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Famous Basketball Shoes

A good pair of sneakers is sort of like an ice cream: there is no way anyone cannot love them. As they come in so many different variants and colors, it is very difficult for someone to choose a definitive top among them. As far as history tells, even the Greeks and Romans wore good looking shoes to enhance their outfit. In recent days, there are even specific shoes available for specific sports, like spikes for football and cricket, Runners for athletes, sneakers for basketball and many more. From the early 90′s, the sneaker culture began to evolve very quickly. New models, designs and technology took the market by storm, and it repeatedly raised the bar higher, year after year. Although the more modern shoes are incorporated with better technology, there are some sneakers that just have too much of a classic value to be ignored. And here is the list of 10 most famous basketball shoes of all time.

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10 Most Famous Basketball Shoes of All Time

1. Chuck Taylor All Stars

Converse’s attempt to capture the basketball shoe market starts as they first produced sneakers in 1917 and named it “All Star”. In 1920s, Chuck Taylor, a basketball player and shoe salesman for Converse, improved the shoe’s design and became the product’s spokesperson. The first All Stars were all-black canvas or leather with rubber sole and white, red or blue laces. In the 1960s, Converse began to expand the company and open more factories and by that time, Converse All Stars were being worn by ninety percent of professional and college basketball players. Soon after, All Stars were being worn by athletes in the Olympics, and during World War II, American soldiers began to wear All Stars while in training. Tree Rollins was the last player to wear Converse All Stars in the NBA when in the 1979-1980 seasons he laced up a modified version of Chuck Taylors.

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2. Adidas Superstar

The Superstar is a basketball shoe manufactured by athletic goods company Adidas since 1969. The Superstar shoe was originally released as a low-top version of the Pro Model basketball shoe. It was also known as “shell shoes” or “shell tops” for their all-leather upper with rubber shell toe piece. The iconic design of this shoe is known as one of the major influences in the sneaker culture. The shoe caught the attention of some of the best players from the NCAA and NBA like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, for its superior toe protection and non-marking sole. Within the first few years of its introduction, the Superstar was being worn by most of the NBA players. Over the course of the next few years, after its initial release, it was advanced from the court to the sidewalk and consequently, further into the public’s consciousness.

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3. Converse Weapon

Converse released this shoe in 1986. The first endorsers of “The Weapon” were Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who were prominently featured in a Converse commercial set in Bird’s hometown, Indiana. Later, they were also worn by Axl Rose in the Guns N’ Roses music video, “Estranged”. The Weapon was designed in purple and gold to match Johnson’s Lakers uniform. This shoe with Celtics color scheme was black and white, which was released prior to the purple and gold version. Converse re-released “The Weapon” classic several times from 2001 such as “The Loaded Weapon” in 2003, “The Weapon 86” in 2008, “The Weapon EVO” in 2009, and its successor “The Star Player EVO” in 2010. Kobe Bryant, Andre Miller, John Varvatos are some of the major stars who wore it on the field.

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4. Adidas KB-8

In 90s, the Adidas Superstar was a staple in every basketball player’s closets. Basketball star Kobe Bryant was only 18 years old and stopped using Superstar when he was given his first signature shoe named “KB-8”. The original KB-8s were black and white with purple and gold accents to match Bryant’s Lakers jersey. This shoe was subsequently released in numerous other color combinations in later days. When Bryant left Adidas in 2002, the shoe had to change its name from the KB-8 to the Adidas Crazy 8. The KB-8 was a major hit back in 1997, and the Adidas Crazy 8 made its first debut as it bring back in 2005 where it was well received by many. Recently, Adidas’ brand ambassador Derrick Rose wore a new version of this pair in a highly anticipated and nationally televised game against the Miami Heat.

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5. Puma Clyde

The first signature basketball shoe from Puma was built to the specifications of Walt “Clyde” Frazier, the All-Star guard for the New York Knicks. Clyde was originally released in 1973 with CLYDE in golden blocked lettering, authentic green tongue label, single color cotton laces and heavily textured seamless midsole transitions to the outsole with no demarcation lines. Even the first re-issue of the PUMA Clyde was also an identical of the original shoe where a gold stamp on the sock liner replicates the “Real Leather” ink stamp that was placed on the first Clyde. To signify the early release, the addition of a city name is stitched onto the outside lateral heel to denote one of the key 2005 launch event cities, New York, London and Tokyo. The heel window features No 1, No 2 and No 3 to correspond with each launch city.

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6. Reebok The Question.

Reebok had fallen to a distant third in the basketball sneaker market in 90s behind Nike and Adidas after several re-releases of Nike’s Jordan and the major popularity of Adidas’s Superstar. With several failed attempts before, this shoe came into the market as an immediate hit from Reebok when they signed Georgetown’s Allen Iverson for an endorsement contract in 1996 for this specific shoe. Allen was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft that season, which also multiplied the popularity of this shoe. With its significant designing appeal and superior comfort, it also attracts many of the fans who belong to the hip hop culture. “The Question” and its playoff version, “The Answer”, had been re-released several times in many different colors in the later days.

