The Best NBA Signature Shoes of the 22-23 Season and of All Time

• Player: LeBron James
• Notable colorways: Guava Ice, Laser Orange, Sesame

The anticipation was high heading into LeBron's 20th season as he was projected to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all time scoring record (which he ultimately did in February). As such, with it being year twenty and such a big career accomplishment on the horizon, the LeBron XX aka the LeBron 20 was released as a celebration. There's multiple colorways still available for purchase, including the popular "Four Horseman," and design itself is a modern one with a hint of that early 2000s vintage flavor.

• Player: Steph Curry
• Notable colorways: Black, Red, Navy

The Curry Flow's have gone on to become an anticipated release in the NBA sneaker community, and the model is one that makes consistent improvements with each passing season. The Curry Flow 9s featured enhanced comfort and control as compared to the previous model and the colorways were super nice, making this a great 2022-2023 release.

• Player: Jayson Tatum
• Notable colorways: Black, Pink, University White

You've got to admit that Nike and Jayson Tatum came with it for the Tatum 1 release. Each colorway is a heavy hitter, and the Tatum 1 is a strong preview of what's to come for 2023-2024 season. Jayson Tatum gets better every season, and we anticipate his sneaker releases will too.

• Player: Damian Lillard
• Notable colorways: Grey, Black/Grey, White/Black

Speaking of signature models that have constantly shown improvement, we present to you the adidas Dame's. If the Dame 7 was beloved by NBA sneakers fans, then it's possible that the Dame 8 managed to surpass its predecessor in terms of popularity and hype. We'll have to see what the next Dame iteration brings us.

• Player: Kevin Durant
• Notable colorways: White/Green, Hip Hop

The Nike KD 15 deserves its credit as a truly great basketball sneaker. The 15 took the elements of its previous iterations, and expanded upon the bounce and security of the shoe. Fewer materials were used in the underfoot construction to create great bounce, traction, and reaction, the actual different colorways offered were sick. Gotta give props to the KD 15s.

• Player: Kawhi Leonard
• Notable colorways: Black/White

The way Kawhi moves with his releases is similar to the way he moves on the court—silent but deadly. Barely any promo on his end, but his shoes sell like hotcakes. You've got to give credit where credit is due, and Kawhi consistently delivers in the sneaker department.

• Player: Ja Morant
• Notable colorways: Light Grey, Fuel

We got the pleasure of getting to see the Ja 1s in action at All Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, and the marketing campaign was super dope (you had to go into a "ice house" to see the sneakers). The shoe itself was a great first step into what the future holds for Ja and Nike as the sneakers were comfortable, mobile, and built with traction, jumping, and stopping on a dime in mind.

• Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Notable colorways: Pale Vanilla, Greek Coastline, Freak 4 "Letter Bros"

You can't talk 2022-2023 without mentioning the Zoom Freak 4s, which received rave reviews for its lightweight nature, multidirectional traction, power, and precision. Not all basketball shoes are actually "basketball shoes" if you catch our drift, but the Zoom Freak 4s are a basketball shoe through and through.

• Player: Luka Dončić
• Notable colorways: Noise Aqua, Light Orewood Brown, White

Luka's first signature release was a heavily anticipated one, and it delivered and met the hype perfectly. The first shoe to boast full-length Formula 23 foam, the comfort is there, the support is there with the built-in lightweight Flight Wire cables, and the designs are eye-catching. We're definitely looking forward to the next chapter of Luka's.

• Player: James Harden
• Notable colorways: Cloud White

Are we in collective agreement that Harden Vol. 7s were the best release of the 2022 season? At first glance these joints look like something made specifically for the runway, and honestly... they could fit right in on a luxury fashion show. Design aside, the Harden's are the epitome of a basketball shoe, and there's a reason why they are so highly regarded. The sneakers feature adidas' signature hybrid BOOST and Lightstrike midsole to make it a lightweight option honed in on maneuverability.

• Player: Tim Duncan
• Notable colorways: Black/White

Believe us when we say Tim Duncan’s 98 Foams still have an impact to this day. If you checked out our 2021 interview with eBay and SneakerCon, then you already know about the impact of this shoe. Garry Thaniel, eBay’s General Manager of Sneakers copped these bad boys via eBay in 2001, and still has them in his closet today. Timmy D’s foam remains instantly recognizable to true sneakerheads even in 2023.

