State of Sneakers: The 30 Best City Inspired Sneakers of All Time

Sneaker: Nike Air Force 1 High "Rose Garden"
Released: 2002
City: Portland, OR

Before Nike ran off a collection of patent leather Air Force 1 Highs specifically for Rasheed Wallace, they made up this black patent version with a rose on the heel. Dubbed "the Rose Gardens" for the Blazers home arena, it was one of the very few sneakers to pay tribute to the North American home of both Nike and adidas.

Sneaker: Nike Air Force I Low "Houston"
Released: 2006
City: Houston, TX

Despite the struggles, the city of Houston's fans still (proudly?) represent for the Astros with team colors. Back in 2006, The Rocket Roger Clemens still had a clean record and an arm that nobody in the game of baseball could compete with. For the 2006 NBA All Star game held at the Toyota Center, Nike created this limited version of the Air Force 1 in throwback Astros colors, which couldn't be a more appropriate way to rep H-Town.

Sneaker: Air Jordan V "Tokyo 23"
Released: 2011
City: Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is an eclectic city so when Jordan Brand opted to use yellow on the Air Jordan V for the very first time, it couldn't have been more appropriate than to represent the lights of a city that truly never sleeps. The "23" normally found on the heel was replaced in the Japanese symbol for the number to represent the Shibuya Ward.

Sneaker: adidas Superstar II "Berlin"
Released: 2005
City: Berlin, Germany

Berlin is not only one of the best sneaker cities in the world, it also happens to be just a few hours away from the adidas Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. For the 35th Anniversary of the Superstar, adidas made special editions for many cities but using the Berlin Bear from the city's flag and coat of arms made this one of the greats.

Sneaker: Nike Air Force II "The Dirty"
Released: 2002
City: Atlanta, GA

Garish red and yellow - the colors of the hometown Hawks - made this Air Force II unmistakable and unmissable. The fact that Nike utilized the underappreciated Air Force II rather than its legendary predecessor just made it that much more appropriate.

Sneaker: Nike Zoom Turf "White/Royal"
Released: 1997
City: Detroit, MI

Before Detroit was struggling for cashflow, they had one of the greatest football players of all time, drawing huge crowds to the Silverdome every Sunday. Barry Sanders never got his own signature shoe (what's up with that Nike?), but he did become the face we all associated with the Zoom Turf. The Detroit Lions colorway is arguably one of the best turf shoes ever created and represents Detroit and a time of better days for The Motor City.

Sneaker: Nike Alpha Force II "Liberty Bell"
Released: 2003
City: Philadelphia, PA

Many of Charles Barkley's pre-signature Nikes have been retroed, and many - through colorway alone - paid tribute to his one-time home of the City of Brotherly Love. But it was this Alpha Force II that made the connection most obvious with the Liberty Bell embroidered on the heels. Hit up Mitchell & Ness for the matching jersey (if they ever make them again) and rep Philly to the fullest.

Sneaker: Nike Zoom Kobe VI "FC Barcelona"
Released: 2011
City: Barcelona, Spain

Kobe is a huge soccer fan (football for those in the know), and in 2011 Nike Basketball paid homage to FCB with a number of colorways of the Nike Zoom Kobe 6. None of which better represented the city, or the Barcelona soccer team better than the blue and burgundy, which came complete with the team crest stitched in on the under side of the tongue.

Sneaker: adidas Billups "All-Star"
Released: 2007
City: Las Vegas, NV

What better to represent Vegas than gaudy colors and dollar signs? OK, maybe they could have made it a working slot machine with real Siegfried and Roy tiger fur, but Jeremy Scott wasn't doing collabs yet.

Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Flash"
Released: 2002
City: San Francisco, CA

Sometimes simple is the best way to pay homage to your city. Back in 2002 Nike SB paid triibute to the greatest skate city in the world with a simple SB Dunk design, now simply known as the Flash Dunks. Black and Orange Flash were chosen to represent San Francisco's local Major League Baseball franchise the Giants and as they say, the rest is history.

