The 80 Greatest Sneakers of the '80s

The 80s was the decade of decadence. Browse through the 80 greatest sneakers of the 80s. Find Nikes to Diadoras on this trip down memory lane.

The 80 Greatest Sneakers of the '80s

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The amazing thing about '80s sneakers is how broad a span of technical advancements they represented. From the Rod Laver Super to the Reebok Pump, those 10 short years saw the sneaker explode as both a piece of sporting equipment and a cultural phenomenon. While some think the sneaker peaked in the '90s, others choose the '80s as the premier decade. Check out our list of The 80 Greatest Sneakers of the '80s and see where your favorite sneakers from the 80s are ranked.

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80. Nike Sock Racer

Year Released: 1985

Sometimes game-changing design doesn't catch on immediately. The Nike Sock Racer is an example, produced originally as a lightweight marathon shoe and favored mostly by triathletes (so easy to get on after the bike segment). Joanne Ernst, winner of the 1985 Hawaii Ironman, sported the Sock Racer and was later featured in the brand's early "cross-training" advertisements. With all the barefoot technology being sold to us as new today, it is important to remember this often ignored mid-80s experiment.

79. Avia 880

Year Released: 1989

How high? Very high, apparently. Avia was actually worn by at least four basketball Hall of Famers in the '80s — Clyde Drexler, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen and John Stockton — as well as countless high school teams. Pip, Stock and Clyde had moved on to bigger brands by the time Chief wore these sky-high hightops in the late '80s. No sign of a retro yet, but it's entirely possible that no one ever managed to wear out the originals.

78. adidas APS

Year Released: 1986

Another adidas shoe with another form of adjustable cushioning — for a period in the mid-'80s, adi appeared to be making things up as they went along. And maybe they were. The APS used a proprietary key to adjust the spacing of rods in the midsole, which in turn firmed or softened the cushioning. There is probably a reason that these systems fell by the wayside, but they're still awfully cool to look back on.

77. Airwalk Prototype

Year Released: 1986

Taking advantage of the marriage between traditional skate footwear and the '80s basketball shoes adopted by sponsorless pro skaters and bargain-hunting kids alike, Airwalk capitalized with the Prototype, an armored hightop that would set their direction for further releases. As with many things, the first was the best.

76. adidas Fire

Year Released: 1986

Replaceable cushioning in cartridge form was not birthed with the Air Jordan XX1 — adidas released the Fire runner way back in 1986, which featured a rather nondescript upper and a ahead-of-its-time midsole equipped with varying density foam inserts to allow the runner to adjust firmness. The fact that these are only remembered by a select few is a shame.

75. Vision Suede High

Year Released: 1986

Vision Street Wear was primarily a fashion company within the worlds of skateboarding and BMX, so when they started doing footwear there was no attempt to re-invent the wheel. Instead they simply flipped the tried and true Chuck Taylor design in suede, adding a protective shelltoe and ollie pad, and presenting it in a dizzying array of colors. Done.

74. adidas Brougham

Year Released: 1987

If Run-DMC liked any brand as much as adidas, it was Cadillac — so when the German company gave the Queens rappers their own line of shoes, what better to name them after than American luxury cars? The Brougham was the low, the Fleetwood the Ewingesque hightop.

73. Converse Star Tech

Year Released: 1985

Even before the Weapon, Converse was producing high-tech (for the time) leather basketball footwear. And as Dr. J's career was coming to a close, they started moving attention to other players within their stable, which, at the time, was significant. The Star Tech still has yet to receive its proper due Stateside, but there have been some tremendous Japanese re-issues that are well worth seeking out.

72. Diadora Maverick

Year Released: 1987

Diadora was more or less a niche brand in America in the '80s, but the Maverick tennis shoe broke through like no other. An archetype of preppy cool, the Maverick held as much cultural weight as any tennis release from Reebok, Nike or adidas. Due to fickle tastes and the advent of tech shoes as status symbols, this would be Diadora's finest moment.

