George Lucas Wore the Ultimate Dad Sneaker to the Met Gala
George Lucas wore the ultimate dad sneaker to the Met Gala, and not the sort that’s been adopted by the fashion crowd.
The creator of “Star Wars” wore a navy suit with an all-black pair of the Nike Flex Experience RN 7, a budget running shoe that’s been off shelves for several years now. Low on tech and frills, it’s a sneaker you’d expect to see at discount stores rather than inspiring lines at boutiques — and its appearance at one of fashion’s premier nights certainly comes as a surprise.
Perhaps it’s the rebel in Lucas, going plain when others go glam, or perhaps it’s just a source of comfort for an 80-year-old man who banked $4 billion by selling the rights to “Star Wars” and the rest of Lucasfilm to Disney more than a decade ago.
Mellody Hobson, president and chief executive officer of Ariel Investments and wife of Lucas, was more on-theme with sparkly grey tweed suit with bejeweled broaches and chains.
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Nike’s Flex Experience RN line is now on its 12th iteration, and the $75 sneaker comes with modest product descriptions of a “plush textile upper” and “synthetic sole.” There’s no engineered mesh or ZoomX foam to be found, but it does have grooves in its sole unit in a bid for flexibility.
As for the Flex Experience RN 7, you can find a men’s size 9 on Walmart for $60 or pre-worn on various platforms.
Sneakers were far from a common sight Monday night at the Met Gala or in any other year, but Spike Lee did stand out with his choice of the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cat” as well as a hat for his New York Knicks. Jaden Smith also rocked the hit 1906L sneaker-loafer from New Balance, the source of the quintessential dad shoes as the zeitgeist knows them today.
This year’s Met Gala theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” or as its been referred to in short-hand, “Black Dandy.” 2025 marked the first year the event has been tied specifically to menswear since 2003.
