Without basketball there wouldn't be sneaker culture in America, and there's no bigger event for the sport than the NBA Finals. It's when the biggest stars shine brightest and the brands outfit them with their best sneakers. It's become a bigger occasion year after year, and footwear companies go to war to make sure their signature athletes capture the audience's attention with their sneaker selection. To celebrate the start of the 2025 NBA Finals, we're looking back at The Best NBA Finals Sneakers Every Year Since Michael Jordan's First Championship.
Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant. LeBron James. They've all won multiple rings, and they've done it in sneakers that are undeniably tied to their performances on the court. Winning a championship does wonders for a player's legacy in the NBA, and the same can be said for their signature sneakers, too. Sure basketball players wore sneakers before MJ, but he turned the world upside down when he won his first championship in 1991. From that point on, nothing's been the same.
1991: Air Jordan 6
NBA Championship Year: 1991
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI
Player: Michael Jordan
The lion's share of Michael Jordan's greatest sneakers were all made before he won an NBA championship. The Air Jordan 1, III, IV, and V all equipped MJ for great performances, but it wasn't until he wore the VI, in 1991, that he was able to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The series saw Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls beat Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in five games, and it instantly made the VI a piece of Jordan lore. The brand has celebrated the sneakers multiple times in memory of Jordan's first ring, but the best pair is still the colorway he captured his first ring with: "Black/Infrared." The design cues of the VI fall literally and figuratively between Air Jordan V and VII, with its high-ankle collar and icy sole. But it's best remembered, at least aesthetically, for its bright highlights on the midsole and the blacked-out Nike Air on the back of the sneakers. Jordan picking up his first championships while wearing these, at least for collectors, is just icing on the sole. —Matt Welty
1992: Air Jordan 7
NBA Championship Year: 1992
Sneaker: Air Jordan 7
Player: Michael Jordan
What shoe did Michael Jordan accomplish the most in? Some might say the Air Jordan 3—in 1988 he won his first MVP, along with the Defensive Player of the Year, second Slam Dunk crown, and All-Star MVP. But it's hard not to pick the Huarache-inspired Air Jordan VII, the shoe he wore for his second NBA title (and Finals MVP) along with the only Olympic gold medal he won as an NBA player. The primarily black pair he wore in the 1992 NBA Finals wasn't nearly as flashy as the Olympic pair he wore later that summer in Barcelona, but all-black sneakers had become a Bulls playoff tradition—as would winning championships. Honorable mention to Scottie Pippen's black Air Flight Lite mids, a style he too would wear as he won Dream Team gold. —Russ Bengtson
1993: Nike Air Force Max
NBA Championship Year: 1993
Sneaker: Nike Air Force Max
Player: Charles Barkley
Hard to believe as it may be, Charles Barkley didn't receive his first true signature shoe until 1994, with the Air Force Max CB. That was a season after he won his only MVP award and made his only NBA Finals appearance, both of which were while wearing the Air Force Max, a shoe also notoriously worn by Michigan's Fab Five. Like most of Barkley's shoes that would follow—and like Barkley himself—the Air Force Max was a beefy shoe that was also able to be surprisingly nimble, a Max-heeled midcut with a midfoot strap designed to bang in the blocks and bust out on the break. It also managed to outshine longtime Barkley friend and foil Michael Jordan's Air Jordan VIIIs, although Jordan's Bulls vanquished Barkley's Suns in six. —Russ Bengtson
1994: Nike Air Swift
NBA Championship Year: 1994
Sneaker: Nike Air Swift
Player: Sam Cassell
