The 25 Greatest Signature Sneaker Lines of All Time

Athlete's signatures have been appearing on sneakers for quite some time—even Bob Cousy had his name on canvas shoes way back in the day—but the phenomenon of the actual signature sneaker line is more recent. Back in the day, you got your shoe and you were good. Changes? Yeah, right. People had been wearing Chuck Taylors for decades. Isn't one new design enough?

Things are different now. Signature athletes get a new shoe every year, and the challenge is to keep the line hot as long as you're playing the game—in some cases, well beyond it. So whilst our colleagues at Nice Kicks ranked the best signature shoes of the past 20 years, we chose to rank the athletes behind the lines, and take in their entire history as a whole. Click through to check out The 25 Greatest Signature Sneaker Lines of All Time, and tell us who else you think should have made the cut.

[Note: You needed a minimum of three signature shoes to make the list. Sorry, 'Ye.]

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Sneaker Company: DC Shoes

Years: 1995-Present

Rob Dyrdek joined DC Shoes as one of the company's first skaters way back in 1995. Dyrdek may be better known for his hysterical antics on TV with Big Black, Drama and Meaty nowadays than for his board work, but there's no doubt his skills are still on point. Since 1995, Dyrdek and DC Shoes have released countless sneakers since the two joined forces. The best part about the Rob Dyrdek signature series with DC Shoes is that it's stood the test of time through the trends of fat tongues all the way back to vulc soles. Not many others can say the same.

Sneaker Company: adidas

Years: 2001-present

Tracy McGrady inked a lifetime signature deal with adidas in 2001 not long after becoming a member of the Orlando Magic. Nice work if you can get it. The adidas T-Mac line became one of the most popular basketball shoes during the early 2000's thanks to T-Mac's high-flying dunks and NBA scoring titles. McGrady's signature adidas made their way to seven NBA All-Star Games, most memorably being his mismatched red and blue patent leather T-Mac IIIs. T-Mac may have had his postseason woes, but his adidas have stutter-stepped their way through to at least the first round of the best signature sneakers.

Sneaker Company: Fila

Years: 1995-2000

Grant Hill came out of college at Duke in 1994 with high expectations and quickly signed a sneaker deal with Fila. Fila hadn't really been a factor in the basketball shoe market but with the help of Hill's signature shoes, they became a mainstay during the late '90s. The Grant Hill line ran for six solid years before the partnership came to an end. Hill's second signature model remains the most memorable thanks to retro versions that released in 2008, including a limited run tribute series with Jeff Staple.

Sneaker Company: New Balance

Years: 1985-1992

James Worthy signed on with New Balance in the mid-'80s and carried the brands basketball sneaker line almost single-handedly. He remains their only signature athlete ever. Worthy's signature models may have looked like the standard issue New Balance at first, but Worthy and New Balance soon produced purple and yellow versions—damn near heresy in the Northeast where New Balance was and still is based. The signature lined worked well for Worthy who earned all three of his NBA Championship rings wearing New Balance.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1996-2003

Sheryl Swoopes became the first woman to ever receive a signature sneaker line in 1996, just in time for the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Nike Air Swoopes line made the fellas jealous for almost a decade with designs like the Air Swoopes, the first women's Zoom Air equipped Air Swoopes Zoom and the first Air Max cushioned version, the Air Swoopes IV. Sheryl Swoopes basically opened the doors for WNBA stars to line up sneaker deals in the future all the way up until the Air Swoopes VI and Swoopes Premier in the early 2000's.

Sneaker Company: adidas

Years: 2010-present

Derrick Rose may be the youngest player on our list of greatest signature lines, but he was also the youngest to ever win the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Rose's signature line with adidas only started in 2010 but when counting halfway models, he's working on signature shoe number five with the new adidas Rose 3. Rose's impact on the league is paralleled with the impact his kicks have had on the sneaker community. Between the flashiness of his All Star game shoes and the amount of high-flying dunks, the only thing stopping D-Rose is injuries and the shadow of Chicago's original high-flier.

