FILA: Hardwood Heroes to Lifestyle Legends

Biella Beginnings 

Founded by brothers in Biella, Italy back in 1911, FILA has enjoyed a meteoric rise from the foothills of the Italian Alps to the upper echelons of the sporting globe. Commencing as a manufacturer of quality textiles, the company rose to wider prominence during the 1970s, serving up ultra-chic tennis apparel with a distinct Italian flair – and plenty of colour. 

Legends of the game chose to rock FILA, most notably Björn Borg, Boris Becker, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati, establishing the brand as one of the most recognisable forces on the court. Like all great players, however, FILA wanted to excel on all surfaces, so went on to expand their lineup to encompass baseball, soccer, snow sports, motorsports and, of course, basketball.

Nike and Reebok were locked in a tug-of-war for on-court supremacy during the early 90s, but FILA were out to disrupt proceedings… and they certainly caused a ruckus.

G-Money for Jam

It was never going to be easy – Nike had Jordan and Reebok had Shaq – so FILA needed their own superstar to lead the play. The 1994 season proved to be pivotal, as the brand rolled the dice on Duke University up-and-comer Grant Hill, signing ‘G-Money’ to a four-year deal less than two months after he was drafted third overall by the Detroit Pistons. It was a bona fide masterstroke.

Hyper-talented, and charismatic to boot, Hill backed up his promise with instant impact, averaging 19.9 points in his first season. Keen to establish Hill as their own MJ, FILA unleashed Hill’s first signature sneaker to market the following year – giving birth to, arguably, their most important sneaker line ever.

With its striking white and navy scheme, the Grant Hill 1 gave the sneakersphere a tantalising taste of what was to come with the much-loved Grant Hill 2. A departure from the maximal makes of the era, the clean lines and streamlined feel of the Grant Hill 2 propelled FILA towards the top of basketball sales in 1996, bettered only by Nike.

FILA weren’t out to be a one-man team either, taking another gamble by signing UNC product Jerry Stackhouse in 1995 to co-headline their expanding basketball offering. Bringing a more familiar 90s aesthetic to the court, the Stackhouse (later renamed the Spaghetti) line rounded out a killer one-two punch for FILA, etching their sneaker lineage into basketball folklore.