The Best NBA All-Star Weekend Sneakers, Ranked

NBA All-Star Weekend is the setting for plenty of amazing traditions. We have the Three-Point and Dunk Contest on Saturday night. Of course, we have the game itself on Sunday, where the most gifted basketball players on Earth play no defense and repeatedly toss alley-oops on their way to massive final scores (it’s a love-hate thing, for sure). But one of our favorite All-Star Weekend traditions is all of the amazing sneakers released during the festivities. 

With 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend fast approaching, we decided to look back at some of the greatest All-Star Weekend sneakers. First, some ground rules. The sneakers had to be worn during any of the All-Star Weekend events, but also have first appeared during the weekend. That means that iconic sneakers like “White Cement” Air Jordan 3s that Michael Jordan wore while leaping from the free throw line during the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest are not eligible. However, pairs like the “Columbia” Air Jordan 11, while not technically a themed All-Star colorway, are fair game because they were first worn in the 1996 All-Star Game. Sneakers that released during All-Star Weekend but were not worn in an event or categorized as an “All-Star” colorway are also out of contention. That means, as much as we love the Off-White x Air Jordan 5s that released in Chicago in 2020, they aren’t going to be on this list. 

Now that we have that out of the way—because certainly you all read that criteria and will totally understand why your favorite sneakers aren’t on the list—check out our picks for the top 10 sneakers in NBA All-Star Weekend history.

Year: 2018
Worn By: LeBron James

Back in 2017–18, the LeBron 15 revived LeBron James’ signature line. The #LeBronWatch series of retro-inspired colorways had a lot to do with it. The knit design was also just a drastic improvement from whatever this was. Anyway, such an important sneaker in the LeBron line coupled with such a massive All-Star Weekend celebration in Los Angeles called for something special. Ronnie Fieg’s Kith was given the honor of designing the LeBron 15, which LeBron would lace up to capture All-Star Game MVP honors. 

The black “Closing Ceremony” colorway was covered in regal embroidery that included gold lettering and red roses. It was part of a pack that marked the grand opening of Kith’s Los Angeles flagship, which also included a white colorway of the 15s and white and black versions of Kith’s lifestyle tweak on the LeBron 15 outfitted with straps instead of laces. The All-Star pair isn’t held in quite as high regard as the rosy pink pair he wore on Christmas Day a few months prior, but it’s still worthy of praise. If this makes you want to go snag a pair for the collection, just be prepared to shell out a couple hundred dollars. Performance basketball sneakers don’t cross over into the lifestyle space like they used to, but these have still retained a pretty hefty resell value. —Mike DeStefano

Year: 2002
Worn By: Chris Webber

It’s hard to fathom that Chris Webber’s most memorable sneaker might not be from Nike. Webber is one of the most groundbreaking Nike athletes ever. His time at the University of Michigan with the Fab Five helped bring hip-hop and Black sneaker cool to the mainstream. His signature sneaker with Nike, the Air Max CW, which was later re-released as the Air Max Sensation, is part of the golden era of Nike Basketball in the ‘90s. But still, his sneakers from the 2002 All-Star Game are one of his biggest footwear moments. Why is that notable? Because the shoes were made by Dada Supreme. And they’re all chrome. The Dada CDubbz won’t go down as legendary shoes for their court performance or innovative technology, but because they were true neckbreakers—so much so that they actually received a retro out of the blue in 2013. Somehow, this isn’t even Dada’s biggest shoe; that would be its sneakers with spinners on the upper for Latrell Sprewell.  —Matt Welty

Year: 2011
Worn By: N/A

These sneakers were made for the 2011 All-Star Game, which was special for Kobe Bryant because it was held in Los Angeles. Nike knew that the game being held in his backyard was going to be a big deal, and actually created four different sneakers for the event that year.