Sneaker Company: Reebok

Years: 1993-1998

Shaq's reign with the 'Bok was short like leprechauns, but during his time with the Vector, the big man had some memorable kicks. His first, the Shaq Attaq, was sent to retailers in his own massive size 20 as a promo item—credit Reebok for making a shoe that looked as good on Shaq's feet as it did on a normal human's. And of course later there was the legendary Shaqnosis, finally scheduled (tentatively, at least) for a re-up. Can't wait.

Sneaker Company: Vans

Years: 1992-Present.

Vans is the original skate shoe company and has been providing its famous vulcanized waffle sole since before most of us were born. Steve Caballero skated in Vans plenty as a youngster, so when he began riding professionally for Vans in 1988 he immediately gave input on design for what is now known as the Full Ca, the first signature skate shoe of the modern era. During a period of change for skateboarding that saw a shift from vert to street, skaters were buying these Vans and cutting them down. Vans took note and set up Cab with his second signature sneaker, the Half Cab, in 1992. He received other signature models after that, but the Half Cab is what people remember. This year Vans and Caballero have been celebrating 20 years of the Half Cab, which is still considered by many to be the best skate shoe of all time.

Sneaker Company: adidas

Years: 1981-1990

When David Falk told Nike that he wanted Michael Jordan to be treated more like a tennis player than a basketball player, he was no doubt thinking of guys like Ivan Lendl. The cadaverous Czech wasn't ranked number-one in the world until 1983, but by then he already had a full line of gear from adidas, from shirts and shoes all the way to racquets. The Lendl Comp from 1984 remains an adidas connosseur favorite.

Sneaker Company: Ewing Athletics

Years: 1989-1996

In 1989, Patrick Ewing did something no other athlete had ever done before. Rather than sign a signature sneaker deal with a major brand, Ewing decided to take things into his own hands and start his own sneaker company under the umbrella of Next Sports. Ewings had a solid run of seven years on the feet of the Hall of Famer and around two dozen silhouettes were created (some never released) over the course of a decade. Thankfully, the re-launch of Ewing Athletics drops worldwide very soon.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 2007-Present

Kevin Durant is 23 years old. Yes, there have been countless stories on his precocity and youth already, but it's still difficult to process. A Nike guy since he came into the League as a Supersonic, Durant has always had the lowest-priced signature kicks, fantastic for any parent whose kid prefers Durantula to LeBron or Kobe. And even in his short time in the League, there have been plenty of highlights—the "Creamsicle" IIs, the "Nerf" IVs. And, as you may have heard, the kid's just 23. He's just getting started.

Sneaker Company: adidas

Years: 1996-2002

Kobe's initial signature line from adidas is still regarded as one of the best, despite the fact that he's changed his jersey number, marital status and choice in footwear. The adidas Kobe line included the KB8 and KB8 II, which thanks to Feet You Wear technology will always be sought after. The Audi-designed adidas KOBE and KOBE TWO were clearly well "ahead of their time" design-wise—in fact even today they seem like futuristic spaceships for your feet. Maybe they can retro them for us again when we're ready for space travel?

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1998-2003

Gary Payton couldn't keep his lips sealed on the court but his signature sneakers from Nike seemed to always keep things under wraps. The Nike Zoom Flight Glove, Son of Glove, and Zoom GP series were all a part of the Gary Payton signature line with the Seattle Super Sonics, where "The Glove" locked down the opposition with defensive prowess that was only second to his trash-talking abilities. Nike ended the Gary Payton signature line with the 2002 release of the Air Payton IV but GP's inspiration can still be seen in later releases like the Zoom Flight Club.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1993-Present

What were the chances that Nike would have not just one two-sport athlete, but two at the same time? Along with Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders excelled on two fields. And like Bo, he didn't want to choose between them. His Diamond Turf series did likewise, and we're sure Nike was thrilled to get double the exposure.

Sneaker Company: éS Footwear

Years: 1997-2007

Just a couple years after turning pro, Eric Koston teamed up with éS Footwear and quickly became one of the top skateboarders of the late '90s. His éS Koston signature line followed suit right from the beginning with the éS Koston 1. In fact, the original Koston was so popular, when Koston landed with Lakai in 2007, they paid tribute to the éS design with a remake. Later models reflected Koston's Laker fandom and Air Jordan influence. Koston's 10 years with éS Footwear could easily be considered the best skate shoe line in history—although his Nike line is just getting started.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1997-2001

Scottie Pippen's footwear experienced the same thing as Scottie himself did throughout his career—overshadowed by a teammate. However, true sneakerheads know just how good the Air Pippen line from Nike Basketball was. The Air Pippen line ran for five years as some of the best-performing shoes on the hardwood. The Pippen signature line has lived on through retro models but we've yet to see the IV or the V. Yo, Nike, a little help? (On second thought, don't worry about the V.)

