words // Zac Dubasik
Signature shoes make up a large portion of what we regularly talk about on this site. Air Jordans set a new standard for what a signature line could mean, and players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are keeping the tradition alive by having successfull lines still today. But just because a shoe is connected to a signature athlete doesn't mean it's a great shoe.
Today, we are taking a look at some of the lowlights of the signature sneaker phenomenon. As you'll see, even some of the most notable lines have had their moments of failure. Check out our picks, and let us know which signature shoes are your least favotite.
Glen Rice Nautica Competition
In 1997, Glen Rice took home the All Star MVP award. Later that year, he turned that success into a new sneaker deal, but not with one of the usual suspects. Unfortunately, his Nautica sneaker missed both of its target audiences, as neither Nautica fans nor basketball fans found much to get excited over.
Bryant Reeves Warner Brothers
On paper, a signature shoe for a seven-foot-tall-center nicknamed “Big Country” that plays in Vancouver, licensed by a company best known for their cartoons, might seem like the worst idea ever. Turns out that would be a fair assumption, because it was as bad in reality as the idea implied.
Reebok Answer 9
Allen Iverson’s Answer line probably had more misses than hits, but the Answer 9 missed in an above-and-beyond kind of way. The self-inflating Pump, Velcro straps and DMX Shear cushioning looked more like a hodgepodge of current trends and tech than a cohesive design. The bulky model certainly wasn't even close to a shoe suited for AI's quick and frantic playing style either.
NIke Air Max Jr
Ken Griffey’s signature line underwhelmed at times later in its run, but it wasn’t until this full-length Air monstrosity, inspired by the line’s better shoes, that it was considered for this list. The shoe reeked of product marketing gone wrong, with its overuse of visible tech and recycled South Beach and AM95 colorways.
Osiris D3
When you think of bulky and ugly skate shoes, the D3 by Osiris is about as good of an example as you can give. There are fans of these Dave Mayhew signature kicks, but more for the nostalgia than its looks, which only vaguely even resembles the shape of a shoe.
Converse Wade 4
D Wade is now on his third forgettable sneaker line, and while an argument could be made for multiple shoes in each of those lines to be included on this list, we’ve chosen the fourth entry into his Converse line as the absolute worst. The shoe featured an aesthetic that looked like it was from 15 years prior, but not in the warm, fuzzy way – in the old and cheap way. There's also the fact that he only wore it for one quarter of a TNT game that debuted his new Wade 4 ad campaign, and then turned to Nike execs shortly after to try and pull off his eventual transfer to fellow subsidiary Jordan Brand.
adidas The Kobe Two
Some shoes look better as a rendering than in person. Others look better on the shelf than on your feet. The Kobe Two, its toaster oven-meets novelty slipper shape, falls into neithr of those categories. Much like the Wade 4 above, this shoe can also be blamed for its star athlete bolting from the brand.
Reebok Zig Slash
Just about every aspect of John Wall’s first Reebok signature shoe got things wrong. From the awkward cut, to the mostly-foam outsole that had horrific traction, to the fact that Zig wasn’t even really suited to basketball, period, the shoe missed on every level – as did the follow-up, the Zig Encore.
Jordan Melo M9
Like most entries into Melo’s signature line, the M9 was an admirable on-court performer. But while we were told that the design was inspired by Melo’s passion for luxury watches, it looked like it was inspired by “unfinished samples” thanks to the less-than-elegant execution of the support system in the shoe’s upper.
Air Jordan 2009
For years, the Air Jordan XV was widely thought of as “the worst Air Jordan.” But that all changed when the Air Jordan 2009 was released. From its lacking on-court performance, to its confusing fencing-inspired backstory, to the heel wedge that promised propulsion (even though you'd want to be propelled from your forefoot on a jump), the AJ 2009 missed on all levels, and rightfully took the XV’s “worst Air Jordan” title.
