To be honest, it’s not an easy task picking the best sneakers of all time. Yet, here we are attempting to do so. We went with our gut on this and picked the top 10 sneakers of all time according to our preference. I am sure this list will be very polarizing and many of you will not agree with our picks. Take a look and let us know if you agree with our selections or not.
Before we go into our list of the best sneakers of all time, let us tell how we came up with our list.
How We Chose The Best Sneakers Of All Time
What influence they have had on modern sneaker culture
Sneaker culture has been around for almost a century now. During this time, there have been hundreds of great sneaker brands and models that have come and gone. In this time, there have been sneaker models that have made their imprints on the sands of time. These are the sneakers that pioneered the current sneaker culture as we know it. These are the sneakers we have tried to include in this list.
The feeling that they evoke
You know that feeling you get when you look at a truly great sneaker. It inspires a feeling that is a mixture of something between admiration, devotion, and in many cases naked lust. Sneaker culture has turned into a juggernaut today and it is easy to get caught up in the game of trying to build up a collection of which sneaker is hot right now. And yet, some sneakers will remain classics till the end of time. Even now, if you look at pictures of the top 10 sneakers of all time that we have compiled, we guarantee you will feel the same emotions that you did when you saw them for the first time.
And if you are of the lucky ones who have never laid their eyes on these top 10 sneakers of all time, then you are in for a treat. Prepare to have your world rocked!
Those are the two simple rules we have used to compile our picks for the top 10 sneakers ever released. Love it or hate it, here we go!
The Top 10 Sneakers of All Time
1. Nike Air Jordan 1
The year was 1985. Michael Jordan was a young and supremely talented athlete. However, he had not yet proven himself to be the monstrous performer that he would turn out to be. Nike and Phil Knight made an ambitious bet on this talented and marketable athlete. The rest as they say is history.
Over 35 years since its introduction, the Air Jordan 1 remains the most profitable Jordan Retro sneaker. But that is not why we chose this shoe to be part of our top sneakers of all time. We chose it because this is the shoe that started it all. The start of one of the most storied careers in basketball, the start of a team that remains the most legendary franchise run in the NBA, the start of modern sneaker culture as we know it.
2. Nike Kobe 6
The Black Mamba is no more with us, may he rest in peace. Through his career, Kobe Bryant proved to be one of the most relentless players the game has ever seen. His never say die attitude is what is known as the Mamba Mentality today.
The Nike Kobe 6 makes our list of the top 10 sneakers of all time since its design epitomizes the man who it is named after. The Kobe 6 has a special polyurethane island upper which is made to look like the skin of a mamba. With a dual-layer memory foam sock liner, injected midsole, and Zoom Air units in various parts of the sneaker, this is a serious b-ball sneaker too.
3. Nike Air Max 1
The Air Max 1 kicked off one of the most iconic sneaker lines of all time. This was the moment where running sneakers entered into the mainstream. Till now, basketball high tops were the only type of shoes that had gone beyond their sporting use. Today, the Air Max line has produced so many iconic shoes that we would need a separate list to catalog them all.
Also, if you heard of Air Max Day, this is the day that commemorates the release of the Air Max 1.
4. Reebok Pump Omni
The Pump Omni was the shoe that made Reebok a major player in basketball sneakers. Superstars like Dee Brown and Dominique Wilkins were wearing the Pumps and flying into the record books as they won Dunk Championships. Pumps became a household word then and kids everywhere were buying up Pumps as fast as they could get them.
5. Nike Zoom Kobe 4
The Nike Zoom Kobe 4 is probably the most popular sneakers in the Kobe Bryant line. These are the first-ever Kobe model to be released in a low-top version. Featuring Zoom Air in the heel, these shoes are light as well as supportive. Nike Retro’d them in 2014 as part of the Kobe Bryant Prelude line.
Our favorite color scheme on this iconic shoe is the Blue and White combination
6. Nike Air Zoom Generation
Lebron James has been marked for greatness as a rookie. In his very first year, he received a signature sneaker from Nike – the Air Zoom generation. The design of this sneaker is iconic. If you look closely, you will see the inspiration for the shoe design which comes from a Hummer H2 which was one of the first cars bought for Lebron.
Like MJ, Nike took a major risk with Lebron. 17 years later, we can safely say that the best paid off well for both Lebron and Nike.
7. Air Jordan III Black Cement
Some would say that these are the greatest sneakers of all time. This is the moment when Michael Jordan went from an NBA player into his Airness. This was the first sneaker made by Nike that has the iconic Jumpman on the tongue.
Over the years, these sneakers have become some of the most difficult shoes to source. They remain a symbol of one of the greatest years an NBA player has ever had.
8. Adidas Ultra Boost 1.0
When it first came out, the Ultra Boost running shoe was hailed as the greatest running shoe ever. This boast was backed up by a shoe that far exceeded standards for running shoes then. Today, sneaker culture stands transformed by the impact of the Ultra Boost which proved to be the perfect technology platform for Highsnobiety to create these iconic sneakers.
The Ultra Boost 1.0 Highsnobiety came out in 2016. Created in collaboration with the sneaker culture magazine HighsNobiety this shoe remains one of the best-looking running shoes for sneakerheads to date. The color scheme was simple, grey, black, and white. The Ultra Boost Highsnobiety sold out almost as soon as it was on shelves and remains one of the most popular Ultra Boost sneakers.
9. Nike Lebron 15
As we go down our list of the top sneakers of all time, we cannot ignore the man many call the next Jordan. A man who has proven himself time and time again as a worthy contender for the title of GOAT. He has carried multiple teams to greatness and in doing so has reached greatness himself. We are speaking of none other than Lebron James.
The Lebron 15 came out in 2018 and to date remains the greatest Lebron sneaker. The Lebron 15 pays homage to some of James’ sporting heroes including Vince Carter, Deion Sanders, and Ken Griffy Jr. The Lebron 15 is a very light overall but remains a performance machine.
10. Nike Air Yeezy II
The Yeezy, which came out in 2009 marked the first time there was a serious collaboration between Nike and a non-athlete in the creation of a sneaker line. While the Yeezy was a smash hit both design-wise as well as the impact it had on sneaker culture, the Yeezy II took this to a different level.
The Yeezy II has Kanye West’s signature all over it. It shows off the best features of fashion, sport, and popular culture. The different colorways released for the Yeezy II remain iconic even today. The Yeezy II unfortunately also was the last collaboration between Nike and Kanye West. The singer has since moved to Adidas after disagreements with Nike related to the Yeezy II.
Where To Buy The Best Sneakers Online
Buying sneakers online can be quite scary, especially if this is your first time doing so. But it can be the only way you can cop the sneakers you’ve been looking for.
Some of these older sneaker models are very hard to find of their limited supply.
Whether you like it or not, your only choice is to purchase these sneakers online.
Do not worry as there are still some legit and reputable stores you can get authentic sneakers from.
So where do you buy these rare and authentic sneakers online? Check out these sneaker stores.