The Nike Air Swift, a sleek, Huarache-inspired shoe, was worn by a variety of players in the 1994 playoffs—most notable among them Bulls forward Scottie Pippen, who ambitiously Sharpied "4-Peat" on the outer heels. That didn't quite work out. Creative colorblocking made each colorway of the shoe look extremely different. In the Finals, they were worn by then-rookie point guard Sam Cassell, who even then had the confidence and, well, stones that would last him throughout his 15-year career. As of yet, the Swift has not been retroed, but given what transpired in it, maybe it should be. —Russ Bengtson
1995: Nike Air Flight One
NBA Championship Year: 1995
Sneaker: Nike Air Flight One
Player: Penny Hardaway
Penny Hardaway's NBA career is a lot of "what could have been if he didn't get injured?" But his sneaker legacy has held stronger than his body did during his playing career. Everyone knows the Nike Air Foamposite One, Penny 1, and Penny 2, but before he had an official "signature sneaker," he wore the Air Flight One. The sneaker has a weird history behind it: Michael Jordan actually borrowed a pair from Penny to avoid receiving a fine from the NBA for wearing his "Concord" Air Jordan XIs. Penny and his Magic, which also included Shaquille O'Neal, would beat MJ's Bulls, but lose to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in four straight games. The sneakers have come back a few times since and gained a bit of notoriety with a version that dropped alongside the "Galaxy" Foamposites in 2012, but their on-court legacy will have an equally strange footnote. —Matt Welty
1996: Air Jordan 11
NBA Championship Year: 1996
Sneaker: Air Jordan 11
Player: Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan actually debuted the Air Jordan 11 in the 1995 NBA Playoffs, the one NBA Playoffs he played in between 1991 and 1998 when he didn't return home to Chicago as Finals MVP. In 1995 he didn't even make it to the Finals, as his Bulls lost in the conference semifinals to the Orlando Magic. The enduring image of that series was Jordan having his pocket picked by Orlando guard (and Chicago native) Nick Anderson, making his new shoes an afterthought. So 1996 became a year of vengeance for Jordan, for the Bulls, and even the Air Jordan 11. The Bulls won a then-NBA record 72 games, Jordan was named MVP, and the Bulls took the first three games from the Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals before letting up on the gas and letting the series go six. Jordan won his fourth Finals MVP in style—and in a pair of black and red Air Jordan 11s. Redemption complete. —Russ Bengtson
1997: Air Jordan 12
NBA Championship Year: 1997
Sneaker: Air Jordan 12
Player: Michael Jordan
You've heard the story 1,000 times. It was Game 5 in Utah and Michael Jordan came down with flu-like symptoms. He ended up dropping 38 points and willing the Bulls to a 3-2 lead, where they'd eventually win the series. On Jordan's feet were the black-and-red Air Jordan 12s, and the shoe has instantly became as iconic as his performance. The all-leather upper and design inspired by Japan's Rising Sun flag made the sneaker standout, and Jordan Brand has leveraged the backstory multiple times to help sell re-issues of the shoe. One version even included a "sick" face on the heel. Jordan ended up giving the sneakers to a ball boy that night, and they were later auctioned for over $100k. If they retro in another five years, they'll still get the same reaction, all because of Michael Jordan's, literal, intestinal fortitude. —Matt Welty
1998: Air Jordan 14
NBA Championship Year: 1998
Sneaker: Air Jordan 14
Player: Michael Jordan
Had Michael Jordan's NBA career actually ended in Utah on June 14, 1998, it would have been almost too good to be true. Fresh off a season where he played in all 82 games for the third straight season, he cemented his third straight Finals MVP with a 45-point gem that concluded with a picture-perfect jumper over Bryon Russell in Game 6. The fact that he did so wearing the Ferrari-inspired Air Jordan 14—a shoe that wasn't due out for another year—was just icing on the cake. Jordan played in a variety of shoes in the '98 Finals, including Jordan 13s both high and low. But like that final shot, it's the 14 that endures. By the time it hit retail, Jordan was retired for the second time. Others would wear it in the NBA in his stead, but the story had already been written by the master. —Russ Bengtson