71. Reebok The Pump

Year Released: 1989

For many, mere mention of the Pump conjures memories of Dee Brown playfully giving his sponsor air time while souring to Dunk Contest victory. The moment would not have been possible without The Pump, which in 1989 established a high-water mark for technical basketball footwear. In original conception, the release valve featured on the heel rather than on the tongue, giving it a more industrial look than the more famous later models in the Pump range. Still, this was the originator, and the one that gave Reebok stake in the great technical race of the 1980s

70. adidas Pro Shell

Year Released: 1984

It's kind of crazy to think that it took a decade and a half for adidas to release it's super-popular shelltoe basketball shoe in a mid, but that's the way it worked. The lowcut Superstar and hightop Pro Model first appeared in '69, and the Pro Shell didn't hit until 1984. World was definitely ready.

69. adidas Lendl Competition

Year Released: 1984

Ivan Lendl didn't just get a signature shoe, he had an entire signature shoe line in the mid-'80s — take that, Michael Jordan. The Lendl Competition, a mid-cut in mesh with both leather and suede trim and Lendl's odd logo on the tongue, was the clear favorite amongst tennis players and off-court status seekers alike.

68. Converse Fast Break

Year Released: 1984

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a period when nylon mesh on basketball shoes simply wasn't done. First there was canvas, then there was leather (and suede), but nylon was for runners. With 1984's Fastbreak, Converse pulled back the nylon curtain, designing a speedy, lightweight sneaker for equally speedy All-Star guard Isiah Thomas.

67. adidas Centennial

Year Released: 1985

It's hard to establish what the adidas Centennial represented a century of — basketball was first played in 1891, Adi Dassler was born in 1900, and adidas was founded in 1949. No matter, the Centennial, made infamous by Duke's Johnny Dawkins, was one of the best basketball shoes of the mid-'80s. That's enough for us.

66. Diadora Borg Elite

Year Released: 1981

For some Europeans, the Diadora Borg Elite is the king of '80s sports footwear. Worn on court by a true legend, the sneaker was sported by casuals on football terraces. The association with a certain sect of soccer supporters gave the Borg Elite cultural legitimacy and an iconic stature born from stylistic rather than athletic connection.

65. Nike Air Pegasus

Year Released: 1983

Twenty-nine versions deep, the Nike Air Pegasus remains one of Nike's most heralded (and long-lived) runners. The first Pegasus, introduced in 1983, remains a favorite due to its streamlined shape, staggered lacing, and modified waffle sole. What the Tailwind started, these more or less perfected.

64. Nike Alpha Force

Year Released: 1988

There was no Air Revolution low, so those enamored with the strap and speedlacing elements had to seek their fix with the Alpha Force, which moved the strap to the forefoot and took down the Revolution's extreme height to a more manageable 5/8ths cut. Designed for force of nature Charles Barkley, the Alpha Force tragically did away with the Visible Air window — perhaps in fear of on-court blowouts.

63. Spot-Bilt X-Press

Year Released: 1986

An American company known primarily for their cleated shoes, Spot-Bilt had been producing basketball shoes for some time before making a splash with the X-Press. Worn in the NBA by Sonics tough guy Xavier McDaniel, the plastic-encased X-Press was almost as tough as X himself. The fact that it was available in a wide array of colors didn't hurt, either.

62. Nike Air Epic

Year Released: 1985

Sometimes it's the little things that matter most. 1985's Nike Air Epic could have been just another early Nike Air runner — especially in that blend-in tonal grey — except for the 3M-backed perforations at the heel. We don't know for sure whether Tinker Hatfield looked back to the Epic as he designed the Air Jordan VI — but he certainly may have.

61. Converse Cons

Year Released: 1986

The Converse Cons was overshadowed by its big brother Weapon, but it's the Cons name that has carried forward through the decades. A lighter leather basketball shoe, the Cons series would eventually spawn an entire line worn by collegians and pros alike before shifting from basketball to skate. (Which makes perfect sense, seeing that these classics were skated by Rodney Mullen, among others.)

