The award for the most oddball signature basketball shoe from Nike goes to Alonzo Mourning’s shoe, the Air Alonzo from 1997. Initially designed and released at retail with a full-length Air Max bag, Scottie would later switch to a PE construction with full-length Zoom Air. Many consider the Air more Uptempo a Scottie Pippen signature shoe, but his first official model would come a year later with the Air Pippen 1. Like the Zoom Flight ’95, the young star point guard’s first signature model had its own gaudy midsole decorations, iridescent “bug eye” orbs. Jason Kidd repped the iconic Zoom Flight ’95, and by the end of 1996 he had his own Zoom-cushioned model, the Zoom Flight Five. Swoopes would have several more signature sneakers with Nike-the most in the brand’s history for female basketball players. Nike was ahead of the curve when it came to supporting women’s basketball, giving superstar Sheryl Swoopes a signature model way back in 1996. Joining their Force and Flight lines, the Air Penny 1 for Penny’s dynamic style of play can be considered the debut of the Uptempo line for all the players that fit somewhere in between a guard and a big man. It was a no-brainer to give the NBA’s new wunderkind Penny Hardaway a signature model, and the results of his debut shoe in 1995 would be one of the most classic Nike Basketball designs ever. The design was quite similar to the Air Force Max, adding straps (Nike’s favorite design cue of the time) to support the Round Mound of Rebound. One of the most highly requested models to get a retro release for years, the bold high-top design finally returned in 2014.Ĭharles Barkley – Air Force Max CB – 1993Ĭharles Barkley had a couple of unofficial signature models-the Air Force 180 and Air Force Max-and then finally got his own shoe in 1993 with the Air Force Max CB. Although not labeled with his name, Nike considers the Air Command Force an official signature model for The Admiral, David Robinson. It would be six years until another NBA player got his own signature from the Swoosh. All of these other signature shoes on this list might not exist without it.ĭavid Robinson – Air Command Force – 1991 It wasn’t the first-ever signature basketball shoe, but it set the precedent for the signature athletic footwear market as we know it today.

No doubt the most important debut signature model from the most important signature basketball shoe line of all time, the legendary Air Jordan 1 needs no introduction. Just who are all of the twenty-one signature basketball athletes? Let’s take a look through back at each, along with their first signature models.Įditor’s note: This is the official list from Nike of their 21 signature basketball athletes, but there are a few more shoes that are somewhat on the cusp of being considered “signature” by Nike’s standards: Dennis Rodman – The Worm (1996) Chris Webber – Air Max CW (1996) Tim Hardaway – Zoom T-Bug (1998) Steve Nash – Zoom MVP (2009) Paul Pierce – Air Max Legacy (2009). In the official press release for the shoe, Nike mentions that George becomes the twenty-first signature basketball athlete throughout the brand’s history.

Yesterday with the unveiling of Paul George’s upcoming shoe, the PG 1, Nike officially adds a fourth player to their current lineup of signature athletes.

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