1999: And1 Crossover
NBA Championship Year: 1999
Sneaker: And1 Crossover
Player: Latrell Sprewell
The eighth-seeded New York Knicks became one of the unlikeliest Finals participants of all-time in 1999, starting their run with an upset of the top-seeded Miami Heat. They made it to the Finals despite the absence of All-Star center Patrick Ewing, lost in the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals with a partial Achilles tear, thanks to the athletic tandem of Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby who transformed the Knicks offense from a half-court slog to a run-and-dunk sprint. Sprewell, once a pariah in Golden State after choking coach PJ Carlesimo was reborn as an antihero in New York, right down to his And1s. And1 debuted their controversial "American Dream" commercial with Spree during the playoffs, and would give him a signature shoe soon after. He wore the Crossover Mid in the Finals, a leather and mesh mid-cut with asymmetrical lacing, an update of sorts to the Tai Chi Mid. The Knicks lost to the Spurs in five, ending with a 79-77 slugfest in Game 5 at the Garden. Spree? He finished with 35. —Russ Bengtson
2000: Adidas Kobe One
NBA Championship Year: 2000
Sneaker: Adidas Kobe One
Player: Kobe Bryant
When the 2000 NBA Finals started on June 7, Kobe Bryant was just 21 years old but he was already an NBA vet. He'd already played in two NBA All-Star games, and was on his third signature shoe with Adidas. The KOBE was unlike any sneaker he'd worn before, a sleek unibody shoe designed by the same team that had designed the TT Coupe for Audi, it stood out by not standing out. The sunflower yellow pair he'd worn in the All-Star game that year shone brightly, but in the playoffs he went back to basics, all white and all black. A severely sprained ankle would end his Game 2 early, but he'd bounce back and add another accomplishment to his résumé. —Russ Bengtson
2001: Reebok Answer 4
NBA Championship Year: 2001
Sneaker: Reebok Answer 4
Player: Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson played in the NBA Finals once, and he only won a single game, as his Philadelphia 76ers were beat 4-1 by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers. But the strongest memory of that series happened in the first game when Iverson, who scored 48 points, crossed up Tyronn Lue and stepped over him as he fell to the court. The moment will go down in NBA history as an instance of Iverson's undeniable bravado, but it also brought attention to what was on his feet. The definitive Iverson sneaker is the Reebok Question, but the Answer 4 could be argued as his second-greatest signature shoe. With its black toe and zip-up shroud over the laces, it was a sleek design that caught people's attention. What Iverson did in the sneakers only furthered their legacy. Of course, his Sixers would go on to lose the next four games in a row, but we all remember the stepover and the shoes he was sporting. —Matt Welty
2002: Nike Air Max Uptempo (PE)
NBA Championship Year: 2002
Sneaker: Nike Air Max Uptempo PE
Player: Derek Fisher
Mention the 1996 NBA Draft to any Los Angeles Lakers fan and, of course, they'll mention Kobe Bryant. But Bryant wasn't even a pick of the Lakers—selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets, he was traded to L.A. The Lakers own pick was the 24th overall, which they used on Arkansas-Little Rock point guard Derek Fisher. Bryant went on to become an all-timer and lock Hall of Famer, but he couldn't have done all he did without Fisher, who played 18 seasons and cemented himself into Laker lore with multiple clutch postseason performances. He also wore some pretty great shoes. A Karl Kani endorser as a rookie, he later moved over to Nike, and wore incredible Air Max Uptempo PEs throughout the 2002 Playoffs, including the Lakers' Finals sweep of the New Jersey Nets. Shaq won his third straight Finals MVP, sure, but Fish sure wore better shoes. —Russ Bengtson
2003: Nike Zoom Flight 2K3
NBA Championship Year: 2003
Sneaker: Nike Zoom Flight 2K3
Player: Tony Parker