60. New Balance Worthy 790

Year Released: 1987

New Balance took things slow with their Worthy line, seeing that this was all new to them. It took a couple of years for them to even offer the Worthy to the public in Lakers colors — by the time they did with the 790, time was running out on New Balance's venture into the world of the NBA superstar.

59. Puma Sky LX

Year Released: 1986

We have to bow down to our olders and betters here and respect the opinion of Bobbito Garcia and several other quoted in his seminal work 'Where'd You Get Those?' for big-upping the Sky LX as Puma's best basketball shoe ever. The sequel Sky II was higher and got more love, especially in retro form, but we'll trust the legends.

58. Nike Challenge Court

Year Released: 1984

During the mid-'80s, the "court shoe" definition was somewhat all encompassing. There was no real need for separate shoes for the likes of squash and volleyball (although those were available), and there was no shame in rocking what was meant to be a tennis shoe on the basketball court or vice-versa (word to John Lucas). The Challenge Court was an all-business tennis shoe that saw action in other realms — and has since been revived as part of Nike SB.

57. Reebok Club Champion

Year Released: 1984

Designed as an elegant performance tennis shoe, the Reebok Club Champion has since been rebranded the "Club C" and become department store fodder at the likes of Kohl's. To put a positive spin on things, however, it's good to know you can find a timeless classic even in towns that don't yet have access to sneaker boutiques.

56. Nike All England "Wimbledon"

Year Released: 1986

Before Andre Agassi ushered in the all-neon everything era, Nike was just trying to fit in. The All England used Wimbledon's palette of green and purple over a primarily white shoe to present something traditional, yet with that Nike twist. The Italian-made shoes were elegant in their simplicity.

55. Nike Vandal

Year Released: 1984

When the Vandal hit the scene in 1984, the variable canvas and nylon uppers were the main selling point. For style, a velcro strap across the top—evocative of the AF1 Hi—added points. The strap gave it distinction from the similar silhouettes seen on the Legend and Dynasty (not to mention Dunk). A further disguising point was the original silver nylon used on the Vandal Supreme. This deluxe version of the shoe had a space age quality… in fact, there was the same look as a NASA spacesuit.

54. ASICS X-Caliber

Year Released: 1982

Think Nike Frees were the first running shoes to incorporate slashes in the midsole foam? Think again. ASICS developed the X-Caliber in 1982, and while the cuts didn't break the outsole (and the ones in the heel were more for cushioning than flex), the beauty was still there. Also worth noting is without ASICS predecessor Onitsuka Tiger there might be no Nike at all.

53. New Balance 990

Year Released: 1982

The first shoe to boast a $100 price tag. That's significant. So were the technical features, including an advanced motion control device for stability. The 990 marked an important push by New Balance in the technical running category, and a psychological play that gave the sneakers instant street cred because of the associated cost.

52. Nike Air Flow

Year Released: 1989

Bruce Kilgore is most noted for the design of the Nike Air Force 1. However, his versatility and the breadth of his inspiration is apparent in 1989's Air Flow (which, we should add, gives Kilgore strong entries from both ends of the decade). The upper is extension of the Sockracer, Nike's original marathon shoe, and also set precedent for future designs ranging from the Huarache to the Presto. Functionality aside, the Air Flow also took to color like a fish to water. For this reason, it retains stellar casual applications too.

51. Wilson Pro Staff

Year Released: 1986

First hitting courts in 1986, the Wilson Pro Staff is now considered a classic by brand and critics (well, us) alike. Simplicity wins… you could almost call it the Air Force 1 of tennis… and the navy and red accents are no fail. The shoe was built for hard court play, becoming increasingly popular in the mid-80s and slowly democratizing the game.

50. New Balance Worthy 740

Year Released: 1985

The moment was more significant than the sneaker — for the first time in their 80-year history, New Balance was giving an athlete a signature shoe. Even more unbelievably, the New England based company had chosen Los Angeles Laker forward James Worthy to be the recipient of said honor. The P740 was a great looking shoe, and it utilized all of New Balance's years of sneaker knowledge. Unfortunately the Worthy deal eventually soured New Balance on athlete endorsements, and the 740 hasn't been seen since.

