Image via Complex Original
Jerry Seinfeld: sneakerhead. Yup. Not in the traditional sense, but over the course of the Seinfeld television show, Jerry wore his fair share of Nike bangers and obscure white on white trainers. We thought documentation of this 1990s phenomena was warranted, so Complex tapped its go-to footwear historian Gary Warnett (who put together our 50 Greatest Nike Trail Shoes and our 50 Greatest Air Max 90s lists) to painstakingly sort through Jerry's greatest hits. We've provied images when we had them, here they are in their entirety: click on the gallery to see A Complete Guide to Jerry Seinfeld's Sneakers.
RELATED: The 100 Best Nike Shoes Ever Made
1. Nike Air Driving Force Low Royal Blue/White
Episode: #1 'The Seinfeld Chronicles'
Year (of Sneaker): 1989
In the first episode of the series, Jerry makes these shoes the focal point. This low-cut version of a superior shoe from Nike's Force division from the late 1980s was finished with iconic in-your-face tongue lettering. You never saw Cosby or Danza in this caliber of footwear.
2. Nike Air Tech Challenge II White/Cement
Episode: #2 'The Stake Out' & #4 'Male Unbonding'
Year (of Sneaker): 1990
The show's star was synonymous with the most neutral of athletic footwear, so his decision to opt for a classic piece of Tinker Hatfield design—and a shoe endorsed by the flamboyant Andre Agassi—in its plainest form sets a standard of sorts. It's certainly not the most commonplace variation of this model. Coincidentally, all-white everything (almost) pretty much sums up the show's cast.
3. Nike Air Delta Force ST Low Tech Grey/White
Episode: #3 'The Robbery' & #5 'The Stock Tip'
Year (of Sneaker): 1990
The original Delta Force is a pretty run-of-the-mill shoe, with an underdog status as the poor man's Air Force II. But the Delta Force ST was something a little more prestigious, especially in its higher form. It's worth noting at this point that despite a rep for big shoes and jeans, Jerry never really opts for anything too high during Seinfeld's duration and his decision to pick the more neutral colors and a low cut for this in-your-face classic should come as little surprise.
4. Nike Strategy Low White/Royal Blue
Episode: #6 'The Ex Girlfriend', #7 'The Pony Remark', #8 'The Jacket' & #9 'The Phone Message'
Year (of Sneaker): 1990
An unremarkable, affordable shoe is the harbinger of Mr. Seinfeld's habit of wearing the same shoe for several episodes. There's nothing wrong with the Strategy, and its blue swoosh/white upper formula is echoed in some future Jerry favorites.
5. Nike Air Trainer SC High White/Royal Blue
Episode: #10 'The Apartment', #11 'The Statue' & #13 'The Heart Attack'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
Jerry knows. That's the power of good design. This is the first cross trainer we see Jerry wear, but it isn't the last, as he continued to run through more obscure offerings from this division of Nike. Instead of opting for the famous Total Orange version, Jerry keeps it low key again—well, as low key as this shoe can be with his over-the-waist, smedium denim.
6. Nike Air Challenge Pro Low White/Fluorescent Pink
Episode: #12 'The Revenge'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
Just when you think Jerry's getting too conservative, he breaks out these less obvious Agassi-affiliated make-ups. You don't see these too often because they were sidelined in favor of their visible aired siblings, but the use of that triangle panel and that colorway—echoed in a few classic 1991 runners—indicated that Jerry had a better eye for future classics than we did.
7. Nike Air Tech Challenge 3/4 Black/White/Hot Lime
Episode: #12 'The Revenge'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
The Air Tech Challenge 3/4 appears for a solitary scene in this episode when Jerry distracts the laundromat attendant while Kramer performs one of his first significant acts of physical comedy—filling a machine with cement. This bestseller, rocked by Andre Agassi with matching tennis shirts and acid wash effect shorts was a classic that even a weak 2007 retro couldn't sully.
8. Nike Air Tech Challenge Low White/Black/Ultramarine
Episode: #13 'The Deal'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
It wasn't the adult movie they caught on TV that made Elaine want to knock boots with Jerry again, it was these sneakers. Lower cut than the 3/4 variation but still carrying that Agassi flair with the Ultramarine colors, these afforded the wearer with extra prowess. A morning-after Elaine surprises Kramer in what looks like Jerry-size Ultra Force Lows with the tongue branding removed.
