The 25 Best Sneakers of 1988

Image via Complex Original

Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler. Little old Avia had a big-time roster of NBA talent in the '80s, and while Drexler and Stockton were the leaders in '88, Pip was coming up fast. He wore the low-cut 855 in his rookie year, and who only knows what would have happened with Avia if Scottie weren't taken to the Swoosh by his good friend Mike?

Brooks wasn't really a brand that would make you stand out on the street or in high school hallways, but real runners knew. And, as it turns out, they knew more than all the posers and fanboys. The Chariot CC combined the era's highest tech with a clean look that would easily pass muster today.

Amidst all the Roman-numeralled names and weirdly tech-sounding designations, the "GEL Runner" was a name that came straight to the point. ASICS had a full line of runners in '88 of course, but the GEL Runner was a mean silhouette with the perfect name. Add this one to the "to-be retroed" list, please.

High-tech runners were nothing new to adidas, and by 1988 the ZX line was well established across the board. The ZX 930 combined moccasin construction with an all-terrain ruggedness that should have fulfilled the needs of nearly any serious runner - or not serious one.

Nike wasn't the only company making over-the-top (and over-the-ankle) basketball shoes in the late '80s. ASICS came out with teh appropriately named GEL Extreme Hi, which featured a strap over the ankle, a cantilevered outsole and (of course) GEL cushioning. A retro would be nice.

Not to be outdone by their competitors in Oregon, Reebok jumped strong into the training game in the late '80s. They came out with multiple trainers for multiple purposes - strength, court, and running - but it was the high and mighty SXT that ruled the day. The best part was, even for non-strength trainers, the SXT made it LOOK like you lifted while baggy Champion sweats hid the true evidence.

Seeing that they had just introduced the all-new Air Max runner in 1987, Nike was in no rush to update their newest, hottest silhouette. What they did instead was transplant some of the Air Max DNA into a top-of-the-line walking shoe which they named - of course - the Air Walker Max. The primarily white, primarily leather upper predated a whole bunch of similar takes on the Air Max itself.

Once adidas signed Run-DMC, they had to actually design them shoes. The first, the Ultrastar, was just an update/evolution of the beloved shelltoe Superstar. Next came the Cadillac-inspired (in name at least) Brougham and Fleetwood, which had more of that late-80s feel in both low- and hightop form. RIP JMJ.

Just because Reebok cashed in on the aerobics/workout trend first didn't mean that other companies were going to sit idly by and watch. Phil Knight was going to take some convincing, but Italian luxury brand Fila jumped right in with the Original Fitness. Perfect fit.

Andre Agassi's first tennis shoe wasn't nearly as wild as what would follow, but given the state of tennis footwear in late '80s, the original Tech Challenge was still plenty loud.

Charles Barkley finally got a shoe to call his own. No, his name wasn't on it, but the original Alpha Force featured several elements - Force branding, mid-cut, velcro strap - that would define Sir Charles' shoes into the '90s. Also worn by fellow Dream Teamer and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, the Alpha Force was universal.

If any basketball shoe could challenge the Converse ERX-400 when it came to sheer bulk, it was the Nike Air Force III. A true high-top with billboard-level branding, the Air Force III was a popular choice on every level from grade school to the NBA. Nike's Flight line was still a year away - but even if it had existed, it wouldn't have stood a chance. The outdoor-inspired "Escape" models were particularly choice.

When the adidas ZX series jumped from hundreds to thousands, things were getting serious. A direct ancestor of the legendary ZX 8000, the ZX 5000 featured a massive external heel counter, a Kevlar torsion system and the '80s-proper shadowed stripes. A low-key classic.

It's hard to believe now in today's hyper-sensitized culture, but in 1988 Nike released shoes that were called the "Air Stab" and the "Air Assault." The Stab we'll get to a bit later, but the Assault was a loud basketball shoe featuring Safari print and "NIKE" block lettering across the ankle. The retro release included a Visible Air sole that wasn't on the original - an update that simply wasn't necessary.

The Pump was still a year off - Hexalite was waaaaaaay in the future - but that didn't mean Reebok was resting on their 4600/5600/6600 laurels. Instead they produced the Commitment, a billboard of a shoe worn by NBA rookie and NCAA champion Danny Manning. Featuring one the biggest heel counters (and biggest branding - which noticably shrank on the retro) ever seen, the Commitment was exactly that. Reebok was all in for the NBA.

Simple. Basic. Perfect. The New Balance 5-series, most commonly represented by the ubiquitous 574, found its zenith in the 576. New Balance will be celebrating the classic runner's 25th anniversary with a series of releases this year, and it's recommended that everyone join in.

Some might consider the Airwalk Prototype the first "real" skateboard shoe. Others, most notably people at Vans, may tend to disagree. But the bulky Prototype melded classic skate shoe board feel with the armored upper of a basketball shoe, which many skaters found themselves rocking when the money dried up. Airwalk went on to produce a whole "Prototype" line with all kinds of add-ons, but the first one was perfect.

No, this isn't the Trainer SC you're thinking of. What's known now as the Air Trainer III was originally called the Air Trainer SC, and was most notably worn by Spike Lee's Mookie in "Do The Right Thing." Was it better than the original Air Trainer? That's a matter of taste. Was it amazing? No doubt.

If there was one shoe that perfectly encapsulated 1988, it was the Converse ERX-400. Done up with more vents and louvers than a Lamborghini Countach, the ERX-400 was Converse's top-of-the line basketball entry, featuring their then-new Energy Wave cushioning technology. Guys on their NBA roster wore it, but not the ones at the top - Magic Johnson even had PEs made up that LOOKED like the ERX-400, but were just his favored Pro Leather underneath. Crazy tech isn't for everyone.

The Air Jordan III was initially going to be called the "Air Jordan Revolution." Besides making us wonder what that would have done to the whole Air Jordan naming process, it speaks of the debt the Air Jordan III owed to it's strapped-up big brother. Also designed by Tinker Hatfield, the high-cut Air Revolution featured many of the same features as the Air Jordan - right down to the midsole/outsole - only with a huge, padded ankle collar. That didn't stop guards like Mark Jackson from wearing them in the NBA.

The New Balance 1500 took things to a new level for New Balance in terms of detailing. Multiple layers of material was relatively new back in 1988. Aside from being a techinically advanced runner back then, the New Balance 1500 has become one of the most popular sneakers in retro form thank to collabs.

Nike's Air Revolution was at the forefront of Nike's visible Air push, but the Air Ace - a tennis shoe that was essentially a low-top Revolution - deserved way more shine. Unfortunately, not only did it lose out to the Revolution, but another tennis line - the Tech Challenge - would soon grab the spotlight and refuse to give it back. Underappreciated no more.

The Nike Air Stab was introduced as a lightweight and flexible runner that offered cushioining and support (the "Stab" indicated stability). Now 25 years later, it's these features that make it one of the most popular retro runners in the Nike stable. Those things combined with countless collabs and special makeups, have the Air Stab still in demand today.

New Balance always worried about function first and form later, which led to an instantly recognizable aesthetic throughout their line. And in an era defined by bright colors and "visible tech," New Balance's muted greys and blues and conventional suede and nylon builds stood out. The 996 still stands as one of their most notable creations.

The Air Jordan III revolutionized sneakers. The introduction of the Jumpman logo changed the game forever and it was just the start of the Air Jordan III's groundbreaking design. 25 years later the Air Jordan III remains one of the most popular sneakers of all time and continues to influence countless other designs.