The Zoom Flight 2K3 was an ahead-of-its-time shoe worn by a point guard who was just coming into his own. Tony Parker was in just his second year with the Spurs in 2003, a freshly minted 21-year old still getting berated on the regular by coach Gregg Popovich—and trying to keep up with Nets All-Star Jason Kidd. He may not have had the same arsenal and court vision as Kidd—at least, not yet—but he did have the same shoes. The Zoom 2K3 featured sculpted and perforated panels on the side for support and ventilation and a proven Zoom Air sole unit for low-to-the-ground control. Parker was shaky in his first Finals, posting 3- and 4-point games alongside 21- and 24-point efforts, but he'd earn his first ring. Four years later he'd win his third, as well as Finals MVP, his time came around at last. —Russ Bengtson
2004: Nike Air Huarache 2K4
NBA Championship Year: 2004
Sneaker: Nike Air Huarache 2K4
Player: Kobe Bryant
Before Kobe Bryant started his ongoing signature sneaker legacy with Nike, there was, arguably, the best sneaker he was ever given: The Air Huarache 2K4. The sneaker was a clear predecessor to Kobe's first shoes with Nike, the Zoom Kobe 1, and it's one of the few basketball sneakers from that era that's held up to the test of time. Designed by Eric Avar, the 2K4 was meant to be a throwback to shoes of yesteryear, and it was exactly just that. Although Kobe Bryant wasn't able to topple the Detroit Pistons that year (they were pummeled in five games), his sneakers remain a shining point for Lakers fans and sneaker connoisseurs that season. —Matt Welty
2005: Nike Air Force 1
NBA Championship Year: 2005
Sneaker: Nike Air Force 1
Player: Rasheed Wallace
Leave it to Rasheed Wallace to suit up for the 2005 NBA Finals in a sneaker that was state-of-the-art in 1982. Wallace famously wore Air Force 1 Highs, straps hanging off the back, for much of his 16-season NBA career, and while he didn't exactly popularize them—that was already done—he did repeatedly wear them on the NBA's biggest stages. In 2005, not a great year for basketball sneakers in general, Wallace's Air Force 1s easily eclipsed everything else on the court, much as they did in his All-Star appearances. And while Air Force 1s were already sneaker legends before Sheed ever even stepped on a basketball court, he will forever be part of their story. —Russ Bengtson
2006: Nike Air Zoom Flight 'The Glove' PE
NBA Championship Year: 2006
Sneaker: Nike Air Zoom Flight "The Glove" PE
Player: Gary Payton
By 2006, Gary Payton's signature sneaker line, like his prime years with the Seattle SuperSonics, was but a memory. His final shoe, the Zoom GP IV, had released two years earlier and he'd worn Air Jordan PEs during his ill-fated stint with the Lakers. The Glove line seemed to be over. And yet. The 2006 Miami Heat belonged to Dwyane Wade, and, to a lesser extent Shaquille O'Neal. But the team's undisputed sneaker kings were a pair of vets in Payton and Alonzo Mourning, both of whom were laced by Nike with Heat-themed PEs of their old signature models. And while Zo's Air Alonzos were cool, Payton's Gloves were the ones we all lusted after. The Glove was back—and GP finally got his ring. —Russ Bengtson
2007: Nike Zoom Soldier
NBA Championship Year: 2011
Sneaker: Nike Zoom Soldier
Player: LeBron James
Way back in 2007, LeBron James established an NBA Finals tradition he would still be carrying on a decade later. No, not putting up big numbers in an ultimately losing effort, but wearing the Soldier, a strapped-up, postseason-specific signature shoe, currently in its 11th iteration. For the 2007 playoffs, his second, the 22-year-old James shelved the heavier Zoom LeBron IV and wore the first-ever Soldier, a mid-cut shoe with forefoot and heel straps, all the way to the NBA Finals, which would end in a sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. In those Finals, James broke out a special PE of the Soldier, with "FINALS 2007" embroidered on the inner ankles and "WITNESS" on the outer. We certainly did. We still are. —Russ Bengtson
2008: Nike Hyperdunk
NBA Championship Year: 2008
Sneaker: Nike Hyperdunk
Player: Pau Gasol