9. Nike Air Trainer SC Low White/Grey/Ultramarine
Episode: #13 'The Deal'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This is another more technical Air Trainer pick that gets a small amount of screen time. This model is top five material in high or low variations, and this colorway compliments Jerry's SC High choice. As you'll see, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the leading man's preoccupation with cross training footwear.
10. Nike Lava Flow Royal Blue/Charcoal//Concord
Episode: #13 'The Deal' & #19 'The Truth'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This ACG model's classic color palette stomps Seinfeld's white-shoes only wardrobe right out. 'The Deal' showcases Seinfeld in no less than three different sneaker styles, but this excellent relative of the mighty son of the Lava Dome and the Baltoro is one of the best simple hikers from Nike.
11. Nike Air Cross Trainer Low White/Neptune Blue
Episode: #15 'The Baby Shower' & #17 'The Busboy'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This more affordable Air Trainer incarnation had similar looks to its costlier flagship brethren, including the oddly effective pop color tongues. As a result, these were everywhere as a more democratic cross-training style. 'The Busboy' also debuts George Costanza's Cortez after a couple of episodes following a Reebok stint.
12. Nike Air Trainer E Low White Zen/Grey/Indian Teal
Episode: #18 'The Note' & #29 'The Red Dot'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This stealthier version of the Air Trainer design doesn't get a lot of play nowadays, but it's one of the most progressive of the early 1990s designs. The ridged forefoot underlay pre-empts Flywire aesthetically, and the Triangular Air cutaway echoes the upper's paneling. Jerry wears a lot of Air Trainer E variations at the end of season two and throughout season three. He must have dropped a less-than-subtle hint to a Nike rep that he liked this style of shoe...
13. Nike Air Trainer E Low White/Grey/Royal Blue
Episode: #19 'The Pen', #21 'The Dog', #32 'The Suicide' & #38 'The Letter'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This clean version of Nike's triangular Air unit masterpiece gets regular wear in seasons two and three. Why Jerry opted to wear it with a red suit-style jacket and jeans is anyone's guess, though. The durable sneaker also survives a minor dog mauling in episode 21.
14. Nike ACG Air Mowabb Cream/Champagne/Mandarin
Episode: #22 'The Library' & #23 'The Parking Garage'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
The unique Huarache-goes-ACG look of the Air Mowabb is a connoisseur's pick, but it seems like an unusual Seinfeld sneaker until you remember that he displays Huarache-head tendencies in later episodes, and that his pants conceal the shoe's more colorful excesses. Jerry's outfit in 'The Parking Garage' was the inspiration for Patta's adidas ZX 7000.
15. Nike Air Jordan VI White/Sport Blue 1991
Episode: #24 'The Cafe', #26 'The Nose Job', #51 'The Contest' & #57 'The Outing'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
This was the newest Jordan at a point when seasons two and three transmitted, but Jerry didn't mess with the Infrared efforts or Carmines. He opted for the restraint of the more-under-the-radar Sport Blue. It might be the tallest shoe he wears during the show's duration, but Seinfeld is evidently a fan of the Jordan line. He re-wore these a few years later for 'The Outing.' Not that there's anything wrong with that.
16. Nike Air Huarache Royal Blue/Scream Green
Episode: #25 'The Tape'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
In 1991, Jerry was more adventurous when it came to sneakers. Everyone took to the Huarache, from cool kids to the everyman, and Jerry typified this when he broke out a pair for a single episode. This is the best colorway, taking a lift from the palette applied to the Air Flow, which was an earlier neoprene experiment that will be retroed this year.
17. Nike Air Jordan V White/Grape
Episode: #27 'The Stranded'
Year (of Sneaker): 1990
It's strange that we don't get more Jordan Vs in the show. It seems like a very Jerry shoe, balancing the bizarro elements with a simplicity that suits Jerry down to the ground. The legendary Grape Jordan V gets brief screen time for a single episode, but Jerry opts to wear a white-on-white Sonic Flight with purple on the midsole in later episodes that evokes this classic.
18. Nike Air Trainer E High White/Blue Spark
Episode: #28 'The Alternate Side', #31 'The Pez Dispenser', #33 'The Fix Up', #34 'The Boyfriend Part 1', #35 'The Boyfriend Part 2' & #36 'The Limo'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
Nike's Air Trainer E range got some serious product placement on Seinfeld. The E High got airtime in no less than six episodes, which ties the Supreme Focus for the second most-worn behind the Digs Pro Low. It's not even that great—the Lows are better—but Jerry does sport it for his encounter with an Bright Ceramic Air 180-wearing Keith Hernandez in 'The Boyfriend Part 1,' which counts for a lot.
