
Jordan’s collaboration with Nike introduced the Air Jordan basketball shoe in 1982 that became the signature shoe of the decade. This player was the young Michael Jordan, who at the time played for the Chicago Bulls. Even though Nike was becoming a famous brand in basketball in the 1980s, it wasn’t until its partnership with North Carolina’s skinny young ballplayer that the company was propelled by cash and popularity. Nonetheless, Nike later used low leather and suede to release newer versions of The Blazer and Nike Bruin. Both pairs were made of leather, thus creating the Nike basketball shoe legacy. Nike followed Converse in 19 with two versions of basketball shoes: the Nike Bruin and The Blazer, respectively. Nike’s Journey To The Famous Air Jordan Line The shoe had a suede upper, and it had a better stance due to its wider sole. The Puma Clyde became the most popular basketball shoe of the 70s because it had a better design than the Chuck. This happened in 1973 when the company Puma offered Clyde his very own signature shoe, The Puma Clyde.Īt the time, Clyde was playing for the New York Knicks. Converse only produced versatile colors towards the end of the decade.Ĭhuck might have been the first basketball player to have his name on a shoe, but Walt Clyde Frazier was the very first from the NBA to create their signature shoe design.

In the beginning, these shoes were only available in black and white. Nonetheless, Converse shoes became (and are still a popular) fashion choice and high-top sport sneakers. The shoes were replaced by leather and suede versions since they were a better fit for athletic purposes. However, Tree Rollins was the last NDA player to wear the shoes on a basketball game during the 19 seasons. Although converse basketball shoes were first known as “Non-skids” due to their canvas upper and rubber sole, it did not take long before the sneakers were popularly known as the “Chuck Taylors” or “Chucks.”Ĭonverse also released another version of the Chuck, “DR.J. Taylor sold the shoes himself while teaching the fundamentals of basketball in high schools throughout the country. Shortly after, in 1920, the company made a deal with Chuck Taylor to use his name in their next release, the Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoe. With that in mind, let’s look at the history of basketball shoes and the NBA.Ĭonverse was the first company to release a basketball shoe, the All Star shoe, in 1917. These shoes have become the most popular sportswear with good reason: they are versatile, trendy, and fashionable: it is not uncommon to wear basketball shoes off the field.

Since then, the industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar global industry. While basketball originated in 1891, basketball shoes were created in 1917. Basketball shoes have a history that parallels basketball itself.
