Image via Complex Original
Brand identity is a complicated thing as it is a combination of your branding or your image as a whole; the identity or the visual aspects that form your overall brand and your logo, the simplest form of an icon that describes you. To me the logo is often the most overlooked piece of a successful brand. The public automatically can separate a great logo from a bad logo. They don’t have to have any sort of design senses to know what looks good and what doesn’t. Ultimately that look, or a reestablished look; can drive consumers away from your brand, just ask GAP. But if done properly the public will except the logo to the point that it becomes a part of them as it is as much as a representation of that person as it is that brand.
A good logo speaks for you when you are not there to speak yourself. Your name is your name but if done properly your logo can speak more in the streets then your name ever will. I have compiled a list of what I consider to be a collection of some of the best-executed personal logos in footwear history. Some of these logos are representation of great graphic design, some represent a cultural movement and others are a better representation then the athletes and the brands themselves.
10. D Wade Star
Athlete: Dwyane Wade
Brand: Converse
Converse and Wade were never really accepted by the consumers the way the brand had hoped it would be. The Wade 1 was a beautiful start but after that the product just failed to make an emotional connection with their customers. One element they did do right was Wade's logo. It was the perfect blend of who Converse is and was and it represented where they were going with Wade. Too many times athletes are made to be bigger then the company they are representing, kind of like Wade's current deal with LiNing; but in this case you could see the synergy and harmony that the two identities were trying to create. It's just a shame that the product never harmonized.
9. Shaq
Athlete: Shaquille O'Neal
Brand: Reebok
Shaq's logo is one of the only successful logos to use a dunking silhouette that stays true to the player and isn't a blatant rip-off of the Jumpman. What I think really helps that be successful is the dramatic height to width ratio of the font. By making the letters so tall and narrow it makes it have presence no matter what the scale of the logo is. But, what I think is most important is how this logo became to be a representation of Shaq and not the brand that created it, Reebok. Shaq bounced from many footwear companies through his storied career and the one thing that stayed the same was his logo. Yes there were variations of it over time but they all tied back to the original. It also goes to show you how ahead of his time Shaq was to realize that his logo had more brand equity then his product with Reebok would.
8. The Question
Athlete: Allen Iverson
Brand: Reebok
This is the only logo on this list that can be argued isn't an athletes logo, and technically it isn't. Why I chose this logo is that the execution of it is beautiful. It seamlessly combines the Reebok logo, which is a very hard logo to integrate into anything, into the letter Q. That Q would represent one of the most important basketball shoes ever, The Question; Allen Iverson's first signature shoe. While this logo wasn't directly Allen's, I do think it is forever associated with Allen and is a far better logo then the "I3" logo that Reebok would go on to create for him and the rest of his series.
7. 1Cent
Athlete: Penny Hardaway
Brand: Nike
Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is the perfect example of how the strength of a good brand identity can live forever. Penny had one of the most exciting young careers a basketball player has ever had and because of it his cultural impact was huge. But, as injuries began to plague his career his product never faltered simply because the excitement that his branding brought to the footwear. The "1Cent" logo represented bold and charismatic sneakers that were ground breaking in manufacturing and styling. It was these elements that still help keep this product line relevant today and allowed for him to be one of the only players to receive a signature shoe when he hasn't graced the court in years.
6. Swingman
Athlete: Ken Griffey Jr.
Brand: Nike
Much like Penny Hardaway, Ken Griffey Jr. created a brand identity that would last past his playing days. His style of play brought a level of excitement to the game, and particularly to the footwear, that had never been seen and baseball still hasn't been able to find a player that captivates the nation quite like he did. Griffey brought a charismatic presence to the field and his logo captured that perfectly. While he was having fun, his performance level was never lacking and I think this logo captures that perfectly. It's a logo that speaks to his personality but also shows his presence.
5. D Rose
Athlete: Derrick Rose
Brand: adidas
This logo to me is just beautiful. While I don't think it is the most versatile logo, I think it is the perfect logo for where it is typically used. Its scale and proportion lend it to be a perfect fit for the tongue area of the shoe and damn near anywhere on apparel. A lot of people fail to realize that logo has to flow with a design. Not too many logos look good on the side of your foot, so you have to understand where the placement is going to be and this one nails it. On top of that it is so simply designed but yet it speaks so clearly as to what it is and what it represents. It could not have been an easy logo to create.
4. CP3
Athlete: Chris Paul
Brand: Jordan
One of the greatest traits of the Jordan Brand is their hidden surprises. They have a knack for disguising elements of their athletes into details of their shoes that become discovery points for the consumer. It is clear the Jordan brand takes their graphic designs very serious, it seems like every Jordan Brand designer knows how to design to the grid because many of their athletes logos could have made this list. Sadly they all can't, so I chose their best signature athlete logo, Chris Paul's CP3. The CP3 logo is the perfect example of taking initials to the next level. For many years the trend was to add a players number to their logo by having it extend from the letter. This logo takes that thought to the next level by hiding Chris's number 3 within his initials. This element is great because it allows for the design team to either play up the hidden 3 on certain colorways or play it down and have the CP become the dominant element on other colorways. It is a very versatile and simple logo that really illustrates how important the details are when designing.
3. Pippen
Athlete: Scottie Pippen
Brand: Nike
Scottie Pippen had an awesome career in terms of graphic design. He wore the original Flight logo, he wore the Air More Uptempo, the Uptempo basketball branding was beautiful and his personal logo that was unveiled on his second signature shoe fit him perfectly. It was dynamic and complex just like his game. What is most significant to me about this logo was it showed the shift in design approach to logos. For the most part athletes not named Michael Jordan didn't have a logo, and if they did it was something that was designed around the aesthetic of their current shoe and would be redesigned for the next model. So the Pippen logo was one of the first basketball models to break that mold and thus opened the door for many athlete to receive a graphic identity.
2. LeBron
Athlete: LeBron James
Brand: Nike
The crown is undoubtedly one of most the understood images on our globe. It represents royalty and power and of course Lebron James. What is great about this design is how well executed this is to a grid. It has perfect 90-degree angles and fits within a rectangle that is broken down into thirds to help visually balance it. It displays his initials and his stature and has the perfect weight to it to show his presence. And much like the DRose logo, it is designed perfectly for specific areas.
1. Jumpman
Athlete: Michael Jordan
Brand: Nike/Jordan
There is no athlete logo more important than the Jumpman, in fact there are few logos on the planet that are more important than the Jumpman. This logo is the reason all of the other logos on this list have a logo. But what isn't said is how well and challenging it is to live up to the status of this logo. Many companies feel the need to revitalize themselves by bringing out a new logo but if you create a design that speaks to who your company is and you display a clear and concise message to match that logo, you won't ever have to go through the pains of rebranding yourself. And at a mere 25 years of age for the Jumpman, I don't believe the Jordan Brand will every have to reestablish their logo with their market.