All About Ben Stiller’s Custom ‘Good Luck Kicks’ He Wears Courtside to the Knicks Playoffs Games — and the Second Finals-themed Pair on the Way
The New York Knicks are in the NBA finals for the first time since 1999, and a lot of fans have superstitions they like to follow as the playoffs continue to unfold. While Karl-Anthony Towns’ fiancée Jordyn Woods has her lucky orange bag, for Ben Stiller it’s his custom “lucky shoes,” personalized by fashion designer and artist Dana Juliana.
Left: Ben Stiller at the Knicks vs. Cavaliers game on May 19. Right: Knicks Air Force 1s customized for Ben Stiller.
Left: Sarah Stier/Getty Images. Right: Dana Juliana
Juliana, a designer at Fabletics, has long had a passion for painting, which she eventually merged with fashion through custom sneakers, each of which she approaches as a piece of wearable art. For the “Meet the Fockers” actor, she personalized a crisp white pair of Nike Air Force 1s with the Knicks logo and additional orange and blue details nodding to the team.
The designer was commissioned to take on the project last year, sharing with FN, “It was one of those projects that immediately excited me because it sat at the intersection of everything I love: fashion, art, sports and storytelling.”
A behind-the-scenes look at Ben Stiller’s custom Knicks-themed Air Force 1s.
Juliana didn’t know what would become of the shoes once she completed the project — then friends started messaging her that Stiller was wearing them courtside again and again, becoming a go-to item for him during the Knicks’ electric playoffs run. And he’s worn them as the beloved New York team battles the Spurs in the historic finals which reunites the two teams that faced off 27 years ago when the Knicks last made it this far.
The actor has even shown love for Juliana publicly on social media, revealing that the shoes have taken on special significance — with blue and orange hearts, he wrote “my good luck kicks.” And the collaboration between the two isn’t over yet, as Juliana now has another pair for the star ready, which she just finished and shipped out to him on Wednesday morning ahead of game four.
Exchange between Ben Stiller and Dana Juliana on X.
Dana Juliana
“The full-circle moment came when Ben saw one of my posts on X and reached out directly. He told me how much he loved the original pair and that he’d love a second custom design. He even mentioned that the first pair had become his lucky shoes,” Juliana shared. “As an artist, that’s one of those moments that doesn’t feel real. You spend countless hours creating something because you love the process, and then one day you realize the work has taken on a life of its own.”
Fashion designer and artist Dana Juliana.
Juliana explained her vision for the first pair for Stiller: “From a design perspective, the original pair was intentionally clean and graphic, drawing inspiration from classic Knicks logos and team iconography. My goal was to create something bold enough to stand out courtside while remaining wearable and timeless.”
Sketches for Ben Stiller’s custom Knicks-themed shoes.
The second pair maintains the foundational elements of the first while incorporating Finals-inspired graphics. A key update is the gold detailing throughout the shoes, including lace dubraes and other accents, which pay homage to the Larry O’Brien Trophy and the quest for the championship.
The Knicks finals-themed shoes Dana Juliana customized for Ben Stiller.
Dana Juliana
Stiller isn’t the only celebrity Knicks fan with custom shoes repping the team. Timothée Chalamet has his Timberland x Chrome Hearts boots in two different colors with blue and orange crosses; Jimmy Fallon has a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s customized by James deVos, which Josh Hart untied courtside, and Crocs ambassador Pete Davidson wore a pair of Crocs to a game this week that were personalized by Madi Kennedy, an in-house artist for the clog brand.
The Knicks were on a 13-game winning streak — the second longest in NBA playoff history — until losing to the Spurs on Monday for game three of the finals. But the energy is high in New York City as Jalen Brunson and the squad are gearing up to respond on Wednesday night at the Garden, where Stiller will presumably be in attendance with a coveted courtside seat — so keep an eye out for his shoes.
