Sneakers were rapidly becoming more fashionable through the decades and by the time the 1990s rolled around, the floodgates had opened. Some of the coolest sneakers in history were released during the 1990s and this is my attempt to rank them in some kind of order.
40. And 1 Marbury 1
And 1 was an apparel company in 1997 when they first signed star point guard Stephon Marbury. The brand rapidly boomed in popularity behind the strength of its street ball tour. While And 1 fizzled out eventually, it could not have achieved its level of success without Marbury.
39. Reebok DMX Run
These shoes didn’t have anything to do with the famed rapper, but they were nearly as popular as him. The striking shoes flew off the shelves and runners soon realized that they performed as well as they looked. For some reason, Reebok chose to discontinue the line but did a rerelease in the 2010s.
38. Nike CB34 Godzilla
Charles Barkley was one of Michael Jordan’s top rivals in the 1990s, but the two ballers both repped Nike. Barkley’s signature shoe, the CB34, was nicknamed the Godzilla because of the popular ads where the Phoenix Suns star played one on one with the movie beast.
37. Airwalk The Jim
Of all the skate brands that were popular during the 1990’s Airwalk was among the coolest. The brand released The Jim in 1993 with the name being a play on the Airwalk’s distaste for gym class. The shoe was available with an outer made either of tennis ball felt or pebbled basketball leather.
36. Nike Air Jordan VIII
The Air Jordan VIII was one of the funkiest pairs of Jordan ever to be released, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t cool. Introduced in 1993, Nike used a hit ad campaign with Bug Bunny to help promote the sneaker and it has had several rereleases.
35. adidas Mutombo
After losing Patrick Ewing, adidas signed one of his proteges in Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the brand incorporated his African heritage into the shoe which was especially connected to the style of the time.
34. Nike Air Zoom Citizen
The Nike Air Zoom Citizen looks a lot like the sneakers of today and thay is because it was so innovative. The sneaker, part of Nike’s Alpha line, was the first in company history to feature visible Zoom Air in both the heel and the forefoot.
33. Fila Grant Hill 2
Fila wanted to make a move towards baskebtall shoes in the 1990s and they bet big on a horse that should have been a sure thing in Grant Hill. While Hill was a star when he played, injuries derailed his career and Fila never really took off with hoops.
32, Reebok Shaqnosis
Reebok scored a major coup when they inked Shaquille O’Neal to a contract. Designing shoes for a center wsa quite different than designing them for a wing and Reebok had a hit on their hands with the Shaqnosis, which had a hypnotic look and enough support for post players.
31. Converse Aero Jam
Larry Johnson was a major star at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Converse signed him to a deal after he became the first pick of the Hornets. These sneakers got Converse back into the game thanks in part of a great ad campaign where the power forward portrayed Grandmama.
30. Nike Air Flight Huarache
Tinker Hatfield and Nike had a hit on their hands with the trainer edition and wanted to expand the design into the basketball fold. The company did with with the Air Flight Huarache that got major exposure as the preferred sneaker of the Michigan Fab 5.
29. Reebok Pump Omni Lite
People all over the world were interested in Reebok Pumps, but the shoes also had some athletes perform some really impressive feats while wearing them. Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown was wearing the Omni Lites when he won the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition.
28. Nike Air Jordan X
When the Air Jordan X actually dropped in 1994, Michael Jordan was retired from basketball and trying to make it as a basketball player. The shoe was designed to celebrate Jordan’s career, but he would soon be wearing them on the court when he returned to the NBA.
27. New Balance 999
The New Balance 999 was released as a high end running shoe and runners loved the tremendous shock absorption the shoe offered. Still, there were plenty of sneaker heads that loved the 999 and had no interest in running with them, making it a hot item for decades.
26. Nike Air Jordan XIII
Tinker Hatfield was the designer on these Nikes, which dropped in 1997, with inspiration from coming from both black panthers and golf balls. The shoe also incorporated a hologram for the first time which appeared on the heel. The XIII has been very popular in retro versions.
25. Nike Air Zoom Glove
Gary Payton was one of the best players in the NBA during the 1990s and a big part of the reason why was his defense,, earning the nickname the Glove. Nike honored the 1996 Defensive Player of the Year by creating a shroud that covered the entire shoe, sort of like a glove.
24. Reebok Court Victory Pump
Reebok’s Pump technology was all the rage in the early 90s helping the brand to take the fight to Nike. This particular shoe got a big boost in 1990 when Michael Chang sported them while wining the French Open. The shoes were memorable for the tennis ball colored pump on the tongue.
23. adidas KB8
Kobe Bryant was regularly seen as the next Michael Jordan, but unlike Mike, Kobe decided to sign with adidas rather than Nike upon entering the NBA. His early signature shoe was the KB8 and he was wearing them for many exciting early moments.
22. Nike Air Diamond Turf
The Nike Air Diamond Turf was designed to be used for multiple sports that use astroturf on its field. Nike had the perfect spokesperson for the shoe in Deion Sanders who played for both the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons. It’s easier to see how the sneaker influenced future turf shoes.
21. adidas EQT Elevation
The EQT Elevations were among the shoes on Kobe Bryant’s feet when he first entered the NBA with teh Lakers. It was also a shoe that reepresentated the German brand’s progression of basketball shoes, with adidas taking a major step forward in the late 90s.