There was the red pair to go with his uniform, but also three different sneakers that were themed off Los Angeles and the surrounding area. There were East L.A. and Orange County versions of the sneaker, but the coolest of the bunch was the “3D” that fit in well with the design cues of the Kobe 6. The sneaker’s raised bumps were done up in a black, red, and blue “3D” print, and had alternating blue and red Swooshes on them. Bryant brought a pair out during an appearance on Conan, breaking out 3D glasses to play up the story. Given that the sneakers were themed after Hollywood, Nike also made a 30-minute video to go along with them that was produced by Robert Rodriguez and had a cameo from Bruce Willis. —Matt Welty

Year: 2011
Worn By: Blake Griffin

OK, so there’s really no debating that among the sneakers that Blake Griffin has worn in his many All-Star weekend appearances, this is not the most historically significant. That distinction goes to the similarly colored pair of the Nike Air Zoom Maxfly that Griffin wore while soaring over a Kia for his 2011 Slam Dunk Contest win in Los Angeles.

But this, the “Blake Quake” Hyperdunk 2011, is still the best. (Although if you prefer the “Galaxy” version from 2012, we understand.) The shoe’s fiery mango colorway made that year’s Hyperdunk pop as much as possible. The crackled texture along the upper and midsole channeled immense power packed into Griffin’s play. Even in the peak Nike Basketball era, non-signature shoes were rarely as exciting as their name-branded counterparts, but this memorable pair was a rare exception. —Brendan Dunne

Year: 2004
Worn By: LeBron James

The Air Zoom Generation only released in a handful of colors when it originally dropped for LeBron James’ rookie season in 2003–04. The majority of the offerings were in Cavs-friendly variations of white, red, and black, but one colorway stood apart from the others: an all-wheat Timberland-style nubuck variation. To make the sneaker even more memorable, James wore it during his first NBA All-Star Weekend for the Rookie Challenge. Loud colors and novel themes would go on to define All-Star footwear in the years to come, but at the time, it was an original and unexpected look for the biggest stage of James’ still-young career.

That’s not the only shoe that was created for James that weekend, but it is the only one he actually wore or that released at retail. There are samples of a white-based AZG that have floated around for years with red and blue detailing, and the graffiti-style “LA” logo that Nike used on All-Star footwear for the 2004 game. The shoe was intended for LeBron James’ first ever All-Star Game, but despite putting up numbers that were good enough to earn him Rookie of the Year, James didn’t make the team. It’s the only time in his 21-year career that he’s missed the All-Star Game, but thanks to the “Wheat” AZG, we have an even more memorable sneaker from the weekend. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2012
Worn By: Kevin Durant

Part of Nike Basketball’s all-timer “Galaxy” pack from 2012, this KD 4 takes inspiration from astronaut suits with a metallic silver upper featuring orange hits and a barrage of details. There’s the glow-in-the-dark sole (a common thread among the collection), a star-speckled midsole, custom tongue badges, and galaxy-patterned liners and insoles. There’s a lot going on, but it all ends up coming together cleanly, and believe it or not, the KD 4 was actually one of the more restrained designs in the “Galaxy” group. By the time you’re reading this, it just got rereleased for the first time ever, so it will be interesting to see how it fares in today’s hype market, which has largely moved away from 2010s basketball shoes. Regardless, this isn’t just one of the best All-Star Weekend sneakers, it’s one of Kevin Durant’s best shoes ever, and one could argue it’s held up even better than the “Nerf” colorway. —Riley Jones

Year: 2009
Worn By: Nate Robinson

People may be used to themed All-Star Weekend sneakers nowadays, but it wasn’t that long ago that they were more of a novelty thing. You don’t have to look further back than the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest, where then-New York Knick Nate Robinson laced up what’s still one of the weekend’s most memorable pairs. Playing off Dwight Howard’s “Superman” persona, Robinson embraced a “Kryptonate” character complete with a green Knicks jersey and a pair of bright green Nike Foamposite Lites. Robinson wore the eye-catching sneakers as he soared over the 6’10” Howard, who he would go on to defeat. The plan came together perfectly, and Nike ended up dropping a limited number of the Foamposite Lites at House of Hoops Harlem on Saint Patrick’s Day that year. This was a few years before Foams really took off, and the Foamposite Lite was a performance shoe that doesn’t carry quite the cachet as other models in the lineage, but that didn’t stop these from being coveted. Pairs remain scarce these days, with StockX showing just a dozen sales since 2015 and an average price of around $1,500. —Riley Jones

