Image via Complex Original
There's a reason icons become icons — it's because they do, say and sometimes wear things that separate them from the pack. Not everyone would have interrupted a country singer at the 2009 MTV VMAs and, in the same token, not everyone is capable of designing the Nike Air Yeezy. This brings us to our point, certain people wearing certain sneakers at certain times (off-court only, mind you) often yields an iconic moment. These moments don't always get photographed, but for the times that they did, we put together The 50 Most Iconic Celebrity Sneaker Shots of All Time. Go in.
Doogie Howser Air Jordan IV
50. Neil Patrick Harris — Air Jordan IV "Cement"
When: 1994
Where: "Doogie Howser, M.D." Promo Shoot
Become a doctor as a teenager and you can wear whatever you want. And Doogie Howser wasn't gonna wear no all-white nurse's shoes. Maybe things would have been different if the series debuted after "Pure Money" Jordans had released, but it didn't.
Mike Tyson
49. Mike Tyson — Air Jordan III "Cement"
When: Late '80s
Where: On the Phone
Either Iron Mike just got some bad news or he's about to go deliver some. Either way, we admire the photographer who was willing to click the shutter with Mike's back turned. We assume this was the last photo he ever took.
John Goodman Air Jordan V
48. John Goodman — Air Jordan V "Grape"
When: 1991
Where: "King Ralph" poster
What better way to depict a rude American than with a novelty t-shirt, relaxed-fit jeans, a loaded burger and some Jordans? They took the Jumpman off the tongues, but there's still no mistaking that classic Tinker Hatfield design.
Michael Jackson Night Track
47. Michael Jackson — Nike Night Track
When: Early '80s
Where: Japanese Advertisement
Now those are some skinny jeans. Paired with the disco-ready Nike Night Tracks, Mike's outfit would still get him in places today. Er, not that just "being Michael Jackson" wouldn't. But you get the point.
Jay-Z Air Jordan IV
46. Jay-Z — Nike Air Jordan IV
When: Late '80s
Where: Hanging Out
Jay-Z's come a long way. From anchor chains and Hawaiian shirts all the way back around to gold ropes and Brooklyn jerseys. And we won't even get into the hair. That said, though, his taste in footwear has always been impeccable.
Home Improvement 2
45. Home Improvement — Nike Air Tech Challenge Low, Air Jordan VI "Infrared"
When: Early '90s
Where: "Home Improvement" Promo Shoot
Tool time? Forget the drills and check the kicks. Tim Allen went with the Agassis, while a young Taran Noah Smith stole the show with his Infrared Jordan VIs. Poor mom. Er, nice sweater though.
Manny Ramirez Nike Zoom Turf
44. Manny Ramirez — Nike Zoom Turf
When: Mid '90s
Where: Progressive Field
The very epitome of Manny being Manny. We don't know whether he actually took the fur off before taking BP, but we sure hope he didn't. Hey, it gets cold in Cleveland.
Whoopi Goldberg Foamposite
43. Whoopi Goldberg — Nike Air Foamposite One "Electrolime"
When: 2012
Where: "The View"
Look, Whoopi Goldberg coached the Knicks once (in a movie, but still), so she should have her basketball chops down. Didn't keep her fellow View hosts from whispering, though. "What IS she wearing? Oh my."
Manny Ramirez Air Jordan VII
42. Manny Ramirez — Air Jordan VII "Bordeaux"
When: Early '90s
Where: Rookie Card
We know — that's Manny Ramirez? Yessir, some years and some pounds ago. He was the very model of early '90s style, right down to the Bordeaux VIIs. Which, coincidentally, are the only part of that outfit he could wear today. Don't you just want to pinch him on the cheek and warn him about PEDs?
theophilus-london-jordan
41. Theophilus London — Air Jordan 1 Retro
When: 2012
Where: In a Desert
Safe to say that Theophilus London wasn't the first to think of making — or trying to make — the classic Jumpman pose in a pair of Air Jordan 1s, but he had the means and the reach to spread the image far and wide. Too bad he didn't have the same sort of means to spread his legs. Stretch, young man!
Eddie Murphy adidas Country
40. Eddie Murphy — adidas Country
When: 1984
Where: "Beverly Hills Cop" poster
Streetwise Detroit cops don't just wear cool t-shirts, they have proper taste in footwear as well. And when Axel Foley worked Beverly Hills (a little outside his jurisdiction, we admit), he did it in the classic adidas Country. That alone should have set him apart.
Freeway Air Jordan IX
39. Freeway — Air Jordan IX Retro "Powder Blue"
When: 2012
Where: Philadelphia, PA
Not many of these images became memes, but this one sure did. Come on Jay, look out for your man! Unless Freeway crashed the Made in America press conference (or didn't obey the dress code), there's no excuse for this. Nice kicks, though.
David Fincher Air Jordan V
38. David Fincher — Air Jordan V
When: 1992
Where: Alien 3 Set
"WHAT'S IN THE BOX???!?" "A fresh pair of Air Jordan Vs!" "Oh." Actually, this was long before Mr. Fincher took the helm of Se7en, but it's fun to imagine anyway. Wonder whether Ripley still has her Alien Stompers?
Tony Parker Nike Force
37. Tony Parker — Nike Air Command Force
When: 2007
Where: Relaxing
Mr. Parker's Neighborhood? Whoever's idea it was to get Tony Parker into a pair of David Robinson's old shoes is a frickin' genius. We're willing to bet it wasn't Eva Longoria, but you never know.