2008 was a fun year for basketball fans who were nostalgic for the heyday of the '80s when the Lakers and Celtics battled it out in the NBA Finals on a regular basis. The Celtics had formed a "Big 3" in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant was getting help from a recently signed Pau Gasol. The Celtics, in dramatic fashion, would beat the Lakers in six games, but when it came to sneakers, Gasol had the best shoes on the court that year. Playing in the Nike Hyperdunk, which helped bring some much-needed fire back to Nike Basketball, Gasol lived to up his "Gasoft" nickname that year, getting bruised downlow by Kendrick Perkins and Garnett. But in a year when Kobe had, objectively, one of his ugliest signature sneakers ever, the Zoom Kobe 3, and the Celtic's Big 3 had a lackluster sneaker game, the crown goes to Gasol, even if his playing didn't live up to the same level of respect. —Matt Welty
2009: Nike Zoom Kobe 4
NBA Championship Year: 2009
Sneaker: Nike Zoom Kobe 4
Player: Kobe Bryant
2009 was a year of redemption for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers who got their asses handed to them by the Boston Celtics the season before. With an injured Kevin Garnett, the Celtics weren't able to make it back to the Finals, and Kobe would face his soon-to-be teammate Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. It was a transformation year for Bryant, not only with his team but with his sneakers. This was the year that Nike launched the Kobe 4, a re-imagined version of his signature shoe. It was a low-top and a lot more aesthetically pleasing. From that point on, Kobe's sneakers would be offered in low-tops and would go on to build a loyal fanbase. Everyone has to start somewhere, even if it's later on in your career. —Matt Welty
2010: Nike Zoom Kobe 5
NBA Championship Year: 2010
Sneaker: Nike Zoom Kobe 5
Player: Kobe Bryant
Although Kobe Bryant had won his fourth ring with the Lakers the year before, he still wanted to avenge his loss to the Celtics in the 2008 Finals. And he'd get his chance in 2010. The Kobe 5 wasn't much different from the Kobe 4, but the Finals that he wore them in was drastically more exciting than the previous one. The sneaker was improved in its construction and came in a white-and-gold colorway that Kobe wore while his Lakers beat the Celtics in a dramatic Game 7. The series might be better remembered for Kendrick Perkins injuring his knee in Game 6 and not being able to play in the final game. But it also intensified the love for Kobe's signature sneakers. —Matt Welty
2011: Nike LeBron 8 P.S.
NBA Championship Year: 2011
Sneaker: Nike LeBron 8 P.S.
Player: LeBron James
The 2011 NBA Finals brought on another year of disappointment for LeBron James in his hunt to win his first NBA Finals win and finally silence the critics who constantly questioned his greatness. The Dallas Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry, took down the newly formed "Big 3" Miami Heat of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in six games. It was the first year that LeBron played on the Heat, but it was the second season that his shoe line really started to become the forefront of the sneaker scene. At this point, Nike was still making playoff-edition versions of his signature shoes, and the "P.S." LeBron 8 was a stripped down version of his wildly successful model that year. While LeBron's team didn't live up to expectations, his sneakers certainly did. —Matt Welty
2012: Nike LeBron 9 Elite
NBA Championship Year: 2012
Sneaker: Nike LeBron 9 Elite
Player: LeBron James
The 2012 NBA Finals were a breakthrough for LeBron James. It was the second year that LeBron played on the Heat, and it was the first time he'd win a ring, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. It was also the inaugural year of Nike Basketball trying out its "Elite" signature sneakers. LeBron's shoe line had been given a makeover the past two seasons, and the beefed-up version of the LeBron 9 came in great colorways for the Finals. It was a new height for Nike (with a $250 pricetag to boot), and a moment where LeBron could live up to his growing legacy. —Matt Welty
2013: Nike Zoom LeBron 10 Elite
NBA Championship Year: 2013
Sneaker: Nike Zoom LeBron 10 Elite
Player: LeBron James