Year: 2012
Worn By: LeBron James

The Nike LeBron 9 produced some of the biggest footwear moments in the history of LeBron James’ signature line. It was on his feet for his first NBA title in the form of the LeBron 9 “P.S. Elite.” It was used as the base for the “Watch the Throne” sneaker given to Jay-Z and Kanye West during the Miami stop of their tour of the same name. And the “Big Bang” colorway was the most memorable of the on-court All-Star shoes in a year that’s become legendary for its All-Star footwear.

The Foamposites hold the crown when it comes to 2012’s Galaxy-inspired collection, but Nike Basketball’s signature offerings for KD, Kobe, and LeBron have maintained an impressive cachet of their own. The “Big Bang” 9, despite its lackluster performance as a retro release in 2023, has been held in the highest regard over the years. James led the Eastern Conference All-Stars that year in scoring with 36 points in a 3-point loss, but is best remembered for how the bright orange footwear contrasted with his blue uniform in the game. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 1996
Worn By: Michael Jordan

Before themed All-Star weekend sneaker packs were the norm, all you needed was the right color combination to grab everyone’s attention. Of course, it also helped when Michael Jordan was the one wearing the shoes. Sure, there are plenty of other Air Jordans linked to Jordan’s All-Star accolades, but when we think of Air Jordans and NBA All-Star Weekend, the “Columbia” 11s immediately come to mind. And how could they not?

For one, the UNC-themed white and blue pair was a breath of fresh air at the time when most Air Jordans were colored up in red, black, and white to match the Chicago Bulls uniforms (Remember, this is before colorways were inspired by players’ favorite cartoon characters or meals). It also helped that they were paired with the undisputed greatest All-Star Game jersey of all time, a teal body with fiesta-themed design cues including a chili pepper logo to nod to the 1996 host city of San Antonio. It’s even more impressive when you realize that these shared the court with the Reebok Shaqnosis, Reebok Kamikaze II, Nike Penny 1, and Nike Air More Uptempo and still stole the show. We can argue about whether “Columbia” 11s look better once the patent leather yellows a bit or not another time. Regardless, these sneakers are about as close to perfect as you can get. Yes, a pair of the Holiday 2024 retro is mandatory. —Mike DeStefano

Year: 2012
Worn By: Rajon Rondo

Remember when, as helicopters circled eager throngs of shoppers, a near riot broke out over this sneaker’s release at a mall in Orlando? Remember when someone offered to trade a used car for a pair on Craigslist? Remember when Complex’s own Joe La Puma posted his pair on X (which was called Twitter in those simpler times) only to be met with replies threatening to rob him? That’s how serious the “Galaxy” Nike Air Foamposite One was.

Before themed sneakers became ubiquitous and, frankly, a little annoying, this shoe embraced a simple story and executed it perfectly. Nike took the All-Star theme literally, printing a Milky Way’s worth of celestial bodies across a sneaker that already looked like it came from outer space thanks to that groovy, alien shape. Before all-over prints flamed out and sneakers started to look more serious, this shoe was the pinnacle of obnoxious (in a good way) footwear. The “Galaxy” Foamposites are still so good that we can forgive them for enacting the chain reaction that led to all those regrettable printed Foams of the 2010s—do yourself a favor and don’t look up the “Weatherman” or “Thermal Map” colorways. Is this sneaker sort of dated in 2024? Absolutely, but between the glowing soles and twinkling upper, the “Galaxy” Foamposite is still shining bright as ever. —Brendan Dunne