Generally, when people think about signature shoes they only think about a handful of athletes.
The Michael Jordans of the world. LeBron James. Steph Curry. The same names that we’ve been constantly talking about over the last few years. That’s where most of the signature sneaker conversation goes.
RELATED: A ranking of every LeBron James signature shoe
But there’s so much more to it than that. There are so many different athletes with so many different pairs that were so incredibly good. And they don’t all just come from the NBA — there’s lots of goodness from athletes in other leagues. There are even some great signature lines that come from outside of basketball.
Here’s a definitive ranking of the 20 best we’ve ever seen. Enjoy.
1
Michael Jordan
Was there truly any doubt which signature sneaker line would be first on this list? It’s Michael Jordan’s and only Michael Jordan’s. All of these years later, there’s still a pretty wide gap between Jordan and everyone else when it comes to sneakers. These shoes are iconic. They’re what the culture has been built on. That’s not changing anytime soon.
2
Penny Hardaway
Penny Hardaway doesn’t have the volume that a Michael Jordan or a LeBron James does, but it’s hard to question how good the line is when it’s just become so iconic in today’s sneaker culture. From the Foamposite to the Penny I, the Penny II and so many more, people just cannot get enough of these. That’s why it’s second on this list.
3
LeBron James
LeBron James’ signature sneaker line is 20 deep, which is something that only Michael Jordan can say at this point. It deserves a top 3 ranking off of that alone. It would be higher if the line kept the momentum from James’ time in Miami, but it trailed off a bit from the 13 on. The LeBron 20 is pretty incredible, though. Things seem to be back on track.
4
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley’s signature sneaker run is quietly one of the best we’ve ever seen. There are so many great details to Barkley’s signature models that still pop up in today’s retro sneakers.
5
Sheryl Swoopes
The Air Swoopes line is not just the best the WNBA has ever seen — it’s one of the best signature lines we have overall. It’s criminal that Nike has not retroed these sneakers yet.
6
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant certainly has one of the most iconic signature sneaker lines in history. It’s no wonder that so many NBA players today are opting to wear Kobes over everything else. Not only are the comfy on the court, but they look great, too.
7
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson really put things over the top for Reebok. His signature line gave people something to aspire to. He wasn’t the biggest. He wasn’t the strongest. But he was extremely skilled and was a magician with the ball amongst the trees. That resonated with so many and it’s why the line was so successful.
8
Shaquille O'Neal
Reebok’s run in the 90s was incredible. The Shaq Attack and the Shaqnosis are two of the most creative signature shoes we had at the time. They used to say big men couldn’t sell sneakers and then we met Shaq. Just taking a look at his shoes, you can easily see why things worked out the way they did.
9
Kevin Durant
Truth be told, Kevin Durant’s signature sneaker line has some hidden gems that most people take for granted because, well, Durant isn’t LeBron James. His models don’t get the same pull. But many of them look just as good and have colorways that send them over the top.
10
Scottie Pippen
Nothing compares to Jordan’s signature sneakers, but Scottie Pippen didn’t do so badly himself on the Bulls. The Pippen signature line is a work of art and it’s one that resonates with people strongly today.
11
Deion Sanders
With Deion Sanders making a return to Nike, the Diamond Turf series is due for a bit of a resurgence. That’s super exciting because this is probably the best signature model the football field has ever seen.
12
Lisa Leslie
Man, talk about some of the best sneaker commercials ever. This joint for Lisa Leslie’s Air Total 9 was spectacular.
This sneaker’s upper was inspired by Chanel and it definitely screams luxury on the court. These were way ahead of their time.
13
Jason Kidd
Some folks don’t really look at the Zoom Flight 95 as Jason Kidd’s signature shoe, but it was definitely Jason Kidd’s signature shoe. He made the sneaker popular and wore it almost exclusively. It’s made a resurgence in recent years and is the perfect model to capture the vibe of that mid-90s era in sneakers.
14
Ken Griffey Jr.
Baseball has some heaters, too. Ken Griffey’s sneaker line is one of the best Nike has ever produced. It works both on and off the diamond and is regarded as one of Nike’s best.
15
Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley is one of the premier sneakerheads we have in basketball today, so it totally makes sense that she had one of the first signature sneaker lines in WNBA history. The Zoom S5 was spectacular.
16
Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving has one of the best signature lines we’ve ever seen aesthetically. You can’t help but wonder what could’ve been had he been able to remain with Nike.
17
Gary Payton
The creativity that came with Gary Payton’s signature sneakers went unmatched. From the “Glove” Zoom Flight 98 to the Zoom GP run, there was lots of incredible stuff to choose from.
18
Barry Sanders
Most folks don’t even know Barry Sanders had a signature shoe, but the Zoom Turf was amazing. And it came with this awesome commercial.
19
Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady’s run with Adidas would’ve been much better had he also had some playoff success to go along with it, but still, his signature shoes are legendary.
20
Stephen Curry
Lots of folks don’t really think about Steph Curry’s signature sneaker line as one of the best we have simply because it’s Under Armour. And, to be clear, every model hasn’t been the most aesthetically pleasing. But there’s some really good stuff there that shouldn’t be overlooked. That’s why it’s here.