49. adidas ZX 800

Year Released: 1984

The stripe-free David Beckham version is what people know now, but back in the mid-'80s the adidas ZX 800 represented the pinnacle of adidas running technology. And it looked just fine WITH the stripes.

48. Nike Air Flight 89

Year Released: 1989

The first shoe to bear the "Air Flight" moniker, 1989's Air Flight was available in both high- and low-top iterations, both being entirely different shoes. The low has enjoyed a proper revival over the past decade, while the high has yet to be reproduced. A shame, since the ventilated upper was one of Nike's best designs in a tremendous year.

47. Nike Air Tech Challenge

Year Released: 1989

Itself more or less an update of the Air Play, the first Air Tech Challenge was more notable for what it would become than what it was. Tennis shoes before the Tech Challenge were mostly by the books, as not to upset the tradition-obsessed masses. Then an Iranian kid named Andre Agassi came along and ruined everything. Good.

46. adidas Attitude

Year Released: 1986

This is the sneaker that truly walked the fine line between athletic wear and street wear. Ostensibly a Patrick Ewing signature sneaker, the Attitude featured a gigantic Trefoil logo on the heel, and in its "Metro" iterations, sported decisively non-NBA colors, as well as animal prints long before Jeremy Scott designed his first sneaker.

45. Nike Air Force III

Year Released: 1988

The principle of “lightweight basketball shoes” existed in 1988, but no one took any of it into consideration when designing and developing the Nike Air Force III. It was bulky, it was heavy, it was a brash and bold statement that said “my shoes weigh 27 pounds each and I’m going to dunk on you anyway.” There wasn’t even a lowcut version until decades later and a retro release. These were the Neanderthals of basketball sneakers; powerful specimens that would later be driven to extinction by smaller, lighter, quicker rivals. They are not forgotten.

44. Nike Air Python

Year Released: 1986

This sneaker has been something of a mystery for decades. Seemingly an exotic cross between the Air Jordan II and the Air Force II, the Air Python is very rarely seen, and that mostly on obscure Japanese websites and on sneaker message boards. The Python predated the Safari as a lifestyle-centric shoe, but its seeming hyper-limited release and dearth of backstory has rendered it more apocrypha than Gospel. An unannounced retro would be entirely appropriate.

43. adidas Concord

Year Released: 1983

Essentially a beefed-up basketball version of their Oregon runner, the adidas Concord featured Ghilly lacing and a Velcro strap to keep your ankle locked in. Unlike the Oregon, however, the Concord was made available in exotic looks including faux snake.

42. adidas ZX 8000

Year Released: 1988

Sometimes colorway is everything. The ZX8000 runner was introduced in 1988 in a cornea-melting mix of aqua, purple and yellow that alone ensured the 8000 would stand out from its ZX predecessors. The Torsion system and the sci-fi futuristic upper didn't hurt matters, either.

41. Nike Air Ship

Year Released: 1984

Two things about the Nike Air Ship: 1) It was designed by Bruce Kilgore as a successor to the Air Force 1, and the strap-free hightop in some ways was actually a far superior basketball shoe to its infinitely more famous forebear. 2) The Nike Air Ship was the first Nike shoe that Michael Jordan wore in the NBA. Any questions? Didn’t think so.

40. adidas Micropacer

Year Released: 1984

Today, the notion of integrating technology in footwear is hardly eyebrow raising … but in 1984 it might have been considered, well, almost Orwellian. adidas took charge with the Micropacer, which carried a small computer capable of calculating distance, pace, and even calories burned. The computer ran off a microchip in the forefoot, which was effectively triggered with each stride. adidas produced the original computing running through 1987, then recognizing its iconic stature brought it out the vaults in 2001. Since then, we've seen a neat selection of collaborative efforts never failing to remind us of the initial pioneering effort.

39. Saucony Jazz

Year Released: 1981

Saucony solidified its look and feel with the Jazz in 1981. The company, founded in 1898, had been through several iterations but in 1976 the link to running was rooted and the brand's core offerings slowly gaining undying support from pavement pounding warriors. Thanks to the aid of podiatrist Dr. Frank Santopietro and a Maxitrac outsole the emphasis was all about balance. The Jazz has survived the test of time, functioning as a showcase silhouette in Saucony's Originals category and celebrated regularly in collaborations with the likes of White Mountaineering.

