Athletes with the Craziest Kicks, Part 1

Do you want to see some outlandish sneakers? Good, because we have a ton of shoes lined up for you to lose sleep over.

No surprise here, but the sports world is filled with guys who love their kicks. The lucrative contracts they sign and sponsorships they get give these athletes a chance to truly embrace sneaker culture.

Plus, thanks to the multiple channels of social media present in everyday life, those athletes are now able to show off their goods to the people of Earth.

In this first installment of athletes who love shoes, we're going to check out some of the most recognizable names in sports and mix that list together with some unsung sneaker overlords.

It's time now to get lost in a world full of leather, laces and Air Jordans. Here are 13 athletes with the craziest kicks.

Kyrie Irving

In late 2014, Kyrie Irving became the first Nike basketball player to get his own signature shoe since Kevin Durant back in '07.

Irving's Kyrie 1 model was dropped in two colorways to start. The "Dream" pattern, which was a black mesh overlay fused with splashes of neon underneath, and the "Deceptive Red" design, which featured a mainly red mesh with a black swoosh to make it pop.

It's fitting that Irving is the guy Nike chose to honor. He's not only one of the top performing point guards in the NBA, but now that his fellow Nike stablemate LeBron James has moved back to Cleveland, the spotlight is bound to stay on Kyrie for a long time.

Kyrie is also no slouch when it comes to kicks. His Instagram account often showcases his collection and tends to make sneakerheads envious in the process.

Custom Kyrie 1s, tons of Air Jordans and signature Nike PE models make up his feed. But it's those flashy gold Air Jordan 3s that could be the highlight of his collection.

Irving isn't the most consistent Instagram user—I guess playing hoops for a living takes up a lot of his time—but that's why when he decides to break out a shoe and put it on display, folks pay attention.

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant is part of the Jordan Brand family, so automatically his sneaker game has been cranked up a notch.

Being part of Jordan Brand means that Dez is a Jordan connoisseur. He gets new releases before they even hit the shelves and custom cleats featuring the cleanest Jordan designs.

Similar to a lot of pro athletes, Bryant uses Instagram to display those kicks. The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver is worth a follow based on his sneaker collection alone.

Professional athletes being connected to the powerful brands within the industry isn't anything new. Dez Bryant is another extension of that famous Jordan Brand olive tree.

Nick Young

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Few players in the NBA can stack up to Nick Young when it comes to kicks. Young is constantly rocking heat on the court while trying to create some sort of allure for an ailing Los Angeles Lakers franchise.

Remember that scene in Office Space where Jennifer Aniston works with a server who loads his vest up with "flare?" In a sense, Young is that guy.

Except his flare comes in the form of sneakers, and he has plenty of those to go around.

In 2013, NiceKicks.com did a feature on Young's collection. They took a camera with them and explored Swaggy P's closet. What you saw was a treasure trove of goods.

Young's sneaker lab is eclectic. Color schemes and models run wild.

Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins learned more about Swaggy's life in a piece he scribed. Nestled away in that extensive profile is the fact that Young actually has a separate house for kicks:

"

The property, tucked behind a gate in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Tarzana, comes with a detached building that Young is converting into a 'shoe house.' He employs not one but two 'shoe keepers,' who oversee his 500-plus pairs of sneakers, a collection that includes Vans fitted with roller-skating wheels.

"

You're telling me this dude has a house full of sneakers with two maintenance people who groom those kicks? Man, Swaggy P really is on a different level than most.

Joe Haden

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is all about kicks. The Pro Bowl cornerback's Instagram game is heavy.

Flowing through Haden's Instagram account, you'll notice that this guy has just about everything. All of the new releases, classics and even pairs of designer stuff are present.

Like a lot of sneakerheads, Haden shows off his collection in different ways, giving fans a chance to see everything he's got.

Where Haden breaks away from the rest of the group is that he actually owns a sneaker store. The Restock is a spot the 25-year-old opened up in November of 2014 to give the public a chance to get their hands on exclusive stuff.

If you're still on the hunt for a pair of kicks that have disappeared off the shelves, maybe it's time you gave Haden's sneaker boutique a chance.

That way you can tell all your friends how you copped that pair from one of the best cornerbacks in all of football.

Jarrett Jack

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

NBA journeyman point guard and current member of the Brooklyn Nets Jarrett Jack has one of the most astounding offerings of sneakers you've ever seen.

Despite not being a frequent user of Instagram, Jack still posts that fire every now and again. To really see Jack's sneaker palace, you have to follow him on Twitter and dig into his photo archive. There you'll find swaths of serious sneaker goodness.

When he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013-14 season, Jack spoke with Nick Metallinos of Starting5Online.com. In that segment, Jack mentions that he doesn't even know how many pairs of kicks he owns anymore.

When you've reached that level, you're beyond a sneakerhead. Actually, there probably isn't even a term for that. Anyway, Jack's collection is remarkable. Let's leave it at that.

Darrelle Revis

Pittsburgh's sneaker culture thrives because of guys like Darrelle Revis. Along with his business manager John Geiger—who may have the best Instagram account of all time when it comes to kicks—the two have helped put their city on the map.

Revis' fascination for kicks is apparent. All you have to do is check on his Instagram feed. He's a Nike-endorsed athlete who has actually had his own line of signature kicks in the past.

We know the Super Bowl-bound cornerback of the New England Patriots loves shoes. But just how much does he enjoy them?