Sneaker: adidas Consortium Boston Super "BAA"
Released: 2013
City: Boston, MA

Originally produced to release coinciding with the Boston Marathon, the adidas Consortium take on the classic Boston Super was pushed back after the tragic events near the finish. The BAA version honors the Boston Athletic Association, the founders and organizers of the race. It gets deeper than the Celtics and the Red Sox.

Sneaker: Burn Rubber x Reebok Classic Leather "Spirit of Detroit"
Released: 2013
City: Detroit, MI

Burn Rubber reps Detroit harder than anybody, so when they took to designing the Reebok Classic this year, you knew the outcome would live up to their dedication to the city. The "Spirit of Detroit" takes inspiration from a trip around the city with Rick and Ro of Burn Rubber, which land s them at the "Spirit of Detroit" statue. The result? Sold out. Y'all slept.

Sneaker: HUF x Nike SB Trainer "Gold Digger"
Released: 2005
City: San Francisco, CA

While most of the sneakers that represent cities take the path of local sports team inspiration and use familiar colors, there are plenty of other creative ways to rep your city through the form of sneakers. HUF and their designer at the time, Benny Gold, did exactly that when it came to the "Gold Digger" Air Trainer SB. Digging into the gold mining roots of San Francisco, Benny Gold was able to create a colorway and graphics that emody the storied history of the Gold Rush era of the '40s and '50s.

Sneaker: Converse Weapon "Lakers"
Released: 1986
City: Los Angeles, CA

Nothing represents Los Angeles better than purple and gold (at least in the '80s, sorry Clippers Nation). It was an era in which bright colors weren't really a part of mainstream sneakers and Magic Johnson led the Lake Show dynasty. Converse couldn't have had better timing than they did bringins Magic and Bird together in unforgettable commercials and a Lakers inspired colorway that will always be one of the most respected sneakers of all time.

Sneaker: Concepts x New Balance 1500 "Freedom Trail"
Released: 2009
City: Boston, MA

Concepts is one of the best when it comes to sneaker collabs and in 2009 they flexed their collab muscles with the "Freedom Trail" pack. Inspired by the Freedom Trail that runs through the streets of Boston, this collab with their neighbors at New Balance was everything that a city inspired sneaker should be.

Sneaker: Reebok Pump Court Victory 2 "Miami Vice"
Released: 2009
City: Miami, FL

Miami colorways are nothing new, sorry LeBron. This Court Victory 2 from Reebok took a Miami Vice approach complete with the teal and pink we've come to expect from Miami colorways. The pink flamingo on the heel was the perfect final touch.

Sneaker: Ronnie Fieg x ASICS GEL Lyte III ECP Pack "Miami"
Released: 2013
City: Miami, FL

The Don Ron's home away from home got a special Dolphins make-up this year on the Gel-Lyte III he helped make even more iconic for ASICS. The Marino jersey might not be necessary to match but you can't deny that Fieg's execution wasn't flawless. Welcome to Miami.

Sneaker: Reebok Kamikaze I "Seattle"
Released: 1994
City: Seattle, WA

Back when the Reign Man was still reigning and before companies recognized cities via retro drops, Shawn Kemp wore the Kamikaze II in basic Sonics colors. But nearly two decades later, Reebok pulled the style back out of the archives to give it an even truer Seattle feel, complete with "raindrops" on the shiny green finish.

Sneaker: Nike Lunar Force 1 High "Baltimore"
Released: 2013
City: Baltimore, MD

If it wasn't for Baltimore - and New York City, of course - maybe the trajectory of the Air Force 1 is a little different. Baltimore was one of the East Coast strongholds for the style when it briefly went out of production in the mid-'80s, so this basic white-and-black high is entirely appropriate, even in updated Lunar form.

