The Most Popular Signature Shoes of All Time

From legends such as Michael Jordan to slogans like "Impossible is Nothing" right on down to modern-day monsters like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the saga of a signature shoe is one of the most fascinating tales in all of sports.

Signature shoes push the envelope for the sneaker game, with heavyweight designers such as Tinker Hatfield going all-out for some of the sport's biggest names.

Only the biggest names cross into signature-shoe territory, too. It is rare company, and up until recently thanks to Curry and others, downright dominated by a single brand.

How the times have changed. Through the years, consumers have spoken with their wallets and online. Here is a look at the most popular signature shoes of all time.

Converse

Chuck Taylor All Stars

Real sneakerheads knew this would get a mention.

The classic king hasn't gone anywhere. Not only have the Chuck Taylors largely remained the same since selling boatloads and boatloads after going public way back when, it has spawned hundreds of spinoffs while sticking to the classic design.

Created by a former player himself, Chuck Taylors have a longer shelf life and are more recognizable than perhaps any signature shoe in history.

Weapon

Back in the day, NBA fans could get their signature shoe on with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson editions of the Converse Weapon. Check out the sweet commercial above for proof.

The shoe itself, as Twitter user Damir Radenovic pointed out, is still incredibly good looking:

Like the Chuck Taylor, this shoe has plenty of redesigns. It's not as popular, but most have probably seen it out and about.

Reebok

The Question

Allen Iverson had a ridiculous run of signature shoes that few names in Association history can match.

Almost on his own, Iverson hoisted Reebok on his back, starting with The Question in 1996. Those familiar with the sneaker game in the mid-90s can recognize the Hexalite windows no matter which colorway is viewed.

Still getting spinoffs today, The Question dominated the shoe game, giving Iverson arguably his most popular shoe right out of the gates.

Shaq Attaq

Before Iverson dropped The Question, The Answer and others, Shaquille O'Neal's first signature shoe hit store shelves accompanied by commercials and on-court action, and it helped propel Reebok into the spotlight.

This one was way ahead of its time, with extra midsole comfort and Reebok's pump feature to make for one of the most comfortable signature shoes of its era. 

And yeah, it boasts the colors of the Orlando Magic, but sneakerheads wouldn't dare utter a peep about it.

Honorable Mentions: Reebok Kamikaze, Shaqnosis, The Answer

Adidas

Ewing Conductor

Believe it or not, Adidas has always been quite aggressive and innovative at the same time (remember the Mutombo?) while doing battle with the likes of Nike and others over the years.

One of the best punches the company ever threw came in the form of Patrick Ewing's Ewing Conductor, a pinnacle of shoe design at the time that still holds up today.

Remixed in plenty of amazing colors, the plain-white look keyed on a trend that's still going strong.

T-Mac 1

One of Adidas' biggest innovating moments came with the sleek T-Mac 1, the owner of a design one doesn't have to look far to see in plenty of modern offerings.

One of the first shoes with a shelled toe, this was futuristic enough to change the sneaker game while staying true to the design of the times.

No matter the color, this one was a looker that spawned plenty of worthwhile sequels and had every company paying attention.

Honorable Mentions: Mutombo, KB8, Ewing Attitude

Under Armour

Curry 1

Look, everybody had to know this was coming.

Stephen Curry has lit the globe on fire, not only changing the game on the court, but off it by reworking the sneaker realm as we know it.

Curry wound up going toe-to-toe with LeBron James and others, taking what seems like a victory in the process.

How could he not? The shoe looks great, and colorway after colorway has released to acclaim as Under Armour has smoothly navigated every release with almost nothing in the way of a miss.

What's exciting is what comes next.

Nike

Zoom LeBron II

LeBron's first signature shoe wasn't terrible, but the sequel?

Game over.

The Zoom had a gritty feel to it, the perfect color scheme and the lion logo debut to go with it. The detachable strap almost gave it a football feel, too, a slight innovation that helped this leap over all other competition and rise right beside LeBron's star as he became the player we know today. 

Air Jordan XI

One could argue this is the most recognizable signature shoe on the planet. 

Jordan came back after a hiatus in the world of baseball while this bad boy dominated the market. It's a design that still lives on today with iteration after iteration, and it's showing no real signs of slowing down.

With a look like this, how could it? With the eye-catching design in the middle of the laces and the netted look, few shoes can ever reach its level.

Air Jordan I

Nothing was the same.

Back in 1985, Nike had to come up with a way to peel Jordan away from companies such as Adidas, and did so by gifting him his own brand—and one heck of a good-looking shoe.

Brazen in its design for the time, the red and black captured the eye and has been an inspiration since. With the crown earned, the Air Jordan I hasn't relinquished it all these years later.

Honorable Mentions: Nike Air Max2 CB, Air Penny 2, Nike Zoom Kobe IV, Nike Zoom Flight '98 "The Glove", Nike Air Pippen I

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