Erasing doubts that he wasn't clutch, LeBron James was able to win his second NBA Finals in 2013, with some major help from Ray Allen. It was also another win on the footwear front for James. The LeBron 10 would be the last of his sneakers that really caught on with the mainstream and generated true buzz, and it would be a few more seasons until he was victorious in the NBA Finals again. But the LeBron 10 Elite was a tank-like version of the regular sneaker, with a $260 retail price. As more attention was placed on what was on LeBron's feet, the price would go up and up. This would be the tipping point for consumers. —Matt Welty
2014: Air Jordan 28 SE PE
NBA Championship Year: 2014
Sneaker: Air Jordan 28 SE PE
Player: Ray Allen
If it wasn't for Ray Allen, the Miami Heat and LeBron James wouldn't have won the 2013 NBA Finals, as he hit the last-second 3-pointer from the corner. But his sneaker game was what people were paying attention to the next season. Besides Michael Jordan himself, Ray Allen has the greatest array of Air Jordans ever to hit an NBA court. His relationship with Jordan Brand is longstanding, and he's received everything from one-off Air Jordan 11s to his own limited-edition Air Jordan 13 PE that was only sold at a handful of shops. When it came down to the 2014 NBA Finals, however, Allen was all business and didn't lace up any retros. Instead, he had multiple player-edition colorways of the Air Jordan 28 SE with his signature "Ray Ray" on the heel. It was the last time he'd play in the NBA. Even though the Heat couldn't get it done on the court, Allen went out the way we all remember him: With a fresh pair of exclusive sneakers on his feet. —Matt Welty
2015: Nike Kyrie 1
NBA Championship Year: 2015
Sneaker: Nike Kyrie 1
Player: Kyrie Irving
The 2015 NBA Playoffs were horrible for Kyrie Irving, as he went down in the Game 1 with a leg injury. The only bright spot in the series for him, and Nike, were the sneakers he was wearing: The Nike Kyrie 1. Irving getting his own signature was huge for him and Nike, and the public reacted positively to it. It connected with younger consumers, and it came in at $110. It also looked damn good. While most remember this as the year that the Warriors dominated the league and won the Finals, sneaker fanatics will reminisce on what was and could have been with Kyrie's sneakers. —Matt Welty
2016: Nike LeBron Soldier 10
NBA Championship Year: 2016
Sneaker: Nike LeBron Soldier 10
Player: LeBron James
The biggest storyline of last year's NBA Finals was the Golden State Warriors blowing their 3-1 lead to LeBron James's Cleveland Cavaliers, but there was a sneaker subplot going on at the same time. There were reports of Nike Basketball being in serious trouble, and two of its biggest names—James and Kyrie Irving—were there to make up for the slack and help the brand sell basketball shoes in the most conventional way possible: Win rings. Irving's sneakers had been one of the bright spots for the brand that season, but Nike did something special with LeBron's signature sneakers: They made them with no laces. That's an impressive feat to outfit a 6'8, 250-pound athlete with a sneaker that's made with minimal lacing. LeBron's performance not only inspired the people of Cleveland, but also consumers to buy his shoe. —Matt Welty
2017: Under Armour Curry 4
NBA Championship Year: 2017
Sneaker: Under Armour Curry 4
Player: Steph Curry
Steph Curry's sneakers in the 2016 NBA Finals got roasted nearly as bad as his team did after they blew a 3-1 lead. Under Armour couldn't let that happen for a second year in a row, and gave the back-to-back MVP something a lot better to wear this time around. The shoe is Curry's fourth signature sneaker with Under Armour, and his best to date. Instead of it being logo heavy, they just featured the UA logo on the heel, came with an icy sole, and have a knitted upper. With the help of Kevin Durant, Curry's Warriors have jumped out to a 3-0 lead and look to win their second trophy in two years. Under Armour, for once, is winning with sneaker folks, too. —Matt Welty
2018: Nike LeBron 15
NBA Championship Year: 2018
Sneaker: Nike LeBron 15
Player: LeBron James