38. Reebok Phase 1

Year Released: 1986

There was a time when the Reebok Phase 1 was as essential to high school cool as a Coca-Cola rugby shirt or an armful of Swatches. That time was the late ‘80s, when Reeboks soft leather creations had at least temporarily supplanted the high-tech basketball offerings that were still appearing on Foot Locker shelves. The Phase 1 was a bit more aggressive than the Workout or Ex-O-Fit, but still featured a butter-soft upper and a terrycloth liner that perfectly set off your three-button ‘gator or pony.

37. New Balance 996

Year Released: 1987

Made In The USA? Yeah, that was a thing way before the advent of #menswear. Advertisements for the New Balance 996 championed owned and operated facilities "right here in America." At the same time, they took a swipe at other brand's that simply purchased wares from Asian factories.

36. Nike Air Revolution

Year Released: 1988

The basketball counterpart to Tinker Hatfield’s game-changing Air Max runner, the Air Revolution was a fitting name for the first basketball shoe to feature Visible Air. But it didn’t stop there. The Revolution also included speedlacing and a heavily padded ankle collar that closed via a Velcro strap. Both expensive and distinctive, the Air Revolution made as much of an impact in high school halls and suburban malls as it did in the NBA.

35. Nike Mac Attack

Year Released: 1984

John McEnroe may not have been Nike's best-known endorser of the '80s — and, with Charles Barkley around, he may not have even been the loudest. But McEnroe was something different in professional tennis, a vastly talented hothead who got as much press for his tantrums as he did for his wins and losses. The Mac Attack was a more refined version of the Challenge Court, featuring his signature checkerboard pattern on the tongue tag.

34. New Balance 576

Year Released: 1982

The big-N big brother to the 574, the 576 has that made in UK cachet, and the technical history to back up its clean lines. Retro projects have come fast and furious in recent years, but all-grey everything is always appreciated.

33. adidas Marathon TR

Year Released: 1985

These deserve to be on the list based on the traction pattern alone, a hyper-aggressive tread made up of multiple trefoils, ensuring they'd leave a trail of adidas logos every where they went. One of the best early trail runners, the Marathon TR also featured Ghilly lacing for quick changes as well as Dellinger web on the midsole.

32. Vans Caballero

Year Released: 1989

The late ‘80s were a strange time for skate shoes. Earlier in the decade, Vans had stopped paying skaters, so they began skating in a bizarre mish-mash of clearance basketball shoes including a plethora of original Air Jordans that would make a current collector cringe. So when Vans contacted original Bones Brigade member Steve Caballero and offered him not only a salary, but a signature shoe, this marked the start of a whole new era. Inspired equally by the vulcanized Vans he’s worn starting out and the padded high-cut basketball shoes he’d worn more recently, Caballero came up with a suede vulc hightop that would still influence skate shoe style 20-plus years later. Three years after the Cab’s introduction, street skaters would trim down the high-cut for increased mobility, and the Half Cab was born.

31. adidas L.A. Trainer

Year Released: 1984

Designed as part of adidas's package for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles (natch), the L.A. Trainer utilized adidas's peg cushioning system, which also provided a splash of patriotic color. The '80s marked a time of impressive variation when it came to cushioning, and adidas was responsible for many of the more versatile — and adventurous — options.

30. Puma California

Year Released: 1983

Nothing too out of the ordinary here, just a classic tennis trainer (worn by Guillermo Vilas) with a thick foam midsole and a clean nubuck and mesh upper. Like the Diadora Borg Elite, the California had a strong presence on football terraces, far from the land of its inspiration.

29. Reebok BB 5600

Year Released: 1986

Aerobics shoes gave Reebok their shove into the big time, but the Boston-based company wasn’t about to cede all the other markets to Nike and adidas. When they decided to enter the basketball fray, they did it via two local guys, Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson of the Boston Celtics. And they did it via the 5600, a performance shoe that sat between the entry-level 4600 and the top-of-the-line 6600. The design combined a lockdown fit with plenty of room for branding.