Sneaker: Patta x Nike Air Max 90 "Homegrown"
Released: 2006
City: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is known for a lot of things, but its primary attraction remains those things you can legally buy and enjoy there but can't in the States. And no, we are not talking about the red light district. Patta paid tribute with their "Homegrown" Air Max 90s, which will run you almost as much per ounce as their sticky-icky inspiration.

Sneaker: Sneakersnstuff x adidas Stockholm
Released: 2009
City: Stockholm, Sweden

It's only right that Sneakersnstuff would represent the city of Stockholm with the sneaker that shares its name. The nappy grey suede reflects the Swedish city's skies, while the yellow and blue stripes honor the country's flag. Perfection.

Sneaker: Nike Zoom LeBron VI "Big Apple"
Released: 2008
City: New York, NY

How do you kill rumors that LeBron would be leaving his native land for NYC? You make a special shoe for him that celebrates his love for "The Big Apple". The Swoosh wasn't trying to send signals, just great marketing and the candy apple colorway is one LeBron's best drops to date. It might be a little too soon for a retro but maybe next summer for all the 2014 Free Agency hype?

Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Paris"
Released: 2003
City: Paris, France

Only 202 pairs were released, and no two pairs are the same due to the artwork by French painter Bernard Buffet. If you have these unique pieces of wearable artwork in the arsenal–props due.

Sneaker: Air Jordan X "Sacramento"
Released: 1995
City: Sacramento, CA

It's been years since Mitch "The Rock" Richmond laced up a pair of Jordans but as one of the first players to ever have PEs, he left his mark on the sneaker game. The "Sacramento" Air Jordan X was also one of the first team-colored (non-Bulls edition) Air Jordans ever, which opened the Pandora's box of ideas and color themes that have since taken over the sneaker world.

Sneaker: Nike Air Max 90 "NTSF"
Released: 2007
City: San Francisco, CA

Niketown stores were the start of a new era of retail for sneakers. All the best releases from the Swoosh dropped almost exclusively at these stores back in the day. San Francisco's Niketown was one of the first and biggest. It became a destination store for Bay Area sneakerheads and to celebrate its 10th year, they dropped this version of the Nike Air Max 90 in SF-appropriate colors.

Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "Supa"
Released: 2002
City: New York, NY

Part of the first Nike SB drop in 2002, Danny Supa's Dunk Low Pro took on the colors of his hometown Mets and Knicks. His "Zoo York" SP remains the more sought-after of the set, but that's just a matter of rarity. The colorblocking on the "Supas" made them an instant classic.

Sneaker: adidas adiZero Rose 2 "Windy City"
Released: 2011
City: Chicago, IL

It ain't hard to tell why the staple red and black is used on the upper but the subtle details on the insole and "The L" stitched on the heel pays homage to the public transit system that every Chicagoan from Kanye to D. Rose has taken at some point in their life.

Sneaker: Nike LeBron 8 "South Beach"
Released: 2010
City: Miami, FL

When LeBron said he was taking his talents to South Beach it caused a lot of negative emotion in the sports world, but on the sneaker tip we knew we were about to get some greatness cooked up from Nike with LeBron transitioning to such a trendy city. The "Pre Heat" LeBron 8s are one of the most significant colorways in sneaker history-and one of the last pairs of hyped kicks you could get on NDC without selling out in seconds.

Sneaker: Air Jordan I
Released: 1985
City: Chicago, IL

Before Michael Jordan, most NBA players stuck to really basic sneakers - either black or white based with a touch of team colors. Well, except for the Celtics, some of whom wore mostly green shoes (we see you, Larry Bird and Danny Ainge) but hey, they were the Celtics. The first Air Jordan did more than just draw the NBA's ire (and fines) - it re-introduced the rest of the world to Chicago.

Sneaker: Nike Dunk Low Pro SB "London"
Released: 2003
City: London, England

Grey suede for the gloomy weather and the crooked blue River Thames on the heel - Nike SB's tribute to London was simple and to the point. Hopefully someone sent a pair to the Royal Baby.