Spike Lee Brings High-Shine Sneakers With a Personal Message to the 2023 TIFF Film Festival
Spike Lee brought a gilded take to his go-to sneakers during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
During the film festival’s opening TIFF Tribute Gala in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, Lee accepted the Ebert Director Award for his work in the film industry. During the occasion, he laced into a pair of high-top sneakers — which he’s frequently worn on and off the red carpet over the years — crafted from shiny gold leather. The director’s metallic style featured rounded toes with perforated sides, cinched by faintly sparkly gold laces.
Lee’s shoe choice also included a personal touch, however. The “American Utopia” director’s sneakers included dusky gold rubber soles, which featured black lettering across their sides — including statements “Speak On It” and “BlacKkKlansman,” referencing his 2018 drama of the same name.
The shiny sneakers added a gilded finish to Lee’s attire for the occasion: a printed suit from Louis Vuitton’s spring 2024 collection by Pharrell Williams, which featured a black and yellow pattern of the French brand’s checkered Damier print. The lapel-less set was buttoned over a white shirt, which Lee accented a white leather Vuitton camera bag, round two-toned glasses and a faintly quilted black hat.
Lee’s wife Tonya Lewis Lee also made a sharp statement for the occasion in a rusty brown lace dress, which she cinched with a leather belt and paired with metallic gold sandals and a coordinating Vuitton Clutch Box.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is held annually in Toronto, Canada, aiming to change how the world is seen through films. The nonprofit organization’s 2023 event features numerous movies and cinema projects premiering from Sept. 7 to 17, as well as its TIFF Tribute Gala and Artists For Peace and Justice Gala. Stars from the movie industry also make numerous appearances during the event, including Dakota Johnson, Elliot Page, Spike Lee and more.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote and interned for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.