The 2018 NBA Finals were weren't that fun and they were over the second that J.R. Smith didn't know what the score was and ran out the clock. That said, LeBron James did everything he could have done to try and help the Cleveland Cavaliers make it a series, but they ended up getting swept 4-0 by Kevin Durant and Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors. The best shoes in the series, though? Not Curry's Under Armour signature model. Not the old, horrible, people-only-think-they're-fresh-because-they-don't-remember-them Adidas signature models from Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard that Nick Young wore. Not even Kevin Durant's own Nike sneakers. It goes to LeBron James, which, even though he lost, captured the storylines of the series. His LeBron 15s are pretty good, too. It's a knit shoe with some weight to it, and Nike broke out a handful of PE colorways this go-round for for LeBron. The best though? The white-and-gold pair he wore for Game 1 with the names of his family members and mantras written on them. —Matt Welty
2019: New Balance OMN1S
NBA Championship Year: 2019
Sneaker: New Balance OMN1S
Player: Kawhi Leonard
New Balance seemed to catch a perfect storm in 2019 when it decided to officially relaunch its basketball division with the OMN1S. The frontman of the campaign was Kawhi Leonard, a dominant two-way superstar who let his play do the talking, but was known for his quiet, pedestrian persona off the hardwood. The pairing just made sense as New Balance is often poked fun at for being the "bland" or "vanilla" brand for its signature all-grey suede runners in a sea of colorful options from powerhouses like Nike or Adidas. New Balance even leaned into the reputation by using Times New Roman font in Kawhi's ad campaigns for the shoe. The same year, Kawhi also played his first (and only) season in a Toronto Raptors uniform. In his very brief stint up north, he was able to dethrone the Golden State Warriors dynasty and help the franchise capture its first NBA title. The OMN1S isn't the flashiest shoe. It isn't as coveted as some of the other models on this list. But just like the man who laced it up, it got the job done. And for that, it will always have a place in history not only for helping revive New Balance Hoops, but for aiding in giving the passionate Raptors fans in Jurassic Park something they've yearned for since 1995, a championship. —Mike DeStefano
2020: Nike Kobe 5 Protro
NBA Championship Year: 2020
Sneaker: Nike Kobe 5 Protro
Player: Anthony Davis (and many others)
Despite the multitude of doubters coming into the season and a global pandemic that moved the season into a bubble in Orlando, the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers realized their goal and brought a championship back to the city in 2020. Unfortunately, the joyous moment for Lakers fans also comes in the same year that the franchise, and the sport of basketball, lost one of its most beloved stars. Since Kobe Bryant's tragic death back in January, the Black Mamba has been honored in countless ways. But one of the most common ways we saw many NBA players honor Kobe's legacy was by lacing up his signature sneakers. The 2020 NBA Finals was no different. The never-before-seen PE colorway inspired by the "Black Toe" Air Jordan I that was worn by Anthony Davis in the series clincher is probably the most memorable of the bunch. But plenty of players decided to pay tribute to the Lakers legend with pairs like the "Bruce Lee," "PJ Tucker PE," 2020's Undefeated collab, black and purple "Lakers," and "EYBL" seen laced up by the likes of guys on both teams like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Alex Caruso, and Rajon Rondo. Kobe was on the minds of everyone this season. The Lakers certainly wanted to bring a title back home in his honor. If it wasn't already obvious, the footwear just cemented it. —Mike DeStefano
2021: Nike Kobe 4 Protro
NBA Championship Year: 2021
Sneaker: Nike Kobe 4 Protro
Player: PJ Tucker
