The 25 Best Football Turf Trainers of All Time

Year: 1998

Randy Moss's first signature shoe from the Jordan Brand, the Mossified was pretty basic. Still, that gigantic "M" logo on the back kept it from being mistaken for any kind of Jeter.

Year: 2009

LT is one of the hardest workers off the field — whether it's weight training, yoga, or running hills you can find Tomlinson getting after it in the off season. To help meet all of his needs the Nike Trainer 1 provides support and durability to meet his demands. And the throwback look is perfect for a throwback player.

Year: 2005

A natural progression of the Vick line, 2005's Zoom Vick III kept with the ankle strap, the Falcons colors and the Zoom Air cushioning. If it ain't broke...

Year: 1998

Eddie George put some hurt on his shoes, and adidas tried to contain things with the Equipment Burst Power. The ad said "INSTANTANEOUS DEVASTATION," and that wasn't far from the truth. The Burst Power came equipped with all the accoutrements, from a plush sole to the ever-present (you'll see) midfoot strap.

Year: 1995

Nike put out an awful lot of football trainers in the mid-'90s, and these Air Bowl Trainers were one of the more obscure pairs. Worn by Rod Woodson, they skipped the midfoot strap and giant airbags, instead presenting a more workmanlike silhouette with super-wide lacing. The fact that the biggest Swooshes appeared underfoot was unusual.

Year: 2000

Randy Moss was an absolute freak when he wanted to be, hence the name of his signature Jordan that he wore while a member of the Vikings. With unteachable intangibles, Moss would catch anything thrown to him, not to mention having an adjective named after him that is still popular today — "you were Mossed." The zip-up upper gave the illusion of speed while the Super Freaks were sitting still, which wasn't much of an issue when they were on Randy's feet.

Year: 1996

With the success that Marshall Faulk saw as a Ram, even getting his number 28 retired, some forget he was a Colt when he first broke into the league. While a member of the Colts Faulk, the shifty do-it-all back repped the Nike Air Barrage, which featured the usual midfoot strap as well as some of the best AIR lettering outside of the More Uptempo. (There was a canvas low without the strap that was super fresh, too.)

Year: 1997

Cowboys colors, Zoom up front and Max in the back, and the Deion Sanders seal of approval. What more is there?

Year: 1998

When you think of what Jerome Bettis would wear on the field Nike did a perfect job adding all aspects of the Bus' playing style — big, bulky, and to the point. The Bus liked these so much he wore them in a cleat as well as the trainer. These were meant to get beat up, and Bettis did his best to put them to the test.

Year: 2004

The Zoom Vick II had a little LeBron VI DNA in there (although, given the year of release, we guess it was the other way around) — it looked a little more boot-like than the swoopy first model — but the split black/white upper looked good, as did the tonal black-on-black Swoosh (predating Vac Tech by a bunch of years). Caged Zoom kept things cushiony, and that Achilles pad was just dope.

Year: 1991

Bo Jackson was no stranger to the weightroom or offseason training, and there was no better way to combine his strong style than with the Air Trainer Max. The zig-zagging straps along with the loud yellow accents brings this Bo Jack classic together. (Yes, the whole "Max" name without an Air Max unit is still confusing 20 years later.)

Year: 1993

Pretty much any turf trainer Reebok released in the '90s was worn by Emmitt Smith. Again we see the colorway inspired by America's Team and the bulky look to accomodate for Emmitt's bruising and shifty playing style. "Preseason" was Reebok's football answer to their basketball "Blacktop" program — rough, rugged and raw.

Year: 1998

Jerry Rice is the undisputed best wide receiver to ever play the game. During his unreal career of Super Bowl wins, catches, and every other wide receiver related category that Rice owns, oftentimes you could see him sporting the Nike Air Ubiquitous Max during his rigorous offseason workouts that helped him achieve greatness.

Year: 1998

Former Cowboys running back and holder of the record for most career rushing yards, Emmitt Smith wore some serious heat during his NFL playing career. This Cowboys-colorway Reebok even showed the popular Reebok signature Hexalite cushioning, in much the same fashion as the Shaq shoes of the time. Bring 'em back!