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1988-Present

One of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, Bo Jackson was the first to successfully play both professional baseball and professional football. The two-sport star had a relentless training regimen that led to the creation of the Nike Training line. Though Bo Jackson never had his name attached to a specific shoe, he was the reason for the creation of Nike Training. Just a few of his memorable sneakers include the Air Trainer 1, Trainer SC I Trainer SC II and the Air Trainer TW, which is proof that Bo knows.

Sneaker Company: Reebok

Years: 1996-Present

Allen Iverson came into the league and crossed up MJ in his rookie year wearing his first signature shoe, the Reebok Question. Since nobody in the league and an answer for Iverson's crossovers and quickness, so from then on, Iverson's Reebok signature shoes were named after AI's nickname, the Answer. Iverson carried Reebok for years and despite hanging up his jersey (at least for now), he's back in the spotlight thanks to retro releases and Reebok's new Reebok Classics division.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 2006-Present

To say that Kobe Bryant's Nike line changed the whole way basketball shoes are viewed wouldn't be an overstatement. Sure, plenty of basketball players wore lowtops before the Zoom Kobe IV was introduced, but they were mostly just trimmed-down hightops, not shoes developed from the ground up AS lowtops. Kobe's obsession for any tiny edge over his opponents has become part of his shoes' DNA, and that's great for anyone who hoops. You're welcome.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1988-2005

Tennis was in no way ready for Andre Agassi, but like it or not, here he was, in neon sneakers and acid-washed denim shorts, not to mention a mullet that would give NHL players pause. Agassi's Tech Challenge line was as bold and brash as he was, and it brought tennis shoes all the way back to the forefront in the early '90s. Killer stuff.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1993-Present

Charles Barkley signed with Nike at the same time as draft classmate Michael Jordan, but it took them a bit longer to put him in a signature shoe. Once they did, though—after he spent a few years literally anchoring the Force line—they made up for lost time. Barkley's signature line was the spiritual predecessor to LeBron's—shoes designed for a heavyweight who moved like a featherweight—and the straitjacket-inspired Air Max2 CB may just be the most appropriately inspired signature shoe of all time.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1994-Present

Ken Griffey Jr. was far and above the most-loved baseball player in the world of sneakers. His signature Air Griffey Max line from Nike has been sought after by collectors for years because The Kid brought style to the big leagues both on field and off that had never been seen before. The Nike Griffey line has remained so popular that there have been dozens of retros and hybrids added to the cop list for Griffey fans. For those reasons, Griffey gets the nod as one of the best ever.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 2003-Present

The expectations for LeBron James have been unparalleled on the court and off ever since the cameras began following him around as a youngster. We still can't condone "The Decision," but the fresh hardware in his trophy case doesn't lie, King James has earned his crown. When it comes to sneakers, 10 years strong he is steadily climbing on this list—the all-new LeBron X is bananas—and at just 27 years old, we bet he's not done moving up yet.

Sneaker Company: Nike

Years: 1995-Present

In 2012, Penny Hardaway saw the release of his fifth signature sneaker and he hasn't played in the NBA for over five years. That's some serious signature clout. Not to mention, the 1/2 Cent, Zoom Rookie and the fact that the Foamposite has become a beast in its own right, again. For most sneakerheads, it's like Penny never left. It didn't hurt that he got his first official signature shoe, the Air Penny 1, in 1995 which was right in the golden era of sneaker design. And the follow-up Penny II has lines that would look right at home on a classic car. And the Foamposite One—that might get him into the top five all by itself.

Sneaker Company: Nike, Jordan Brand

Years: 1985-Present

You were expecting someone else? Michael Jordan's Air Jordan line was a gamble for Nike that is still paying off tremendously over 25 years later. It's thrived through a lost second season and three retirements, and outlasted any number of would-be successors. Like the saying goes, accept no substitutions.