11. Air Jordan 4
As Mars Blackmon, the character portrayed by famed moviemaker Spike Lee, reminds us: you can wear the Air Jordan 4. But, that doesn’t mean that donning the shoes will allow you to make the same gravity-defying, highlight-reel producing mid-air theatrics that Jordan did.
No bother; the black-and-red shoe is such an icon that we’ll allow the fact that it won’t make us that much better of a basketball player.
Released: 1989 | Worn by: Michael Jordan
10. Nike Hyperdunk
Another piece of apparel that received an enormous marketing boost from the “Redeem Team” in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Nike Hyperdunk basketball shoes were donned by Kobe Bryant and many members of said gold medal-winning squad.
If you need any further evidence of the fact that Bryant was beloved by so many, it’s the fact that he could make high-tops that look like they got thrown into the wrong laundry look popular.
Released: 2008 | Worn by: Kobe Bryant
9. Adidas Superstar
Who knows of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who first wore the now iconic Adidas Superstar shoes as early as the late 1960’s, had the foresight to know he was wearing one of the sneakers to really endure the test of time.
Of course, Abdul-Jabbar has to give a big tip of the cap to hip hop group Run DMC, who truly made the shoes a staple of urban footwear.
Released: 1969 | Worn by: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
8. Reebok Question
Dropping a rookie record 40+ points in five-straight games, and famously crossing up even Michael Jordan in an NBA game weren’t the only accomplishments in the rookie year debut of Allen Iverson.
He also came into the league with his own signature shoe: the Reebok Question, named in juxtaposition with Iverson’s “The Answer” nickname. To this day, it remains one of Reebok’s most recognized shoes.
Released: 1996 | Worn by: Allen Iverson
7. Nike Kobe 4
The techie-looking Nike Kobe 4 admittedly resembles something between a Los Angeles Lakers-inspired low-top sneaker, and a shoe worn by someone competing in a digital athletic event in a Matrix-like movie.
But, these were the shoes donned by Kobe Bryant in 2009, when he would go on to the fourth of his five NBA championships. So, who are we to criticize?
Released: 2009 | Worn by: Kobe Bryant
6. Air Jordan 3
Literally a shoe that changed the course of athletic apparel history, the Air Jordan 3 is one of the biggest reasons why Michael Jordan remained with Nike.
Highly unsatisfied with the immediate predecessor of this shoe to the point where he was considering switching to Adidas, designer Tinker Hatfield worked with Jordan to come up with a major upgrade to the design and the aesthetics of the shoe, thereby locking up the basketball icon with Nike.
Released: 1988 | Worn by: Michael Jordan