In August of 2014, Sarah Kogod of SB Nation talked to Revis about that very topic. Revis revealed that before he trimmed his collection down, he owned around 3,000 pairs.

That's an extensive collection—even by a pro athlete's standards.

Chris Paul

One of the longest running members of Team Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers guard—and the man who dethroned the Lakers in L.A.—Chris Paul is also an avid sneaker collector.

Following his Jordan allegiance, Paul's closet is stuffed to the ceiling with anything the brand has put forth. As he takes you on a tour of his kicks, Paul professes his love for the Air Jordan 1 silhouette and the Jordan 13s in the video above.

CP3’s assemblage of kicks will blow true sneakerheads away. He has so many unique colorways and custom versions of Air Jordans that's it's hard not to be jealous.

Being part of Jordan Brand certainly has its perks. One would also assume that being an elite point guard enhances those benefits.

Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson has been all over the place as far as his NBA career goes. Originally drafted by the New York Knicks, the unconventional, scoring guard has also played for the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls.

Throughout his nine-year career, Robinson has always stayed true to his passion for kicks. His Instagram account is littered with clean shots of sneakers.

The video posted above, taken by the good people over at Sole Collector, gives Nate's passion a visual counterpart. You get to see Robinson take you through just a small portion of his Jordan lineup.

Robinson's style on the court and sneaker habit has turned him into a tastemaker. Whenever he checks into a game, the first thing you have to do is see what type of heat he's rocking.

Having casual kicks and on-court gems is a winning combo. Clearly Nate Robinson knows this. 

Devin Hester

One of the lesser-known NFL combatants who happens to also be a big Air Jordan guy is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester.

Hester, more known for his ability to return kicks, doesn't stunt like some of his peers on social media. But after a little digging, you'll quickly see he's connected.

The Instagram post at the top of this slide shows the Air Jordan "Legend Blue" 11s. Continuing a Jordan Brand tradition, the "Legend Blue" 11s dropped in December of 2014.

Most people had to claw their way to even get their hands on a pair. Hester, well, he didn't. The picture above isn't from December. No, Hester had these kicks six months before they were released.

Sneaker Bar Detroit managed to snag some other shots of Hester's Jordan stash. Needless to say, it's impressive.

The lesson here is simple: Just because you don't always see a person rocking their kicks on the Internet doesn't mean they don't have a crazy collection.

Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz is another NFL star with a big appetite for shoes. The fashion-forward New York Giants wide receiver has built an amazing collection over the years—as the picture of his sneaker auditorium above can attest to. 

Go ahead and follow No. 80 on Instagram. What you're going to be exposed to is a bevy of custom kicks, a ton of Air Jordans and a whole slew of classic, under-the-radar joints you won't see anywhere else.

Cruz has become a culture warrior and a footwear savant. The stuff he's achieved since joining the Giants as an undrafted rookie has been almost unimaginable.

Whether he's on the field or off it, Cruz is always at the top of his game. He's been a familiar face in GQ Magazine, has done modeling work for Ronnie Fieg's legendary New York City brand Kith and based on the amount of Jordans he owns, he's also become an ambassador for the brand.

There aren't many sneakerheads out there like Cruz. He's proved that time and time again.

Tony Wroten

Scott Cacciola of The New York Times wrote about the NBA and the sneaker wars that go on behind closed doors. In his piece, Cacciola talks about Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten.

Wroten is one guy who's confident about his sneaker game. "While Wroten respects his rivals’ sneakers, he wants his feet to look especially slick whenever he matches up against one of them in a game," Cacciola says.

As he displays on his Instagram account, Wroten has been sporting an aggressive sneaker game since he was playing at the University of Washington.

Wroten isn't as well-known as some of the other names on this list, but his sneaker selection is as good as it gets. NiceKicks.com's segment honoring the best on-court kicks of the week has frequently featured Wroten.

From his Nike Foamposite offerings to his deep Air Jordan lineup, the 76ers guard is all about changing things up.

Joe Johnson

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

We've already gone through an extensive list of athletes who are sneaker fiends, but Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson may actually surpass them all.

Johnson doesn't always broadcast his kicks, but don't let his subtle ways fool you. A few years back—2012 to be accurate—Sports Illustrated profiled the shooting guard's titanic closet of sneakers.

Browsing through all of the photographs they snapped, the collection Johnson boasts is substantial. It feels like it goes on forever.

Jordan Brand is home for the Nets guard. He's sponsored by the company, which gives him access to a plethora of designs. That also means, like Dez Bryant, he's able to get his hands on custom stuff.

Johnson's an NBA and sneaker veteran. If you're looking to kill time at work, just run through those Sports Illustrated pictures again and try to name all the kicks he's got in his stash.

P.J. Tucker

Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker has to be the most slept-on sneakerhead in professional sports. We talked about Tony Wroten earlier, but the stuff Tucker is bringing to the table is just as good, if not better.

Like Wroten, Scott Cacciola of The New York Times mentioned Tucker’s name during his piece on sneaker culture, saying, “P.J. Tucker, a forward with the Phoenix Suns, really likes sneakers. He likes them so much, in fact, that he needs four locations to store his collection.”

Tucker’s extravagant collection can be seen splattered all over the digital pages of Instagram. He’s not bashful when it comes to showing the public what he’s got going on. His customs, retro kicks and waves of new releases are light-years ahead of most people's offerings.

Everyone’s got a vice, right? I’m guessing that Tucker’s vice happens to be shoes.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores, stats and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.