Image via Complex Original
Even as Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG foundation plans to celebrate its 15th anniversary this week comes the news that Armstrong has stepped down as chairman (and has been dropped by Nike) due to the latest USADA allegations. But Nike's involvement with LIVESTRONG will continue—which is good, both because the charity has done so much to raise awareness and funds for the battle against cancer, and because, well, the shoes have been so dope. So in honor of the 15th anniversary, we take a look back at The 15 Best Nike x LIVESTRONG Sneakers of All Time. Keep representing.
15. Nike Air 180 Premium TZ
Year: 2009
One of many (you'll see) insane LIVESTRONG releases to drop in 2009, the Air 180 runner was done up proper in black, yellow and grey, with added pop coming from the ribbon-style laces. If you're going to rep, why not do it in one of the greatest sneakers of the '90s?
14. Nike Free Run+ 2
Year: 2011
LIVESTRONG and Free Run go together like peas and carrots (word to Forrest Gump). The first series was nice, but they really hit their stride with the Free Run+ 2, which (arguably) was a fresher silhouette in general. Nothing crazy here, just a standout shoe with a purpose.
13. Nike Air Max 90
Year: 2009
Released alongside an Air Max 1 and an Air Max 180 (which we already covered), the LIVESTRONG Air Max 90 went white where the others went black, giving a bit more pop. Leather accents weren't ideal, but the spattered midsole and mesh toebox still made for an excellent pair of 90s.
12. Nike Footscape Woven "Hideout"
Year: 2009
The furry "Hamster" Footscape Wovens were weird enough to begin with, so the black and yellow LIVESTRONG touch actually made them more, not less, accessible. As part of the "Stages" pack, they may have been overshadowed by the Air Force 1 and Dunk releases, but these were a serious release.
11. Nike Zoom Tiempo "Austin"
Year: 2009
Eight riders representing eight different cities were given free rein to re-imagine the Nike Tiempo soccer shoe for LIVESTRONG in 2009. Created with board last construction and premium materials, the "Cutters Pack" Tiempo was stiffened and toughened for on-bike use. Our pick was the Lance-designed black and yellow pair for his home city of Austin, TX and his Mellow Johnny's bike shop.
10. Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Premium
Year: 2012
Feelings have been mixed on the Hyperfuse Air Max 90 — some think it's great, others think it's desecration — but there's no denying how good the LIVESTRONG livery looks on the Air Max 90 silhouette. And, in this case at least, the Hyperfuse upper carries it better than the OG style.
9. Nike Air Force 1 "ONYOURBIKEKID"
Year: 2009
Made up with the same shemagh fabric as UNDFTD's previous Air Force 1s, the Tier Zero "ONYOURBIKEKID" model featured lasering on the leather-covered midsole and the appropriate yellow-and-black scheme.
8. Nike Zoom Kobe IV
Year: 2009
The Seattle Storm's Sue Bird wore these in the WNBA, and that's about all we saw of one of the sickest Zoom Kobe IV makeups of all time. Which is a damn shame. Maybe we can catch them when the Kobe retros start in, say, 2020?
Nike Air Force 1 Low "Mr. Cartoon"
Year: 2009
While not as epic as his L.A.-themed originals, the Mr. Cartoon "Stages" Air Force 1 didn't lose much in LIVESTRONG translation. In fact, one could argue that the colorfade Swoosh actually added something to the collabo.
6. Nike Sportswear Cheyenne
Year: 2012
The 15th year celebration may be dampened a bit by Lance Armstrong's stepping down as chairman, but the Nike x LIVESTRONG program is clearly not running out of ideas. These Cheyennes, with their bright yellow soles, World Champion flags and "15" on the heels are amazing—and super limited.
5. Nike LunarGlide+ 3
Year: 2011
Simple and to the point. The LunarGlide+ is a LIVESTRONG staple every year, but they really killed it with this super-basic, blacked-out 3. These had serious everyday shoe potential.
4. Nike Zvezdochka
Year: 2009
These were a giveaway at the 2009 "Stages" event in Paris, and thus might be the rarest LIVESTRONG sneaker ever produced. The Marc Newson designed Zvezdochka was an oddity from the start—kind of like the most refined Crocs you'd ever find—and the LIVESTRONG imprimatur just made them that much more desirable.
3. Nike Dunk High Premium "World Champion"
Year: 2010
Made up of buttery black leather. the Tier Zero Dunk Premium was subtly elegant with its yellow outsole and World Championship stripes on the heel. No matter what your feelings for Lance are, these still go hard.
2. Nike Lunaracer
Year: 2009
The lightweight LunaRacer running shoe introduced Flywire and Lunarlon, Nike's two signature developments of the 2000s. The LIVESTRONG flip turned the pure performance piece into a lifestyle statement, predating the Flyknit revolution by a couple of years. Released alongside the Lunar Everyday, we know which ones we'd pick.
1. Nike Dunk High "FLOM"
Year: 2009
Futura's original FLOM (For Love of Money) Dunk, limited to just 24 pairs worldwide, will set you back a couple grand. Luckily the LIVESTRONG 'Stages' project brought them back (along with the Mr. Cartoon and Busy P Air Forces and the Hideout Footscape) in more readily available numbers. And the flip to yellow and black wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either. Killer bees.
