words // Zac Dubasik & Nick DePaula
There are signature shoes, and then there are signature shoes. Some signature shoes have a player’s name attached, and maybe a logo or some additional personal touch. But a great and memorable signature shoe truly personifies the athlete it was designed for, and feels like an extension of their game and style.
There have been certain models over the years that have taken that extra step, and simply exude their namesake players. The following sneakers, in no particular order, are a collection of those models we feel best represent the player they were designed for.
Take a look, and let us know your favorites.
Nike Zoom Kobe 6
Kobe Bryant
It’s been said that giving yourself a nickname is never a good look. But in the case of Kobe Bryant, he’s lived up to it in more ways than one. (We’re talking about the “Black Mamba” nickname he gave himself, not the “Vino” nickname he also gave himself.) It was the Kobe 6 that best personified his cold and snake-like personality, by literally putting scales on the shoe, covering the entire upper. Kobe continues to live up to this nickname even today, with moves like snaking the Lakers out of a past-his-prime, two-year, $48.5 million contract extension.
Nike Air Tech Challenge 2
Andre Agassi
“Image is everything” may have been the tagline from Andre Agassi’s Canon Rebel ad campaign, but the ethos carried over to all aspects of his life at the time. This includes the loud and bright graphics found on his sneaker line, which weren’t exactly welcomed in the conservative tennis world. Need an example? Consider that the other most well-known signature tennis line is the Stan Smith.
adidas TMac 2
Tracy McGrady
During the early 2000s, even as Kobe Bryant was in the midst of a three-peat run, there was a serious debate going around: Kobe or TMac? McGrady was the league's most explosive scorer, and his second signature shoe with adidas not only played off of the Magic's iconic uniform stripes, but also featured subtle branding that tied into his low-key personality well. When worn, the TMac 2 looked sleek, always in motion and fluid, much like Tracy's slashing and sharp game.
Nike Air Alonzo
Alonzo Morning
Large. Stiff. Bland. Upright. Are we talking about the Nike Air Alonzo, or Alonzo Mourning’s game? Could be either.
Nike Total Air Bus Max
Jerome Bettis
It’s no secret where Jerome Bettis got his nickname. With a build more like an offensive lineman than a ball carrier, "The Bus" was much more likely to run through opposing players than around them. This trainer featured a low and powerful stance, with enough cushioning for a player strong enough to be nicknamed after a 60-person toting automobile.
Reebok Answer V
Allen Iverson
While AI is obviously most known for the Question and Answers I and IV, there's just something about the V and how the 3M overlay actually represented his wavy braid style at the time. Still one of the fastest players in the league, Iverson could be seen flying down the court in the V (and about four or five accessories) making for one of the league's most iconic on-court looks of all time.
Nike Zoom Glove
Gary Payton
These are practically perfect. With just a Swoosh along the toe and a medial overlay, the fully shrouded and zipped-up Zoom Glove played off of Gary Payton's nickname stemming from his lockdown defense. The Eric Avar design has held up tremendously well over fifteen years later, and is still a huge favorite of many today.
Nike Shake Ndestrukt
Dennis Rodman
It might not have the word "Rodman" in the model name, but there's no mistaking just how fitting the Shake Ndestrukt was for Dennis during his breakout championship season with the Chicago Bulls in 1996. Designer Eric Avar often calls it simply "an alternative product," but the shoe's assymetrical lacing setup and heel logo were a perfect match on Rodman's feet during what would go on to be the greatest team season of all time, and the launch pad into pop culture for his "alternative" lifestyle.
Nike Zoom LeBron II
LeBron James
By LeBron's second season, he was already on the trajectory towards being one of the game's greatest players ever, and the Zoom LeBron II delivered on his rare blend of speed and power, but also packed in Nike's best innovations. There was a Max Zoom bag in both the heel and forefoot, rich leather overlays and a lightweight ballistic mesh upper, blending together a combination of support and cushioning for one of the game's most unique players of all time. As for the shoe's tilted Swoosh, only seen on the right shoe? The placement was actually picture perfect every time LeBron was photographed during his trademark right-handed tomahawk dunk.
Nike Air Max CB94
Charles Barkley
The CB94 is a rugged and tough shoe that harnessed the raw power and explosive force that Charles Barkley played with. The designer, Eric Avar, has even referenced that he wanted to create a "straight jacket" for Sir Charles' frantic and unpredictable style. Even all these years later, it's one of the best executed signature models.
Air Jordan XIV
Michael Jordan
There were certainly shoes before it that carried traits from MJ's personality and personal style, but the XIV seemed to get every part just right. Inspired by a Ferrari, the shoe looked tailor made for MJ's sharp cuts, pull-up jumpers and explosive drives, with a silhouette that was an extension of him during his iconic Last Shot.
Nike Zoom Pippen II
Scottie Pippen
As cool as the first Air Pippen shoe may have been, it simply wasn't Scottie. He far preferred Zoom Air over the larger Mag Air bags, and it was the second shoe that got the formula right for his signature series by having a smooth and sleek flow perfectly capturing his style and under-the-radar demeanor.
Dada Spinners
Latrell Sprewell
In opposition to a contract extension offer worth a reported $21 million over three years, Latrell Spreewell once responded, “I got my family to feed,” while turning it down. OF COURSE that’s not enough money to feed your family for a guy who’s signature sneakers featured spinners – an automotive accessory of the early 2000's he was as well known for as his actual game. If you're somehow unfamiliar with these classics, there was actually a small air bag in the heel that felt the pressure of every step while you were walking, and sent along that airflow to the shoe's collar to help rotate the spinner. True story.
Any adidas Tim Duncan shoe
Tim Duncan
“Boring” is a word that’s been used to describe Tim Duncan more than once. Based on the fact that we had to look up his adidas signature line to even remember what it looked like, that’s probably a pretty fair personification.