19. Nike Air Huarache White/Black/Purple Punch
Episode: #30 'The Subway'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
Jerry wearing the second best colorway of this shoe (after Scream Green) for a single episode. They're hard to miss too, making the shoes appearance a brazen Nike promotion. The only question is, why didn't he opt to wear them for repeat performances? Was the lack of swoosh an issue?
20. Nike Air Trainer Max White/Black/Brown
Episode: #32 'The Suicide'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
He wore Air Trainers a lot, but Jerry never effed with forefoot Velcro. The unique look of the strapped Air Trainer Max proved irresistible though, and while this might not be the most obvious colorway, it's still a beautiful shoe. Jerry wore it solely to take out the trash in a solitary episode before switching back to his comfort zone of regular sneakers.
21. Nike Air Trainer E Low White/Infrared
Episode: #33 'The Fix Up', #37 'The Good Samaritan' #40 'The Keys' & #94 'The Mom & Pop Store'
Year (of Sneaker): 1991
The final part of Jerry's Air Trainer E quadrilogy defies the law of sequels—it's the very best in the series. This model was good in blues, grays and purples, but when Jerry breaks the habit and goes Infrared, he sports the best version of this shoe and one of the greatest Air Trainers ever. Sadly, this shoe disappears with Mom and Pop courtesy of Kramer's buffoonery.
22. Nike Air Trainer Max White/Marina
Episode: #39 'The Parking Space'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
The second and final Air Trainer Max that Jerry wears is another less obvious colorway—a 1992 makeup of the 1991 classic. He dodges a wear of the famous Stone/Medium Yellow variation, picking something that slots in with his white and blue preference.
23. Nike Air Trainer Lite White/Lapis/Zen Grey
Episode: #40 'The Keys'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
This simpler incarnation of the 1992 Air Trainer has jagged paneling and a lightweight feel. It gets a brief moment at the close of season three as Kramer sends Jerry over the edge. Both colorways of this model get worn in the show, but this duller one reiterates just how much of an Air Trainer habit our hero had at the time.
24. Nike Air Bound White/Dark Concord
Episode: #41 'The Trip Part 1'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
You need to keep your eyes peeled for this one. As season four—a breakout series—commences, Jerry's got a new wardrobe of Nikes. George and Jerry wander into Monk's and there is a lightning quick shot of some Nike Air Bound, a legendary model worn by the likes of Tim Hardaway. Then it's gone. Never to be seen again.
25. Nike Air Digs Pro Low White/Red Plum
Episode: #41 'The Trip Part 1', #42 'The Trip Part 2' , #43 'The Pitch', #44 'The Ticket', #46 'The Watch', #49 'The Opera', #60 'The Junior Mint' & #105 'The Jimmy'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
Of all his shoes, Jerry wears this one the most throughout the show. It's a gum-soled design made with volleyball in mind, but it's still racket sports-friendly, which seems to be the man's main criteria for regular wear. The entire Digs range represents some of Nike's most underappreciated designs, and while these aren't the most exciting Digs, they fit the Seinfeld aesthetic.
26. Nike Air Trainer Lite White/Black/Dark Lavender
Episode: #45 'The Wallet'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
The dramatic black paneling on this version of the Air Trainer Lite makes it significantly better than the other makeup that Jerry wore. As with its partner colorway, it was doomed to a brief appearance.
27. Nike Air Trainer Accel Low White/Prism Violet
Episode: #47 'The Bubble Boy', #52 'The Airport', #59 'The Implant' & #60 'The Junior Mint'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
Nike's Cross Training division underwent some significant changes at this time, expanding and subtly altering the looks of the line. This shoe opted to highlight some details beyond the swoosh, featuring updated tongue branding and a decent price point. It offered functionality without the funny business. Unsurprisingly, it's a very Seinfeld shoe.
28. Nike Air Trainer Accel Low Black/White/Dark Spruce
Episode: #48 'The Cheever Letters'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
The more conventional, less anonymous color blocking on this version of the Air Trainer Accel makes it a strong choice. It's not a defining shoe of the era, just because there were so many damn Air Trainers at the time, but it's a decent one nonetheless.
29. Nike Air Trainer Platinum Low White/Dark Spruce
Episode: #50 'The Virgin'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
After his glory days with the SC and E Trainer variations in earlier seasons, Jerry's footwear starts to slip into a certain anonymity. One bonus of 'The Virgin' is its brief glimpse at Jerry's Nike stash in the wardrobe.
