers were never central to Baracus’ identity — that would be the mohawk, the gold chains, and his larger-than-life attitude — he’s frequently seen wearing athletic shoes throughout the series.
In the third-season episode “Knights of the Road”, there’s a fantastic blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment during a montage where the team transforms ordinary cars into armored machines — classic The A-Team mayhem. In that sequence, B.A. is sporting a striking pair of bright red Nike Cortez sneakers that boost a shiny silver swoosh. It’s only a brief shot, but it’s framed just well enough to appreciate the bold color lighting up the screen.
The exact colorway seen in the episode doesn’t appear to be documented online as of this writing. What’s out there are similar product photos and comparable red-and-white variations, but not an exact match — which only adds to the charm of tracking down these on-screen sneaker moments.