28. Nike Air Stab

Year Released: 1988

A costly shoe on debut, the Air Stab was named for its most prevalent performance features—that is to say, the shoe was designed for stability. A mix of suede and nylon made it memorable, but nothing stood out as much as the jagged design highlighting the Visible Air unit.

27. adidas Oregon

Year Released: 1982

This shoe was a bold strike in so many ways. Nike was created as more or less a direct response to adidas’s monopoly over the running market, and the German company rarely acknowledged the American upstarts. The Beaverton-based company was making inroads, sure, but to pay them mind would have been to enter the fray. So when adidas hired a former University of Oregon runner — one of Bowerman’s own men — Bill Dellinger, and utilize his patented “Dellinger Web” on a running shoe CALLED the Oregon, there was no doubt that the challenger had made an impact.

26. adidas Ultrastar

Year Released: 1987

It’s hard to imagine what adidas would have become in America if it weren’t for the independent effort of the kings from Queens. Run-DMC repped adidas hard before they got paid to do so, when Patrick Ewing was still in college and the Beastie Boys were still a fledgling punk band. Finally signed of the strength of both the track “My adidas” and audience’s frenzied reaction to same, Run-DMC were blessed with what they had long dreamed of — a signature shoe. The Ultrastar was the classic shelltoe Superstar writ large, ready to go with or without laces.

25. New Balance 577

Year Released: 1989

Neatly bridging the gap between the 500 series and the 1000 series, the New Balance 577 closed out the '80s with a splash. Some of its aggressive look transferred to the ubiquitous 574, but the 577 was a real-deal performance shoe.

24. ASICS GT-II

Year Released: 1986

Did you know that the GT stands for Gran Turismo? Or that the GT-II introduced the world to Gel technology? If the answer to both questions is no, you need a crash course in ASICS history. This is essentially the model that gave the Japanese brand leverage in an increasingly muddled running market and provided the firm footing that has propelled it as an athletic favorite since.

23. adidas Conductor

Year Released: 1987

Big branding for a big man. Back in the mid-‘80s, adidas ran New York, what with their affiliations with Run-DMC and young Knicks center Patrick Ewing. The German brand approached both lines in a similar fashion, with big logos and bold colors (red and black for Run-DMC, orange and blue for Ewing), fusing hip-hop style and on-court product long before it was the norm. The Attitude may be Patrick’s best-remembered adidas shoe, but the more technically advanced Conductor was the best of the bunch.

22. New Balance 1500

Year Released: 1988

The New Balance 1500 wasn’t just a running shoe — it was a whole line, including a basketball shoe and tennis shoe, that represented the New Balance state of the art in 1988. For your $150, you got all the best the New England company had to offer. As for flash and such, well, that wasn’t their thing. Grey and blue was.

21. Fila T1

Year Released: 1984

Unlike the Gucci tennis shoe, the Fila T1 was a legit performance product that was no doubt worn on tennis courts from Venice to Venice Beach. But in its best-known tan/cream colorway, the T1 was every bit as much of a hood status symbol as its Italian-made big brother. The clean, recognizable design and Italianesque flavor looked just as good with velour track suits as it did with matchday whites.

20. Nike Terminator

Year Released: 1986

Nike introduced the Dunk as their college team shoe in 1986, but one school wasn't satisfied with being a part of the crew. That was the Georgetown Hoyas, led by head coach John Thompson, winners of the 1984 National Championship. Nike consented to give them their own shoe, a grey and blue hightop based on the Legend called the Terminator. The release version had "NIKE" across the back, while Georgetown's had "HOYAS." Legendary

19. Reebok Ex-O-Fit

Year Released: 1983

In its own way, the Reebok Ex-O-Fit was as significant a shoe as the Air Max 1 or the Air Jordan III. Made of soft garment leather, the Ex-O-Fit (a manlier version of the women's Freestyle shoe) was ridiculed by industry leader Nike, who thought the flimsy shoes would never fly with consumers. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Reebok wound up spearheading the growing aerobics craze, and Nike needed a tongue-wagging guy from North Carolina just to catch up.

