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Stranger Things, a contemporary show set in the ’80s, has always sprinkled classic Nikes throughout its five-season run, but they rarely got the kind of close-up attention that really lets you appreciate them. Most of the time, the shoes were just there, with the occasional swoosh peeking out.
That all changed in season 5, when Stranger Things teamed up with Nike to produce the Women’s Field General High — a high-top reimagining of the classic ’80s Field General. This is a textbook example of product placement: the shoes get multiple close-ups on screen, and they’re also available for purchase by the general public.
Even in just season 5, characters can be seen wearing Nike Air Max 1 and the Nike LD-1000, though neither gets the same spotlight as the Women’s Field General High specially created for the show. These other classic Nikes appear more as background detail, while the Field General High takes center stage as a true piece of product placement.
While the design isn’t exactly to my taste, there’s no denying that this is one of the most overt and deliberate pieces of Nike product placement I’ve ever seen — and that alone makes it worth highlighting.
The version of the shoe released to the public even features the logo upside down — a clever nod to the “Upside Down” from the show.
A modern iteration of the original shoe traces its roots back to 1982, when the classic Field General first debuted.
