The best basketball shoes and their history

When we talk about basketball, we can't avoid thinking about the best basketball shoes for players. Basketball is not yet 150 years old, but basketball shoes have been on everyone's lips for over 100 years. The players' sneakers have been used to try out the latest technologies, win tournaments, and, above all, set trends. Hardly any other sport has managed to convince people outside of the field of their footwear so much. And that's worldwide. From the Converse Chuck, to the Adidas Superstar and Air Jordan 1, to the LeBron 21. We'll take you on a journey through time of the best basketball shoes and their history. And of course we'll show you our top 10 basketball shoes of all time.

The history of basketball sneakers

In the world of shoes, there is always discussion about the hottest retro basketball sneakers. And rightly so, because they are versatile and go with every (streetwear) outfit. They have written their own history and have inspired millions of people. Basketball sneakers are mentioned in songs and are resold for an incredible amount of money. And although basketball was only invented in 1891 and the first shoe developed specifically for the sport came onto the market in 1917, the industry has developed into a global multi-billion dollar industry.

The beginning of the basketball sneaker era

All the hype about basketball shoes started in 1917 with the Converse All Star. It's hard to believe that the simple shoe made of black canvas was THE shoe on the court for a long time. In 1920, Converse signed a contract with basketball player Chuck Taylor to name their latest shoe after him. The brand and Taylor then advertised the shoe. And it went more than well, because in 1936 the entire American basketball team wore Chuck Taylor shoes for the first time at the Olympics. When the NBA merged in 1949, almost all players wore Chuck Taylor All Stars. The silhouette was already a trendy shoe outside of the court.

By the way: From the 1950s onwards, inexpensive and easy-care sports shoes were called “sneakers” in the USA. -> Add as a tip

By the end of the 1960s, Converse was the absolute market leader with 90% of the industry's sales. This naturally attracted the interest of several other brands. The basketball shoe industry exploded in the 1970s.

The market entry of Adidas, Puma and Nike

Adidas entered the world of basketball in 1965 with the Supergrip and the Pro. However, it wasn't until 1970 that they made their breakthrough with the Adidas Superstar . With its leather upper, herringbone sole and cool design, the Superstar was a hit in the NBA and on the streets. In 1973, around 50% of players wore the shoe. And players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in particular helped the shoe to become popular and mark a significant moment in the development of basketball shoes. The Superstar has been an icon ever since and we could write an entire post just about the silhouette.

However, Adidas was not the only brand that wanted a piece of the pie. In 1972, Nike came out with the Bruin and shortly afterwards with the Nike Blazer . By then, the Chuck Taylor All Stars had slipped into the background. The Blazer was the forerunner of the Air Force 1 , but we'll come to that later.

Just as remarkable was the release of the Puma Clyde in 1973. The shoe is considered the first signature sneaker in basketball history. Chuck Taylor may have been the first basketball player to have his name on a shoe, but Walt Clyde Frazier was the first from the NBA to design his own shoe. The Puma Clyde was one of the most popular basketball shoes of the 70s.

In 1982, Nike conquered the world of basketball with the Air Force 1. The first shoe with Air technology in basketball. We could write a whole book about this shoe too; it conquered hip-hop culture and eventually the whole world. The cult sneaker first came onto the market as a high-top and later as a low-top version. Shortly after its release, Nike, or rather Air Jordan, revolutionized the market.

The 80s and the birth of Air Jordan

What would basketball be without Michael Jordan? We don't know. We only know that in 1985 Air Jordan turned the world of basketball on its head. There is no other comparable story. Of course, shoes like the Adidas Forum and Rivalry or the Nike Dunk came onto the market in the 80s, but no shoe up to that point had thrilled the world as much as the Air Jordan 1 High . The collection, with countless colorways and the perfect design, developed the Jordan series into one of the most successful sneaker collections of all time. Individual colorways were resold for huge sums of money and kids camped outside shops to buy Michael Jordan's shoes. And because the shoe was so successful, Nike brought a new model from the Jordan series onto the market almost every year from 1997 onwards. The Air Jordan collection is certainly one of the main reasons today why we are so into retro models and why brands keep giving us them. But because we could write a book about the history of Michael Jordan and Nike at this point, we'll cut here and move on to the Nike Dunk. If you want to know more about the story of Michael Jordan, be sure to watch the Netflix documentary "The Last Dance."

Also in 1985, Nike launched the Dunk. The alternative to the Jordan 1 and the further development of the Air Force 1 came in six colorways as part of the "Be True To Your School" campaign. It was specially developed for college basketball and the collection reflected the colors of the universities.

The 90s and 00s

At the beginning of the 90s, basketball achieved a level of international fame that had never been seen before. The sport was now followed almost everywhere on the planet. In the 90s, Nike dominated the basketball market. They signed the hottest players and developed signature sneakers with them. Among them were Penny Hardaway, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and many other top NBA players. The results included the Nike Uptempo, the Penny 1 and the Air Flight. But Reebok also made waves in the 90s. They launched the Shaq Attack with Shaquille O'Neal. The Reebok Shaq Attaq is one of the most sought-after sneakers of all time. One reason for this is that it was never released again. The Reebok Pump became famous because it was pumped up by Dee Brown during the 1991 NBA Dunk Contest shortly before he shot and won. Young players all over the world pumped their tongues. And of course, several other Air Jordan models came onto the market, the most popular to date are the Jordan 5, 6 and Jordan 11.