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7. Nike Air Force 1

After the initial release in 1982, this shoe was discontinued immediately because of its extra-thick, rubber sole and ankle-restricting strap. It was re-released in 1986 with the modern Italic Nike logo with a Swoosh on the bottom at the back of the shoe, although the original stitching on the side panels is no longer present in modern versions of the shoe. Rasheed Wallace first played while wearing these shoes two decades after its first release. The name is a reference to Air Force One, the plane that carries the President of the United States. The shoes are sold in three different styles: low, mid and high, and it is one of biggest hits from Nike. With over 1,700 color variations, these shoes solely generate an estimated revenue of 800 million USD/year even today.

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8. Reebok Omni Zone Pump

The Omni Zone was the shoe that Dee Brown wore during the 1991 slam dunk contest. It was an immediate hit and very popular in early 90s because of its mature look with a large orange basketball-shaped valve on the tongues to provide locking around the ankle. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion. The original Reebok Pump was made as a collaboration between Reebok’s Paul Litchfield and industrial design firm Design Continuum. Dominique Wilkins first wore the Reebok Pump original from 1989 on. The original Pump is now known as the Pump Bringback. After the success of this basketball shoe, Reebok designed Omnipump shoes for association football, gridiron football, tennis, and track.

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9. Nike Air Jordan 8

Nike Air Jordan I started the sneaker craze among youngsters two decades ago. The red-and-black Air Jordan I set sales records despite its $65 price tag when released. NBA commissioner, David Stern, banned the sneakers because they did not have any white in the color scheme. Tinker Hatfield is arguably the best basketball shoe designer of all time as he designed the perfect shoe for Air Jordan series with white trim during Jordan’s early days. With this pair of shoe, Tinker Hatfield made a name for not only himself, but Jordan, as well, as a brand of its own. The Air Jordan 8 nicknamed “Aquas” played a major role in this as it was the second Jordan to not feature a Nike Swoosh logo. The “Aquas” were first worn by Jordan in the ’93 All-Star Game.

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10. Nike Air Max LeBron 8

Nike Air Max LeBron 8 is also known as the “South Beach”. The LeBron 8 is a special shoe in its own because of its association with basketball legend LeBron James in his early days during LeBron’s free agency bidding war when many did not know where he could possibly end up. It’s the first LeBron shoe of the Miami era which represents the transition from old stars to the modern day basketball legends. It was made by Nike when Lebron James was leaving the Cleaveland Cavaliers to join Miami heat. The shoe is based on South Beach, part of Miami known for the show Miami Vice. The colors were also taken from the show which are teal, pink, and black, and were well-received by the public during the initial release. The original South Beach 8 was a bit costly because only a few thousand pairs were released worldwide.

Nowadays, most of the original versions of these shoes are not available, as later versions of these shoes with superior ergonomics and advanced color schemes were released several times with different names by big brands which still dominate the sneaker markets. Today, basketball shoes are not only a must-have for basketball players but also a fashionable wardrobe assessment for all the youngsters and hip hop crowd.

Highest Paid NBA Players

How much my favorite team earned? Is the star of my team to be content worth at all? Which player in the league is over and which underpaid? These and similar questions is in the mind of every fan of professional team sports. This post gives an overview and lists the top earners of the current season.

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Highest Paid NBA Players of 2015

Number 1: Kobe Bean Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American basketball player born on August 23, 1978. The height of the player is 198 cm tall and he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers on the position of the Shooting Guards since 1996. Since 1998 Bryant has continuously selecting in the best NBA player (All-NBA team) and won the 2008 election to the MVP (Most Valuable Player), the award for most valuable player of the NBA regular season. He won the previous five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Kobe Bryant has the USA team and teammates such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul in the final against Spain and won the gold medal. Kobe Bean Bryant is the highest paid NBA player of 2015. He earns $30,453,805.

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Number 2: Dirk Werner Nowitzki

Dirk Werner Nowitzki Is a German professional basketball player. Since 1998 he is in the North American professional league NBA for the team Dallas Mavericks. In the NBA season 2006/07, Nowitzki Became the first European to Awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the Most Valuable Player of the regular season. In the NBA Finals in 2011, He won the “Mavs” the first German to NBA Championship and so what the NBA Finals MVP Award for the Most Valuable Player of the finals series. Nowitzki is considered one of the best international (non- American) Players in the history of basketball. Magic Johnson and Charles Barkleyreferred consider him as “one of the greatest basketball player of all time” or as the outstanding player of the past 30 years. It counts with over 26,000 Achieved points to the 10 best cage fighters NBA history. In 2012, he awarded the first non-American to the Naismith Legacy Award. Dirk Werner Nowitzki saves second place in the list of highest paid NBA player of 2015. His salary is around $22,721,381.