As the saying goes,”It’s not how you start that’s important, it’s how you finish.” The Milwaukee Bucks personified that phrase in the 2021 NBA Finals, winning four straight games after dropping the first two to the Phoenix Suns. PJ Tucker did too. When the season kicked off he was on a Houston Rockets squad free falling into a rebuilding phase. When the season ended, he was celebrating a championship with his Bucks teammates. Despite the change in scenery, Tucker’s stellar sneaker collection was a constant. Admittedly, this was sort of a no-brainer. Of course the NBA’s sneaker king is going to wear the best sneakers in the Finals. No, he didn’t wear Nike Mags in a game or go full Gilbert Arenas and lace up his Dolce and Gabbana sneaker collab on the court. Both of those were reserved for the pregame tunnel. We chose to highlight the olive green pair of Undefeated x Nike Kobe 4 Protro samples he laced up in Game 2. Obviously, there were others too though. He wore his Air Yeezy-inspired Kobe 6 PEs, Veteran’s Day Air Jordan 16s, and an “Oregon” Air Jordan 13 PE that made cameos during games and practices. We could have realistically just given this year’s entry to his entire rotation. Just imagine what pair he’s going to buy to celebrate his first championship ring. —Mike DeStefano
2022: Under Armour Curry 4 Flotro
NBA Championship Year: 2022
Sneaker: Under Armour Curry 4 Flotro
Player: Stephen Curry
Believe it or not, Under Armour released its ninth signature sneaker for Stephen Curry in 2022. While it hasn’t caught fire quite the way you may expect a from signature line for one of the most popular and era-defining superstars in the NBA, nine shoes is an impressive feat nonetheless. But if you have been looking at Chef Curry’s feet during the Finals this year, you may have noticed that aside from Game 1 he hasn’t been wearing the Curry 9. His footwear of choice has been a lavender colorway of the Curry 4 Flotro: a retooled version of 2017’s Curry 4 with performance upgrades like Flow cushioning and an updated knit upper. Its hallmark moment came in Game 4 when Curry exploded for 43 points to lock the series with the Boston Celtics at 2 games a piece. Plenty of signature sneakers have been defined over the years by the incredible moments made by the player wearing them, not just how cool they look cosmetically. If Curry is able to hold on and capture his fourth championship with the Warriors, the Curry 4 Flotro will have already had its moment. —Mike DeStefano
2023: Nike Zoom Kobe 6
NBA Championship Year: 2023
Sneaker: Nike Kobe 6 "Grinch"
Player: Bruce Brown
If our pick of a sneaker that originally released in 2010 and was retroed in 2020 for the best NBA Finals Sneaker of 2023 suggests that it was a relatively weak crop of sneakers to choose from this year, that implication would be correct. Sure, Aaron Gordon’s 361 Degrees signature line is much better than anyone expected, and it’s really cool how Nikola Jokić wore his wedding ring in the laces of his Nike Air Zoom GT Jumps, but at the end of the day, the “Grinch” Nike Kobe 6 is just a more noteworthy shoe—even if we’ve been seeing it for almost a decade and a half. Bruce Brown proved that the sneaker can still stand out on the court, averaging 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds over the course of the finals and earning himself a $45 million contract from the Pacers in the process. It’s also worth noting that Christian Braun also laced this sneaker up during the Nuggets’ championship run. —Zac Dubasik
2024: Jordan Tatum 2
NBA Championship Year: 2024
Sneaker: Jordan Tatum 2 "Camo" PE
Player: Jayson Tatum
He may not have won the Finals MVP in 2024, but we’re giving the nod to Jayson Tatum for the almost-as-prestigious title of having the best sneakers of the series. Tatum, who’s had notable player-exclusive Jordan Brand sneakers throughout his career, laced up a “Camo” PE of his Tatum 2 signature model for the title-clinching Game 5, but there was a catch: they weren’t actually his player exclusives. The design was originally worn by Aerial Powers, who was then playing on the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, and honored her father, who was a sergeant in the military. Despite not winning Finals MVP, Tatum averaged a team-high 22.2 points in the series, including putting up 31 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in the final game. There was never a retail release of Powers’ “Camo” colorway, and Tatum quickly moved on to his next signature model, the Tatum 3, but it was a noteworthy moment for Tatum and in Celtics history. —Zac Dubasik