• Player: Allen Iverson
• Notable colorways: Red/White

We’re partial to the A5s, but if you’re talking about signature sneakers that had the most impact, the Question Low Red Reebok’s from A.I.'s rookie season holds the top spot. As we mentioned earlier, it’s hard to surpass the “first,” and when you think of iconic A.I. kicks, this is the shoe that comes to mind.

• Player: Paul Pierce
• Notable colorways: Green, White

This is somewhat forgotten about. In our opinion, Paul Pierce is underrated in the sneaker game, and a few nice pairs that he sported during his playing days. Released through Nike, the Paul Pierce signatures were dressed in a Celtics colorway obviously, with various shades of green and white. These are actually pretty hard to find nowadays, but occasionally the shoes will pop up on eBay. If you can manage to get your hands on one, you’ll actually have a collectors item.

• Player: Vince Carter
• Notable colorways: White Silver Navy

For the record, these are the shoes Vince Carter wore when he dunked over Frédéric Weis in the 2000 Olympics. For that reason alone we have to include. You can’t top that.

• Player: Grant Hill
• Notable colorways: White Red, White Blue

Again we’ll go back to the shoe that started it all. FILA and Grant Hill are still going strong in their partnership, launching a special-edition collaboration with a Sprite two years ago. 

• Player: Dr. J
• Notable colorways: Red/White

Before Michael Jordan, there was Julius Erving. Dr. J's contributions to the sneaker community are oftentimes underrated. Erving paved the way for future sneaker deals, changed the landscape and direction of the Converse brand, and showcased an iconic on the court look with his uniform, shoes, and afro. 

• Player: Tracy McGrady
• Notable colorways: Black Royal, All Star

Tracy McGrady is another OG still going strong in the sneaker game with recent releases, and he’s starting to bring back some of the classics. We first saw the adidas T-Mac 1 in 2003, and the NBA legend brought back a new version in 2021 called the T-Mac 2 EVO ‘Black Royal.’

• Player: Michael Jordan
• Notable colorways: Red/White

Again, it all starts at the beginning. While there have been varying iterations of the AJ1s released and frequent new drops, no AJ1 will have the impact of the original Jordan 1s. Just like with everything Jordan did in his career, they were the first of its kind.

• Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Notable colorways: White/Clear-Black, White Black Photon Dust

Sure we could have gone with the ‘Zoom Freaks,’ but in our opinion the “Force Field” captures the essence best of the defending champion Milwaukee Buck, and Giannis’ reign as Finals MVP. The word “immortal” definitely sticks out when you think about the Bucks run from two seasons ago, and an incredible rise to Finals success that many didn’t predict at the start of that campaign.

• Player: Gary Payton
• Notable colorways: The Glove, Lakers

Don’t sleep on Gary Payton now. The man had some of the most memorable sneakers of the 1990s, and some of his shoes were directly tied into the biggest moments of his basketball career. The “Zoom Flight” basketball sneakers remain our biggest favorites.

• Player: Chris Paul
• Notable colorways: Infrared 23, Dark Black Grey Volt

Let’s kick off the banana boat crew shall we? CP3 and the Phoenix Suns are looking for another trip to the Finals in the hopes of securing the coveted Larry O’ Brien trophy, but in the meantime we’ll stick to Paul’s style which is impeccable. CP3 has had many releases over the years, but we’re rocking with the “Jordan CP3.X.”

• Player: Carmelo Anthony
• Notable colorways: Retro Flyknit Olive

Next up in the banana boat crew is the one and only Melo. Similar to Allen Iverson (who we’ll get to later), Melo came into the league with his own unique style and swag. The Denver era Melo was a basketball style moment that he has only elevated in the years since. Similar to his buddy CP3, Melo has a lot to choose from, but we’re going to opt for the Rag & Bone Air Jordan 20 which was absolutely sick.

• Player: LeBron James
• Notable colorways: Black/Metallic Silver

There’s definitely going to be more LeBron entries on this list, but we’ll throw it back to a shoe that references where it all started, the Air Zoom Generation SVSM. We don’t have to go into the whole spiel about James’ high school days where he was practically a human highlight reel, but the sneakers themselves capture the 2002/2003 excitement of watching a new player that you knew would go on to become of the GOATs.

• Player: Derrick Rose
• Notable colorways: Black Scarlet

Let’s jump on over to the youngest MVP to ever do it. Derrick Rose may be quiet off the court, but he’s a fierce assassin out for blood when locked into the game. His signature sneakers have always reflected that tenacity, and while he has a ton of great shoes, most agree that the “Black Scarlet” release has a case for being number one.