20. Nike Air Max 1997
The Nike Air Max was consistently one of the most eye-catching shoes on the shelf during the 1990s ad the 1997 version was no expection. This model was striking as it had an Air Max unit that ran from the heel all of the way to the toe.
19. Reebok Kamikaze II
The Reebok Kamikaze stood out with its zig-zagging black and white pattern on the sides. The shoe was also represented by Shawn Kemp, one of hte funnest and most explosiver players of the 90s and he wore this shoe in 1994 when the Sonics won 64 games and played the Bulls in the NBA Finals.
18. ASICS Gel Lyte III
The ASICS Gel Lyte III was a serious running shoe with a gel cushioning unit that was all the rage with runners. But in 1990, when this sneaker was released, running sneakers didn’t typically look this good and the pairs of the shoe are still readily available online.
17. Nike Air Trainer SC
It was easy for Nike to come up with signature shoes for basketball players but it was a little trickier for the stars of other sports. Bo Jackson played football and baseball and Nike created the Air Trainer SC for him and it became a hit show for the brand.
16. eS Koston
eS has never been the biggest sneaker on the market, but the company is very well regarded within skating circles. Eric Koston was dominant enough at events that he was called the Michael Jordan of skateboarding. The blend between the two created an iconic partnership and a sought-after shoe.
15. Nike Air Zoom Turf
The Air Zoom Turf was a Nike shoe specifically made for football games that were played on astroturf. And Nike’s spokesperson for the shoes was Detroit Lions superstar Barry Sanders. The grip the shoes provided was cutting edge and the look was on point.
14. Nike Air Max Uptempo
Typically wing players and front court players choose to wear differently styled shoes, but Scottie Pippen and David Robinson were both fans of the Air Max Uptempo. The shoe had something of a bulky look, but was suprisingly light weight and explosive.
13. Nike Air Max 180
The Nike Air Max 180 came out in 1991 and looks at least 15 years ahead of its time. Designed by Tinker Hatfield and Bruce Kilgore, the shoe was the first to have a 180 degrees of visible air cushioning. The upper also featured microsuede which made it tough to keep them clean.
12. Nike Air Griffey Max 1
Ken Griffey Jr. was a transcendently cool baseball player, the kind of guy who comes around once every 30 years or so. When collaborating on the shoe, Griffey Jr. wanted to make sure that the shoe looked as cool on the streets as they did on the field and they remain popular today.
11. New Balance M574
Lots of running brands have cool looking sneakers that do well with sneakerheads, but New Balance is the king. The most famous of those New Balance shoes is the M574, a simple but impeccable design esepcially is the traditional New Balance gray colorway.
10. Reebok The Question
Allen Iverson signed with Reebok after he was the first overal selection of the 1996 NBA Draft. The relationship would be a long-one as Reebok would release more than a dozen signature shoes for Iverson, but none were better looking that the first one, the Question. 1. Nike Air Jordan VI
9. Nike Air Foamposite One
Despite having plenty of hit shoes, Nike never stopped trying to push the envelope and introduced a stunning shoe in 1997 with the Air Foamposite One. The signature shoe of Penny Hardaway, the space age looking shoe was also light and explosive.
8. Vans Half Cab
Vans was the top skating brand of the 1980s and 90s and the company not only signed Steve Caballero to a deal, they also had him help design his signature sneakers. This shoe was made after skaters said that they wanted something in between a high and lo-top skating shoe.
7. Nike Air Tech Challenge II
Nike fast developed a reputation for being the brand that all of the coolest athletes wanted to be apart of. Andre Agassi was turning the tennis world on its head in the early 90s and Tinker Hatfield designed this sweet looking shoe to match his attitude.
6. Air Max 90
When the Air Max 90s were first released, they didn’t go by that name, they were actually called the Air Max IIIs, but it was renamed during a 2000 rerelease. Nike would gift a pair of the shoes to President George H.W. Bush and the sneakers were branded AIR PRES.
5. Nike Air Jordan V
The Nike Air Jordan V might seem simple until you take a much closer look. The sneaker incorporates shark-like teeth resembling World War II fighter jets and it also have a translucent bottom with the Jumpman logo underneath, the first time this was done on a Jordan.
4. Nike Air Huarache
The Nike Air Huarache, which debuted in 1991, was another classic design from the mind of Tinker Hatfield who came up with the idea while water skiing. The shoe used neoprene for comfort and a supportive exoskeleton to create a unique and classic look.
3. Nike Air Zoom Flight 95
Designed to be used by guards, the Air Zoom Flight was officially released in 1995. The shoe was worn by rising star point guard Jason Kidd and quickly became very popular with ballers and collectors. The bug-eyed design was a big gamble that paid off on an incredible sneaker.
2. Air Max 95
The Air Max 95 could come out today and it would seem cool and cutting edge. So it is pretty amazing to think that the original design came out 30 years ago. Designed by Sergio Lozano, these are among the most popular shoes in street style history.
1. Nike Air Jordan XI
The Air Jordan brand is the most iconic in the history of sneaker culture and the most iconic Air Jordan shoe is the XI, first released by the company in 1995. The design, which features patent leather, was a smash hit and is the favorite model of both Michael Jordan and designer Tinker Hatfield.