But Adidas was also an integral part of the market. In 1996, they signed the rookie Kobe Bryant. He initially wore the EQT line. In 1997, the first signature sneaker, the Kobe 8, also known as the Crazy 8, was released. A retro sneaker that is still popular today and laid the foundation for the 2000s. In 2000, the KOBE (Crazy 1) came onto the market. With its futuristic design, it was completely different from all other sneakers before it.

2010s to today

The development of basketball shoes has made enormous progress since the beginning of the sport. Because athletes are constantly pushing their limits, the technology of basketball shoes has also evolved. In the early years of basketball, players wore simple canvas Converse Chucks with minimal support. The most significant milestones include the introduction of high-top designs to support the ankle and the use of rubber soles for better grip on the court. Nike, among others, revolutionized the game in the late 70s with the introduction of AIR technology. But the shoes today have nothing to do with the heavy leather shoes that we celebrate today as retro sneakers. They are very light, usually come with materials like mesh instead of leather, and are becoming more and more colorful.

In 2003, Nike signed LeBron James and the signature sneakers have little to nothing to do with the leather shoes of that time. Kobe Bryant came to Nike from Adidas in 2003. This made Nike the absolute leader. But after years of Nike's dominance, Adidas has recently been back in the mix. With James Harden, one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, Adidas has developed a really good shoe: the Harden Vol. 1 . All basketball brands now have players under contract and bring out various signature silhouettes. Puma is successful with the LaMelo Ball, among others. But Nike is currently still at the top of the basketball market.

The world of basketball sneakers has never been and never will be boring. Of course, the first decades were particularly exciting, because the brands tried with all their might to become the market leader in basketball. Nike managed to stay at the top in the long term, not least because of Michael Jordan's sneakers, but also because of the new shoes that are currently being worn by the best players. We have the power struggle between the brands to thank for great sneakers that we still celebrate and wear today. Retro sneakers that are popular today and cost a lot of money to resell almost always have their origins in basketball. In the last few decades, shoes have become so technically complex and therefore so different in design that they no longer play a significant role on the street, at least in Germany. That's why we're showing you our top 10 retro basketball shoes.

Our top 10

The Jordan 1 High

The undisputed number one for us is the Air Jordan 1 High . The world of sneakers hasn't been the same since then. We assume that almost all sneaker enthusiasts have a pair of Jordan 1s at home. It's not THE sneaker on the streets right now, but the model will forever hold a special place in the basketball sneaker hall of fame. And we'll see plenty of Jordan 1 models on the streets again at some point, we're sure of that.

The Air Force 1

Even though the Air Force 1 didn't have a long history of success in the world of basketball sneakers, it did have a successful history in hip-hop culture and even in the mainstream. It's the beater of all and one of the cleanest and most popular sneakers in every age group. It has broken all records and is one of the best-selling sneakers in the world.

The Adidas Superstar

The Adidas Superstar is certainly no longer considered the best basketball sneaker these days, but like the Air Force 1, it has caused a real hype in hip-hop culture. Alongside the AF1, it is also one of the most popular sneakers in the world. It fits perfectly with the current Y2K zeitgeist and we are happy to see it more on the streets again.

The Nike Dunk

Our top 10 must not be without a Nike Dunk . The shoe has not only made it in basketball, but also in skateboarding. Whether in the high or low version, the shoe is super versatile and looks great in both clean colorways and brightly colored ones.

The Converse Chuck

The mother of all basketball sneakers is the Converse Chuck . The silhouette is worn by all groups and is still a classic that we love to wear today. We were particularly excited by the comeback of the 70s Chucks. The model still sparks great debate today because it is either hated or loved, with few opinions in between. We love Converse Chucks.

The Nike Blazer

One of Nike's first responses to the boom in the basketball sneaker industry was the Nike Blazer . It's an absolute classic and, like the Dunk, is also very popular for skating. It will always have a place in our sneaker hearts.

The Jordan 4

In addition to the Jordan 1, we will always have a soft spot for the Air Jordan 4. The Air Jordan 4 was released in 1989 and was the first Jordan shoe to be released internationally and to have special mesh inserts on the upper. To this day, the Jordan 4 hits the (virtual) shelves as an innovative retro. The shoe is currently not in our rotation, but it is deep in our hearts.

The Puma Clyde

The Puma Clyde is considered the first signature sneaker in basketball history. It is more than just a sneaker, the Clyde is a true icon. In 2023, the legendary design celebrated its 50th anniversary. In our opinion, the design deserves more attention

The Reebok Pump

The Reebok Pump is still legendary today. It became popular at the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In February 1991, basketball player Dee Brown blew up his Reebok Pumps before his last throw at the Slam Dunk Contest and won the title. We know it's super niche, but we still celebrate the silhouette today and think it shouldn't be missing from the top 10.

The Adidas Forum

Last but not least, the Adidas Forum . The silhouette has been a staple in Adidas' range for over 40 years and caused a stir in the world of basketball back then. The low version in particular has made a comeback in recent years. We've seen the silhouette more and more on the streets. Fair, because it goes well with almost any outfit and fits in with the current zeitgeist.

Basketball and sneakers simply belong together. The sport has put many stars and sneakers in the spotlight. Even though football continues to dominate in Germany and basketball is celebrated in a more niche way, basketball sneakers play just as big a role here as they do in the USA. They make hearts beat faster and have already tempted some of us to camp in front of shops. Regardless of whether you are a fan of basketball or not, the sport is largely responsible for the hype surrounding sneakers and probably also for the shoes on your feet. That's why we think that the best basketball shoes of the past are still the best streetwear sneakers today.