• Player: Trae Young
• Notable colorways: Blue, Pink/Grey

Trae Young is literally still in the midst of his first sneaker collection with adidas, but we figured we’d throw the young killa on here for his creativity. Modeled after ICEE drinks, each release in this collection was modeled after a specific theme that either referenced Trae’s childhood, or iconic ATL staples. We’re definitely putting Trae on the watchlist when it comes to future releases. 

• Player: Scottie Pippen
• Notable colorways: Black Vast, Chimera

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the “Nike Air Pippen,” and boy there’s lots of them. For this one we’ll go with the Nike Air Pippen II. You can never go wrong with a white, red, and black colorway, and we’d argue that there have been a ton of sneaker releases that have been somewhat modeled after this shoe.

• Player: Kevin Garnett
• Notable colorways: White, Garnett Away

Kevin Garnett’s sneaker journey is another fascinating story, and the 1999 Nike Air Garnett 3 remains KG’s most impactful releases to date.

• Player: Allen Iverson
• Notable colorways: Black/White

Did you catch our TikTok that chronicled the importance of the A5s? We highlight everything in the video, but in case you guys forgot—A.I. linked up with Jadakiss in the commercial for this specific pair.

• Player: James Harden
• Notable colorways: Magnolia

Alright let’s bring it back to the present for a little bit. James Harden has some very unique sneakers in his lineup ranging from classic styles to more futuristic themes. Consider checking out the Futurenatural “Magnolia” for your next NBA sneaker pickup.

• Player: Shaquille O'Neal
• Notable colorways: Core Black, Street Fighter

Ah! The 1992 Shaq Attacks. Certain shoes just scream “vintage,” and this is definitely one of them. We’re talking about the early 1990s Orlando Magic Shaq years, where some would go as far as to argue where his best in terms of his physical dominance and prime. That’s a debate for a different day, but for now just enjoy the throwback.

• Player: Kawhi Leonard
• Notable colorways: Blue/Red, Yellow/Blue

Guess who's had one of the best selling sneakers on the eBay app? Kawhi Leonard. As quiet as it’s kept sometimes, Kawhi is pulling massive numbers on the sneaker resell market, which means somebody is snatching up his shoes in the first place. There’s a demand for Kawhi’s releases and it's present in the numbers.

• Player: Steph Curry
• Notable colorways: Black/White, White/Black

You know who else is pulling major numbers on eBay? Steph Curry. The same sentiment applies here. The demand is there for Curry sneakers, and he has some great designs with awesome support if you are an athlete.

• Player: Michael Jordan
• Notable colorways: White

We couldn’t just put one Air Jordan colorway on this last. In terms of 4s—we’re not sure if there’s anything topping the ‘White Cement.’ One may very well have a legit point that more time is needed to determine how it stacks against not just older releases, but newer ones. However, we are going bold today and putting it as an all-timer.

• Player: Dee Brown
• Notable colorways: Black/White

If basketball sneakers could be ranked as cult classics, the Dee Brown Pump Omni Lite would be high up on every list. Every basketball shoe head needs to know about the Dee Browns (and if you don’t you need to learn expeditiously). Reebok teamed up with Brown once again to release a new version earlier this year, and clearly the demand was higher than ever with the shoes selling out almost immediately.

• Player: Kyrie Irving
• Notable colorways: Navy/Gold

Kyrie’s going to have a couple more entries on this list as well. The cool thing about Kyrie’s sneakers is the fact that they represent specific moments of his career. Obviously these were from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and represented the Cavs’ team colors.

• Player: Kobe Bryant
• Notable colorways: Dunk Contest, Black/White

Before Kobe signed his Nike deal, he was previously with adidas. While many of his signature Nike releases such as the “Grinch” sneakers are automatic all-timers, many still hold his early adidas drops near to their heart. The EQT’s made their debut along with Kobe during his rookie campaign.

• Player: Patrick Ewing
• Notable colorways: White/Royal, White/Gum

Patrick Ewing is still very much in the sneaker game, with plenty of signature shoes available via his Ewing Athletics website, the concept of which started all the way back in the 1980s. Ewing has very much kept the vintage 1980s/1990s spirit alive with his designs, which is a cool thing to see.

• Player: Damian Lillard
• Notable colorways: Black/White, Scarlet

We know Dame hits killer shots, but he also makes killer shoes as well. The ‘Dame 7s’ remain among his best with various different colorways in the collection.

• Player: Steve Nash
• Notable colorways: White/Grey

Yes Steve Nash had a signature sneaker. It was called the Nike Zoom MVP, which obviously pays homage to his 2005-2006 MVP. Like Paul Pierce, this is an incredibly rare shoe that you can only currently find on eBay in a size 15. Be sure to thank us if you’ve been looking for these.