30. Nike Air Jordan VII White/Cardinal Red
Episode: #53 'The Pick', #58 'The Old Man' & #62 'The Handicap Spot'
Year (of Sneaker): 1992
Seeing as the Cardinal Red Jordan VII gets a re-release soon, it's worth dwelling on this one. On face value, this model isn't a particularly Seinfeldian sneaker, but it's really the sum total of the sneakers that have gone before in a solitary shoe...the white upper, the neoprene, the colored sole...it all makes a certain sense for Mr. Jerry. This is the last Jordan installment that Jerry wears, the VIII may have been a little too much for him to pull off.
31. Nike Air Challenge 3/4 White/Lead
Episode: #59 'The Implant'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
Here's another Agassi-related sneaker minus the color pop. Jerry wears these when he's courting Teri Hatcher's character, so he must be doing something right. While the topic is implants, there's no funny business on this pair, bar a well-placed speckle that cuts through the plain looks. If you never spotted these because your eyes were on other things, it's entirely understandable.
32. Nike Air Trainer Max White/Black/Sapphire
Episode: #61 'The Smelly Car'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
The 1993 take on the Air Trainer Max brought the worlds of the runner and the Air Trainer a little closer by utilizing the 270 degree Max Air technology that was introduced that year. This colorway borders on feminine and doesn't bring out the best in this model. It's surprising that Jerry didn't break out the other colors of the shoe during this season.
33. Nike Air Sonic Flight Mid White/Bright Concord
Episode: #63 'The Pilot Part 1' & #64 'The Pilot Part 2'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
Jerry develops a vice for the Sonic Flight series between seasons four and five, and this shoe appears in the show within a show that this two-parter depicts. The simple upper, technical midsole and crazy outsole pattern scream 1993, and they even incite the pilot's George character to remark, "What do you need new sneakers for?" It's a shame that Pippen's Air Maestro never got a look during this period of the program.
34. Nike Air Solo Flight White/Black/Bright Concord
Episode: #65 'The Mango'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
After an excess of mids and lows, the Air Solo Flight was a taller pick than usual. The original Solo Flight was a quintessentially bulky basketball hi-top, but for 1993, they made it a little more stealthy and slim. It didn't make for a better-looking shoe, but it made them a lot more comfortable. It also meant Jerry could wear this incarnation without looking like he was heading to the moon.
35. Nike Air Sonic Flight Mid White/Light Graphite
Episode: #67 'The Glasses' & #70 'The Lip Reader'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
Jerry's streak of basketball sneakers continues here with another Air Sonic Flight Mid. This version has some extra flair with the white and graphite mix plus the touch of purple on the upper. As technical basketball shoes go, this is a very Jerry Seinfeld effort.
36. Nike Air Sonic Flight Mid White/Black/Purple
Episode: #68 'The Sniffing Accountant', #78 'The Marine Biologist', & #81 'The Wife'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
When it comes to white on white Seinfeld sneakers, occasionally you've got to resort to guesswork. To assume that this style is the majority of his choices would be incorrect, but there's at least three all-white uppered pieces that defy identification. This mid-cut, purple and black soled shoe that gets a few outings looks a lot like a variation on the Air Sonic Flight which Jerry gravitates towards in 1993, but all corrections and suggestions are welcome with this one.
37. Nike Air Driving Force Low White/Purple
Episode: #73 'The Masseuse'
Year (of Sneaker): 1993
Force's new branding never matched the majesty of the originals, but Jerry wearing this model is an interesting follow-up to his pair of 1989 Driving Force Lows in the pre-Elaine pilot episode of the show.
38. Nike Air Structure II White/Deep Purple
Episode: #75 'The Conversion' & #94 'The Mom & Pop Store'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
The sequel to the much-loved Air Structure scrapped the visible airbag, but brought in the curious Foot Bridge technology application on the medial side. This running model was a strong seller, staying in the Nike line for a few years. But best of all, Newman was a fan too. He wore a beat-up pair in several episodes.
39. Nike Air Edge Low White/Pacific Blue
Episode: #79 'The Pie'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
This tennis shoe's appearance coincides with a point when Jerry could comfortably afford several tennis courts in his backyard. The Air Edge low is a mesh and leather creation that's better than many and if you haven't spotted a recurring theme in the colors of the sneakers up to this point, you're probably blind.
40. Nike ACG Air Escape Lo II Light Brown/Purple/Black
Episode: #85 'The Hamptons'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
ACG Air Escapes are a great shoe, even if the retros continue to flop. Following his earlier Mowabb-wearing years, Jerry opts for the low-cut of the sequel in its best colorway. We're not sure if this light but rugged design is a sneaker to be sunbathing in, but it's further proof that just when you think you can second-guess him, Seinfeld will break out something significantly offbeat.