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Number 3: Amar’e Stoudemire Carsares

Amar’e Stoudemire Carsares born on November 16 1982 in Lake Wales, Florida is an American basketball player. He plays in the NBA for the crew of the New York Knicks. The 2.08 m wide power forward is regarded as one of the most athletic players in the NBA. In the 04/05 season he was the player with the most dunks in the league. After he had visited a total of six high schools in five years, Amar’e Stoudemire joined the NBA directly in 2002. In 2002 the NBA chose him in the ninth place. In his first season, Stoudemire was able to convince, and won the award for newcomer of the year, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He also led the First Team to national team of the NBA All-Rookie. In 02/03, his first season, he already played outstanding for a rookie and scored an average of 13.5 points per game in the regular season. He is the third highest earner in NBA with $21,679,893 earning.

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Number 4: Joe Marcus Johnson

Joe Marcus Johnson born on June 29 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas is a basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the American professional basketball league NBA. He was one of five NBA players who scored in the 2005/06 season on 20 points and 6 assists on average. Also in the 2006/07 season Johnson was able to improve his stats: 25.0 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. The earning of Joe Marcus Johnson is $21,466,718 this year that’s how he saves fourth position in the highest paid NBA players.

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Number 5: Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony Kyam born on May 29, 1984 in New York City is an American basketball player since February 22, 2011 for the New York Knicks in the NBA plays. In 2002, he took a scholarship from the Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Anthony’s first year at the Syracuse Orangemen is considered one of the best in NCAA history, and even received an award for it. With the U.S. national basketball team, Anthony won at the 2004 Olympic Games bronze medal. In the World Cup tournament, he reached his record with 35 points against Italy. In this tournament Anthony was the only Americans in the All Tournament Team appointed. In addition to the sports Carmelo Anthony takes small parts in television productions over again and again. The calculated earning of Carmelo Anthony is around $21,388,953 in 2014. He is on number 5 in the list of highest paid NBA players.

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Number 6: Dwight David Howard

Dwight David Howard born on December 8, 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia is an American professional basketball player, in the U.S. professional NBA league since 2004. Currently he is at the Houston Rockets under contract. He moved directly from high school (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy) in the NBA and was developed by the Magic in the first place and selected in the 2004 in NBA. Howard is 2.11 meters tall and plays at the position of the center. His physique and his style of play encouraged comparisons to Darryl Dawkins and Shaquille O’Neal. Dwight Howard has risen in recent years to become one of the most popular basketball players in the NBA. He dominated the All-Star Game voting in 2009 with 3,150,181 votes and becoming the first player in the NBA history who broke the 3 million mark. Among other things, Dwight Howard did commercials for 50 cents Vitamin Water and for T-Mobile. Howard stands at Adidas under contract and is thus represented in the Adidas Brotherhood team, a selection of the “best” NBA players who determined from Adidas. Among others, the Adidas Brotherhood team is still represented by Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. The annual pay of Dwight Howard is $20,513,178 this year.

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Number 7: Pau Gasol Sáez

Pau Gasol Sáez born on July 6 1980 in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain is a Spanish professional basketball player. He is currently plays with the Los Angeles Lakers in the U.S. professional league NBA under contrac. Gasol is considered the best Spanish and one of the best European basketball players of all time. He is an excellent power forward and is considered extremely offensive strong. Gasol earns $19,285,850 that makes him 7^th highest paid NBA player.

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Number 8: Chris Bosh

Christopher Wesson Bosh born on March 24 1984 in Dallas, Texas, better known as Chris Bosh, is an American basketball player. Since 2003 he plays in the U.S. professional league NBA, where he initially played for the Canadian team Toronto Raptors until 2010, then joined Miami Heat. In 2012 and 2013 he was with his team NBA champion. Bosh is 2,11 m tall and plays on the positions of the Power Forwards and Centers . He is on number 8 in the list and earns $19,067,500.

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Number 9: LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James born December 30 1984 in Akron, Ohio is an American basketball player. James played in the North American professional league NBA in 2003, since 2010 he is with the Miami Heat. James is 2,03m tall and runs as a small forward on. But since then, the tasks of a point guard takes over; it is also called Point Forward referred. In allusion to earlier English kings he is called “King James”. Another nickname is “The Chosen One”. The salary he gets in 2014 is around $19,067,500.

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Number 10: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Tyrone Wade born January 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois is an American basketball player who at the Miami Heat in the NBA under contract. With Miami he has been able to win three NBA championships. He is on no.10 in the list and earns $18,673,000.