18. Gucci Tennis

Year Released: 1984

No one ever won Wimbledon in Guccis. In fact, if you were to round up all the people who bought Gucci tennis shoes in the ‘80s and ask each of them whether they played tennis in the high-end Italian sneakers, it would be surprising to get a single yes. Gucci sneakers were a straight status symbol, and while they were tennis in name only, they ushered in an entire era of sneakers that were separated from their original intent, judged solely by their price tags and what that said about their owners.

17. Nike Air Safari

Year Released: 1987

Sport luxury existed before the Air Safari, but the soft deerskin runner represented something of a new direction for Nike. Long a company dedicated purely to athletics, Nike showed a willingness to change with the market, as sneakers started to become more of a status symbol. The Safari, its iconic print inspired by an exotic ostrich-leather couch, was of course a Tinker Hatfield design.

16. adidas Campus II

Year Released: 1987

The adidas Campus started life as a basketball lowcut called the Tournament before morphing into the lifestyle shoe it eventually became. Rescued from obscurity by the Beastie Boys via the Check Your Head album cover, the Campus was eventually full-on revived by adidas Originals, in both OG and updated forms.

15. Nike Windrunner

Year Released: 1987

The Air Windrunner is a sneaker more important for cultural association than athletic glory. A favorite of Kid 'n Play, the Windrunner was relatively affordable and readily available. After debut in 1987, the silhouette took some of Nike's most beloved decorative accents, like elephant print, enabling further street appeal.

14. Converse Weapon

Year Released: 1986

Was it the name? Was it the endorsers? Was it the shoe itself? Whatever the case, the Converse Weapon was able to hold its own against the Jordan juggernaut of the mid-‘80s. Worn by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (in basic black and white for Bird and garish Lakers purple and yellow for Magic) as well as fellow NBA stars Isiah Thomas and Bernard King, the Weapon was essentially the Nike Dunk writ large — a team shoe for NBA All-Stars. Converse’s patented Y-Bar system not only added support, but gave the sneaker its distinctive look.

13. Nike Air Jordan II

Year Released: 1987

When Michael Jordan signed with Nike out of the University of North Carolina, one of the things that sold him — and his agent, David Falk — was that his would be a new kind of deal, establishing “Michael Jordan” as the brand as much as Nike. The ball and wings logo was part of that, as was the whole line of apparel that tied into the first Air Jordan. But the second shoe, which didn’t appear until his third season, was truly different. An Italian-made shoe that shared nothing with the first except the ball and wings logo, the Air Jordan II eliminated Nike’s signature Swoosh entirely from the upper. It was a bold gamble, but as it turned out, Michael Jordan’s name would do quite well, thank you.

12. adidas ZX 500

Year Released: 1984

The adidas ZX500 kicked off the adidas ZX line of running shoes, which would go on to be just as significant as Nike’s Air Max line, if not quite as appreciated by the average sneakerhead. Balance is important in any sneaker design, and the ZX500’s use of plastic lace loops, mesh, nylon, and suede was perfect. Nearly 30 years after its initial introduction, the ZX500 still looks fresh. In both senses of the word.

11. Nike Air Trainer

Year Released: 1987

It would be hard to find a bigger year for Nike — and newly minted sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield — than 1987. The architect (of buildings) became the architect of a category when Nike introduced the Air Trainer, a shoe built for a new discipline called "cross training." Running, weightlifting, basketball — anything an all-around athlete would do. And if that wasn't enough versatility, the shoe was adopted by petulant tennis star John McEnroe as his matchday shoe. As with any Hatfield shoe, the function dictated the form, but the form stood on its own.

10. New Balance 1300

Year Released: 1984

$130 was a substantial chunk of change in 1984, and as such, the only people who were able to afford the New Balance 1300 were the most serious of runners and the most serious of moneymakers — whether their methods were legal or not. Another '80s runner whose shape and colorblocking still holds up today, the sleek 1300 is still revered by many.