41. Nike Air Supreme Focus White/Twilight Purple
Episode: #86 'The Opposite', #87 'The Chaperone', #88 'The Big Salad', #91 'The Couch, #92 'The Gymnast' & #93 'The Soup'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
The Air Supreme Focus was a flagship tennis design that was part of the Supreme Focus footwear and on-court apparel. It doesn't seem to be as well regarded as some of the bolder pieces from a similar era, but if a shoe was good enough for Cédric Pioline, Jim Courier and Jerry Seinfeld, it warrants classic status.
42. Nike Air Resistance White/Midnight Navy
Episode: #87 'The Chaperone' & #89 'The Pledge Drive'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
Around the same time he starts wearing the Air Supreme Focus, Jerry wears another Jim Courier-endorsed piece of hardcore court performance, the Air Resistance. Built with Kevlar composite panels, it was made to withstand up to six months of constant tennis. Unfortunately, it only lasted a couple of episodes. Around the time of the 100th episode, Nike had a shoe made for cast and crew—a canvas take on the basic GTS court model, with 'Air Seinfeld' written on the heel in the Air Jordan font.
43. Nike ACG Air Mada Lo Dark Topaz
Episode: #90 'The Chinese Woman'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
On spotting Larry David as Frank Costanza's cape-clad lawyer, Jerry wears this mid-price ACG bestseller. The puntastic name probably helped the Air Mada (designed by the man behind the Air Max 95) last as many years as it did. The crappy moc-toes that Jerry wears in subsequent seasons can't touch this shoe.
44. Nike Air Huarache Triax White/Midnight Navy
Episode: #96 'The Race'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
Regrettably, this one requires more guesswork. At some angles, there's Icarus, Pantheon and Huarache. It's hard to say what leads Jerry to victory, but the shape of that tongue and evident swoosh indicates that it may well be a colorway of the a snug 1994 addition to the lightweight and affordable Triax series. This represents the end of the golden age of Nike product placement on the show. From here on in, George's Cortez sneakers stay, but 'the brown shoe era' sees Jerry only wearing Nike sneakers for sport-related scenes.
45. Nike Air Ace White/Lapis
Episode: #97 'The Switch'
Year (of Sneaker): 1994
The Ace was an integral part of Nike's tennis line since the early days. This pro shop glimpse of the 1994 Air Ace (and not the inferior Air Ace Mid) is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shadow of the old days when the camera dwelled on the swoosh.
46. Nike Air Repete White/Navy
Episode: #110 'The Understudy'
Year (of Sneaker): 1995
This is a rare example of Jerry wearing some sneakers away from the court or gym post-episode 100. He rocked the Jim Courier models in seasons past, but this Pete Sampras signature classic is another tech tennis banger.
47. Nike Air Meadow Supreme White/Midnight Navy
Episode: #147 'The Comeback'
Year (of Sneaker): 1996
When Jerry takes on the might of Miloš on the tennis court and George formulates the legendary "Jerk store" reply, Seinfeld wears the Meadow Supreme—a shoe that's regarded by many as the greatest tennis shoe of all time. These hardwearing shoes were lightweight and ventilated, with leather and mesh in the mix. Jerry's racket sport shoe game was impeccable.
48. Nike Air Zoom Fly Trainer White/Black
Episode: #151 'The English Patient'
Year (of Sneaker): 1997
"Mandlebaum! Mandlebaum! Mandlebaum!" Barry Sanders popularized the Zoom Fly line, but this basic version has that distinctive heel and midsole. It's a low key but lightweight shoe that Jerry wears during his first encounter with Izzy Mandelbaum. Even leading up to the show's conclusion, it's clear that Seinfeld's Air Trainer preoccupation never subsided.
49. Nike Air Total Max Uptempo White/Midnight Navy
Episode: #160 'The Blood'
Year (of Sneaker): 1997
For Jerry's reunion with Izzy Mandelbaum he wears the Total Max Uptempo—one of the best sneakers of the late 1990s. Jerry rocks it in his preferred color palette of white and navy, but it still feels a world apart from some of Jerry's other picks from previous seasons. This represents the sitcom Jerry Seinfeld's final significant sneaker moment and it's a good one. But it's still odd to see a Knicks fan rocking a model so synonymous with a Newman-scale archenemy like Reggie Miller.