Year: 2003

Before he became Public Enemy No. 1, Michael Vick was the quarterback everyone dreamed of (or dreamed of being) — a Tecmo Bowl hero come to life in the Madden era. And his first signature shoe from Nike was fitting for his superhero persona, what with the Velcro strap, visible Zoom Air cushioning and futuristic streamlined high-tech look.

Year: 1996

Colorful wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was everything but quiet while a member of the New York Jets — he even wrote an autobiography with Shelley Smith about his time as a rookie entitled "Give Me the Damn Ball." Key wasn't shy back then and he still isn't as a part of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. His adidas Equipment trainers weren't too quiet either, done up with adidas's "Feet You Wear" tech and tagged with a key. Too bad his career didn't go quite as well as another Feet You Wear guy — a high school kid named Kobe something-or-other.

Year: 1994

The Reebok Pump hit football fields in the early '90s in the form of the Paydirt, and Emmitt Smith was there to wear this durable pair. Even judging from a first glance it was obvious how durable this pair wa,s and when Emmitt was busy running over 250-pound linebackers and beating the Bills in what seemed like every year in the Super Bowl in the '90s. The outrageously large Reebok logo on the back was perfect placement for their signature athlete.

Year: 1997

When Brett Favre wasn't doing the Lambeau leap or picking up his teammates over his shoulder (or scarfing Vicodin) he was busy making impromptu scrambles and plays in the Nike Zoom Jet. Equipped with a midfoot strap (no surprise) the Zoom Jet had plenty of traction for Favre and the rest of the players in the NFL that wore them. FACT: Favre did not choose to join the Jets because he wore this shoe.

Year: 1996

Deion Sanders makes his second appearance on this list and rightfully so. This pair features another 49ers colorway, and again these could be worn for either football or baseball depending what Deion was doing at the time. The jagged "stripes," heel Air Max unit and ubiquitous midfoot strap made these mean on or off the turf.

Year: 1997

Charles Woodson did it all while at Michigan — yes he was the only defensive player to ever win the Heisman, but he also played offense and returned kicks and punts. Woodson needed security while playing nearly every phase of the game and the Pro Streak was the perfect fit. That carbon-esque midfoot strap is fire.

Year: 1996

Back when the Dallas Cowboys were busy becoming a dynasty, they looked to their Hall of Fame running back for support when the passing game struggled. Cue Emmitt Smith and his trainers (which were essentially a turf version of the Reebok Question — why are we still waiting on a retro?) to come up with a big game.

Year: 1993

Prime Time wore the original Nike Air Diamond Turf with such swagger as a member of the 49ers. As you can tell the midfoot strap was popular among trainers during the '90s, and the Diamond Turf was no exception. Deion is the second player on this list to star in two sports, and he wore them while playing Major League Baseball as well. (The D.T. 2 can get some shine here too, as it was just a simple evolution.)

Year: 1995

Dan Marino needed a trainer to wear when he was busy breaking every passing record in the book — what better way to do it than in the Nike Air Speed Turf Max? Complete with midfoot strap a Max bag in the heel, and a Miami Dolphins colorway, many wish they could still get their hands on these today. (They were also worn by Ki-Jana Carter, if you remember him.)

Year: 1996

Barry Sanders played a minimum eight games every year on Astroturf (no wonder he retired early), which meant he needed a durable football trainer to wear while breaking his opponents ankles. The Zoom Turf sole allowed for traction, featured Zoom Air cushioning (natch) for the unforgiving turf, and the midfoot strap helped keep Sanders' feet and ankles secure when he would leave defenders undressed.

Year: 1990

One-time Raider Bo Jackson had raw power for days, rumor has it he used to be able to do a backflip out of a pool that was waist deep. Or you could ask the baseball bat he snapped over his thigh. To encompass all of that strength into one trainer, Nike released one of their most popular trainers of all time. The Nike Air Trainer SC took on the color of his alma mater — the Auburn Tigers. (These will stand in for all the Bo trainers, which wound up moving further and further from his football roots — no. 1 ain't a bad place to be.)