9. Nike Air Jordan IV

Year Released: 1989

The last Air Jordan of the ‘80s and Tinker Hatfield’s second design, the Air Jordan IV brought some much-needed continuity to the Air Jordan line. While the first, second and third shoes could be seen as individual works of art, the fourth shoe was a direct descendant of the Air Jordan III, utilizing a similar mid-cut silhouette and fashion-forward design, only with lighter and more breathable materials. It was also the first Air Jordan to be presented under the “Flight” banner, a division (alongside Force) that would define Nike Basketball in the decade to come.

8. Reebok Workout

Year Released: 1987

Believe it or not, when the Workout launched in 1987 it boasted some serious technical innovation. Yeah, really. The patented H-Strap midfoot allowed for a more customized fit, better suited to sliding from the tennis court to the track. Yup, the workout was one versatile number. The simple look also captured casual fans. The Workout Low has become a UK staple. Some skaters apparently took to it as well… at least that is what the models use in the short lived DGK line suggests.

7. adidas Forum

Year Released: 1984

adidas started out making running shoes and football (no, the other football) boots, but they adapted quickly once basketball was on the rise. Their Superstar and Pro Model shelltoes were the first readily available leather basketball shoes — which stood out amongst the Chuck Taylors and Pro Keds — and by the time the Forum came about, they were well established. The Forum, which retailed for $100 when that meant something, featured a built-in strap and a high-high cut that was ‘80s perfect.

6. Nike Dunk

Year Released: 1986

The Nike Dunk was less significant for the technical aspects of its design than it was for its style. The Dunk brought team shoe exclusives to the masses, as they were produced for some of the best college programs in the country. Players still got exclusivity, of course, as some of them sported “Air Dunks” that were never made available at retail. And 15 years after they were initially introduced, the Dunk gained new life with a new generation as a skate shoe.

5. adidas Rod Laver Super

Year Released: 1980

The mesh Rod Laver was a '70s tennis shoe that was updated right at the change of the decade with a PU sole and a slightly more bulked-up upper that made it look a little more finished. The traditional white and green palette, shared by the all-leather Stan Smith, became a summertime staple.

4. Nike Air Jordan

Year Released: 1985

The Nike Air Jordan changed everything. For suburbanites, it marked the beginning of a new era in sneakers. For city dwellers and basketball shoe connoisseurs like Bobbito Garcia, it represented the end — digging and hunting for rare gems was about to be usurped by mass marketing and homogeneity. To be fair, the original Air Jordan was a step down, performance-wise, from earlier Nike basketball shoes like the Air Force 1 and the Air Ship. But as a piece of cultural iconography, it was unmatched. The entire modern-day sneaker game started here.

3. Nike Air Force 1

Year Released: 1982

Despite the existence of numbered successors, the Air Force 1 wasn’t named as such because it was intended to be the first of a line. After all, the Air Force 2 wasn’t introduced until four years later. Bruce Kilgore’s basketball shoe was actually named after the President’s airplane — appropriate enough for a flagship product. The first Air Force 1 featured mesh side panels and a smooth leather vamp, and was only available in white and grey. Thirty years later, it’s a not just a shoe, it’s a way of life.

2. Nike Air Max

Year Released: 1987

What started as a small airbag in 1979’s Tailwind had grown and grown through the ‘80s, and by 1987 something had to give. What gave was the midsole. Tinker Hatfield cut away the foam, giving the Air room to breathe. What resulted was the Air Max, inspired by the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, which is more or less an inside-out building that allows one to see all of the works. All that Air Max would become started right here.

1. Nike Air Jordan III

Year Released: 1988

The Nike Air Jordan III changed the course of lots of people’s lives. Tinker Hatfield became a legend, Michael Jordan became a Nike lifer, and Phil Knight became a billionaire. Perhaps that’s overstating the impact of the first true “signature” (in every sense of the word) shoe and the first to bear the iconic Jumpman — but maybe it isn’t. Originally called the “Air Jordan Revolution,” it proved to be exactly that.

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