You Pick BestYouPickBest

The 16 Greatest Nike Sneakers of All Time

By YPB Team

Court legends, runway flexes, and grail-tier collabs collide here, from cushioned icons to streetwear staples that sparked release-day frenzy. Where do you stand?

  1. Air Jordan 1 — ranked #11
    Air Jordan 1
    The 1985 high-top that launched the Jordan empire and broke the NBA's uniform color rules.
    1000pts
  2. Nike Dunk Low — ranked #22
    Nike Dunk Low
    The 1985 basketball shoe turned streetwear staple beloved for its endless colorways.
    551pts
  3. Nike Air Force 1 — ranked #33
    Nike Air Force 1
    The 1982 hoops shoe that became the best-selling sneaker of all time in crisp white leather.
    551pts
  4. Nike Air Max 97 — ranked #44
    Nike Air Max 97
    The 1997 'Silver Bullet' with full-length Air and bullet-train-inspired ripple lines.
    494pts
  5. Air Jordan 4 — ranked #55
    Air Jordan 4
    The 1989 silhouette with mesh panels and plastic wings, a Spike Lee 'Mars Blackmon' icon.
    428pts
  6. Nike Cortez — ranked #66
    Nike Cortez
    Nike's first track shoe from 1972, later immortalized by Forrest Gump and West Coast culture.
    428pts
  7. Nike SB Dunk 'Paris' — ranked #77
    Nike SB Dunk 'Paris'
    A 2002 artist-collab Dunk among the rarest and most coveted skate shoes ever made.
    428pts
  8. Nike Blazer — ranked #88
    Nike Blazer
    A 1973 basketball high-top reborn as a skate and lifestyle staple with vintage swagger.
    350pts
  9. Nike Air Max 1 — ranked #99
    Nike Air Max 1
    The 1987 Tinker Hatfield design that first exposed the visible Air cushioning window.
    350pts
  10. Nike Air Presto — ranked #1010
    Nike Air Presto
    The 2000 'T-shirt for your feet' with a stretchy sock-like upper and minimalist look.
    350pts
  11. Nike Air Max 95 — ranked #1111
    Nike Air Max 95
    The 1995 'Big Bubble' runner inspired by human anatomy, a streetwear icon to this day.
    257pts
  12. Air Jordan 3 — ranked #1212
    Air Jordan 3
    The 1988 elephant-print classic, the first Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield with visible Air.
    257pts
  13. Air Jordan 11 — ranked #1313
    Air Jordan 11
    The 1995 patent-leather masterpiece worn by Michael Jordan in his 72-win season.
    257pts
  14. Nike Air VaporMax — ranked #1414
    Nike Air VaporMax
    The 2017 model that replaced foam entirely with a flexible all-Air sole.
    257pts
  15. Nike Air Yeezy 2 — ranked #1515
    Nike Air Yeezy 2
    The 2012 Kanye West collaboration whose 'Red October' colorway became a holy grail.
    0pts
  16. Nike Air Max 90 — ranked #1616
    Nike Air Max 90
    The 1990 'Infrared' runner with a bolder, larger Air unit and enduring color story.
    0pts

Comments 1

Air Jordan 1 from 1985, the Air Max 1 that first showed the bubble in 1987, the Cortez, the Blazer, the Dunk. One brand's private museum: https://youpick.best/articles/nike-vs-adidas-ranked

YP
ypb-team
Aug 21