• Player: Stephon Marbury
• Notable colorways: White/Orange

New York legend Stephon Marbury always came with the drip. The Starbury Basketball V3 was among his best with a simple red and white design that still captured attention.

• Player: Dwyane Wade
• Notable colorways: Welcome Home

Dwyane Wade’s sneaker story is actually quite unique. Despite being one of the top young players in the league with a championship and Finals MVP to back it up, he actually didn’t get his first Jordan brand release until 2010. Wade was previously signed to Converse, and went on to sign a lifetime contract with Li-Ning in 2012.

• Player: LeBron James
• Notable colorways: South Beach

The Big 3 Miami Heat era will always be one of our favorites because it was one of the most fun times in the history of the NBA. Whether you loved or hated the Heat, there was never a dull moment with them. The Nike Lebron 8 “South Beach” reflects that much simpler time in our lives. Plus the design remains one of Bron’s best.

• Player: Charles Barkley
• Notable colorways: Iron Ore, Black Purple

Charles Barkley has a full history of sneaker releases that he was pretty committed to through the course of the 90s. The Air Max CB 94s are actually still available today through various outlets.

• Player: Amare Stoudamire
• Notable colorways: Orange, White/Orange

You want to talk about coveted? The asking price some Amare Stoudemire is $1,699. While we know most won’t be able to afford that, it’s still a testament to Stoudemire’s signature shoe game, which is oftentimes underrated.

• Player: Kyrie Irving
• Notable colorways: 90s

While maybe not the first shoe that comes to mind when you think about Kyrie’s releases thus far, it’s impact is a bit understated. Referencing the 1990s era that he was born in, the Kyrie 6 90s takes note of early 90s graffiti, while paying tribute to popular shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air in terms of its overall design.

• Player: Penny Hardaway
• Notable colorways: 1996 Olympics

The legend that is Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. Penny released some pretty cool shoes, but the ‘1996 Olympics’ stands out for obvious reasons. We know the history of the 96 Olympics, and how that team is considered the best Men’s Olympic Basketball Team of all-time thus far, and this shoe takes you all the way back to 96.

• Player: Allen Iverson
• Notable colorways: Red/White, White/Black

You know we had to throw the A.I. Reebok Question on here. While we are partial to the A5s and A6s, the original Question Lows from his rookie campaign will always be a classic.

• Player: Donovan Mitchell
• Notable colorways: Team Navy, Team Power Red

Donovan Mitchell is another young buck doing big things in the signature release game. Creative and consistent, it wouldn’t surprise down the line if Mitchell gets talked about as one of the best sneakerheads in this current NBA landscape.

• Player: Kevin Durant
• Notable colorways: Anthracite, The Day One

Are you a KD fan if you don't own a pair of 12s? The Nike KD 12 “Blue Gaze” gets an honorable mention on our end.

• Player: Kevin Durant
• Notable colorways: Seattle Supersonics

Back to where it all started. The Nike Zoom KD 1. Seattle Supersonics KD. Fresh out of college KD. Baby-faced KD. So many memories tied to this one.

• Player: Michael Jordan
• Notable colorways: Retro

One more Jordan entry. We all know that if you give people a choice of which Jordans they prefer, there are a good percentage of them that will automatically choose 1s. Don’t sleep on the 11s though! The “Concords” have a rightful place in Air Jordan history, and for good reason. Look at them!

• Player: Dennis Rodman
• Notable colorways: OG, White Navy

A lil tame for a Dennis Rodman shoe if you ask us, but still a fire sneaker. The technology on this was actually pretty insane for the 1990s, and there are a lot of current sneakers that have followed this model. 

• Player: Paul George
• Notable colorways: White Black, Black

Not sure if we can really decide on which Paul George signature is the best, as they have all been quite good. Our favorite is the Nike PG 5 'White Black.'

• Player: Jamal Crawford
• Notable colorways: Red/White

Let’s not forget Jamal Crawford when it comes to 2000s NBA sneakerheads. Crawford’s shoe game was impeccable, and so were his releases which you can still find on secondary markets such as eBay. The name “Crossover” was also very appropriate.

• Player: Kobe Bryant
• Notable colorways: Grinch

We’ll end it with Kobe. The Grinch 6s have always been considered a beloved classic, and they were brought back a couple of years ago right around the holiday season keeping the original design and spirit. Kobe always.