The GOAT, or the greatest of all time, isn’t a light title to hold. People like Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Usain Bolt, hold that title in their respective sports. But sometimes, the GOAT is a hot topic of debate when it comes to sports like basketball. You see, the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate is still going on (and probably always will). And today, we’re gonna weigh in on another GOAT discussion: the best sneakers of all time! Although this title is subjective to each person, there are cornerstone silhouettes that we can’t ignore. So, let’s check out the greatest shoe of all time and its runner-ups, shall we?
Best Sneakers of All Time – The Ranking
#1 Air Jordan 1
If the title should go to any silhouette, it would be the Air Jordan 1, for multiple reasons. You see, the reach of the Air Jordan line went way beyond just basketball. First off, Nike marketed the heck out of the Air Jordan 1 with the whole “banned” story. Secondly, Jordan himself was an icon, and with a new interesting shoe on his feet, it was bound to blow up. So, when these babies dropped, they became a symbol as much as they were performance kicks.
Moreover, the Air Jordan 1 was the catalyst for the huge growth of the sneaker industry as we know it. It became a status symbol as the years went on. While it was a ground-breaking tech in the 80s, the Air Jordan 1 isn’t the best for balling today. However, it still is big when it comes to lifestyle use, and people always get creative styling it. So, if we had to pick one silhouette to put at the top of our list of the best sneakers of all time, it’s the Air Jordan 1.
#2 Nike Air Force 1
The Nike Air Force 1 is a force when it comes to sneakers. Who doesn’t own a pair, or multiples at that? The Air Force 1 is Nike’s best-seller year in and year out with its wide selection of colorways and designs. While it was originally a basketball shoe, it later found its niche as a lifestyle shoe. In fact, many of us own a pair that became their go-to beaters. So, technically, the kicks went through multiple lifetimes since their inception in 1982.
Now, if the Air Jordan 1 and the line that followed it shaped the sneaker culture, the AF1 sat right in the middle of it all. From hip-hop to street hustlers, the silhouette definitely won its way into everyone’s hearts. And if you go through the silhouette’s history, you’ll know that it almost got archived at one point! But that didn’t happen, and the end result was a solid comeback and a global phenomenon!
#3 Converse Chuck Taylor
It’s the OG of the OGs, aka the longest-standing silhouette out of them all. The Converse Chuck Taylor is more than a century old, and that says enough about its longevity! While they started out as basketball kicks, they grew way beyond that. Whether you’re going out with friends, or deadlifting and need flat-soled kicks, they get the job done. Naturally, the silhouette deserves a spot on our list of the best sneakers of all time!
#4 Adidas Yeezy 350
Now, we understand how this could possibly be a controversial decision. However, when you’re choosing the best sneakers of all time, there are several factors to consider. In addition to how long it’s been on the market, we gotta talk about hype, popularity, and cultural impact. And we’d be delusional if we ignored Kanye’s influence on fashion generally and sneakers specifically. But one silhouette that really made a bang is the Yeezy Boost 350 and 350 v2! From the Boost tech to the edgy design and the exclusivity game it won, the silhouette deserves its flowers.
#5 Nike Dunk
Last but not least, the Nike Dunk is one of the best sneakers of all time for several reasons. First off, it started as a basketball shoe, but its big break was as a skateboarding shoe. In fact, the Nike SB Dunk helped the Nike SB division become what it is today along with other silhouettes. Moreover, many colorways of the Dunks made waves throughout the years in the culture. In fact, they still do to this day with all the cool collabs and releases! So if one silhouette deserves to be on this list, it’s Dunks!
Now That You Know Your GOAT Kicks…
We’re lucky to still have all these kicks available to buy for retail and resale. But some are harder to score than others, which is why you’ll need help to build your sneaker collection. This is where sneaker bots come into play. A great bot like NSB3 can help you cop all these babies and more for retail. And if you’re not familiar with the game, now is a great time to get started. After all, who doesn’t want better odds at buying valuable kicks when the time comes? Godspeed!