Roger Federer Yeezy II
36. Roger Federer — Nike Air Yeezy II
When: 2012
Where: London
Roger Federer is most often thought of as just another precision Swiss machine, one made to win Grand Slams and serve as a cool foil to the fiery Rafa Nadal. So when this photo of him rocking Yeezys hit the web, there was a mass re-assessment. Maybe he IS cool.
Spike Lee Yeezy II
35. Spike Lee — Nike Air Yeezy II
When: 2012
Where: BET Awards
Spike Lee has sported plenty of looks over the years, but this Knicks/Kanye hybrid was certainly one of the most, um, interesting. Sal would have fired him from the pizzeria with the quickness if he came to work dressed like this.
Jay-Z Nike Air Force 1
34. Jay-Z — Nike Air Force 1 Mid
When: Mid '90s
Where: Marcy Projects, Brooklyn
A beautiful Brooklyn day, a cooler full of quarter juices, a folding lounge chair, a TV and some fresh-out-the-box Jewel Air Force 1 Mids. It don't get no better. (Well, it would, but that came later.)
Mike D adidas Campus
33. Mike D — adidas Campus
When: 1993
Where: "Check Your Head" Album Cover
Long before the advent of adidas Originals or the resurgence of Puma, downtown NYC heads like the Beastie Boys were pillaging thrift stores and sporting goods store basements for adidas Campuses and Puma Clydes. This is how a movement starts.
Lil Wayne Moon Boot
32. Lil Wayne — Terrence Koh x Opening Ceremony x Forfex Moon Boot
When: 2012
Where: "The Motto" Video
Given what he's been seen in over the past few years, it would be reasonable to ask "what wouldn't Lil Wayne wear?" Although maybe that would give him motivation to try and find something even more outrageous than he's already worn, and no one wants that.
Dipset Nike
31. Cam'Ron, Jim Jones — Nike Air Foamposite One, Nike Air Bakin
When: Mid '90s
Where: New York City
Dipset! It was the '90s, so crews didn't have to match anymore. Which is a good thing, given the mix of Timbs and Nikes and the Carolina and Duke jerseys. The Moet backdrop adds that classy touch that means so much.
Will Smith Nike Air Assault
30. Will Smith — Nike Air Assault
When: Late '80s
Where: New York City
Right here Will Smith is reading the contract that gave him roughly 1/5th of the known universe. Either that or he's reading the fine print on the ticket he just got for impersonating a taxi.
Bobby Brown Air Jordan V
29. Bobby Brown — Air Jordan V
When: Early '90s
Where: Hanging Out with the Clique
This was R&B? New Jack Swing was in full form, and in photographs it was almost indistinguishable from hip-hop. The crews were large, the pants were baggy, the caps were crisp, and the ones that knew rocked Jordans.
Spike Lee Nike Zoom Flight
28. Spike Lee — Nike Zoom Flight 95
When: 1996
Where: "They Don't Care About Us" Set
Finding photos of Spike Lee in non-Jordans is almost as difficult as finding photos of Mike in same. (No, the other Mike.) Spike looks like he just walked off the "Play Together" commercial, while MJ (no, the other MJ) just looks extraordinarily awkward. Of course things changed once the cameras started rolling.
Farrah Fawcett Nike Cortez
27. Farrah Fawcett — Nike Cortez
When: Mid '70's
Where: Skateboarding
The quintessential '70s photo — big hair, tiny skateboard, bellbottoms, Nike Cortez. No wonder why Farrah Fawcett was on every teenager's wall. On the other hand, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta had nothing to worry about.
JFK Jr Air Jordan VI
26. JFK Jr. — Nike Air Jordan VI "Infrared"
When: Early '90s
Where: NYC
"Come on, Daryl, I love you!" "How much do you love me?" "More than anything!" "More than politics?" "YES!" "More than your Air Jordans?" "Ummmmm... well.... you see..." *sobbing*
Steven Spielberg adidas Gazelle
25. Steven Spielberg — adidas Gazelle
When: Mid '70s
Where: "Jaws" Set
If Steven Spielberg wanted to save himself from his (often malfunctioning) mechanical shark, he should have just thrown his crusty adidas down its gullet. Even the most ravenous great white would have choked on those.
Brian Wilson Nike Air MAG
24. Brian Wilson — Nike Air MAG
When: 2012
Where: Stunting Outside of AT&T Park
Sidelined for the year by Tommy John surgery, San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson had to find another role. So the bearded terror became something of a coach/mascot, providing entertainment and motivation, as well as cutting quite the figure. Hopefully he keeps the Champagne out of the MAGs.
Michael Jordan Nike Air Huarache
22. Michael Jordan — Nike Huarache LE "Purple Punch"
When: 1992
Where: Chicago
Photos of Michael Jordan wearing non-Jordan Nikes do exist, but they aren't that common. But hey, you win back-to-back NBA championships (and Finals MVPs), you can wear whatever the heck you want. At least Tinker was still happy.
Phil Knight Air Jordan 5
21. Phil Knight — Air Jordan V
When: 1992
Where: People Magazine
There had to be a trampoline off-camera, right? We know Phil Knight was athletic — he ran track for Bill Bowerman, after all — but by 1990 he was 52 years old. And he was wearing a suit, in case you didn't notice. Oh well, it's gotta be the shoes.
Big Boi Jordan 3
20. Big Boi — Air Jordan III "Black/Cement"
When: Mid '90s
Where: Atlanta
Outkast started as some kids being gangstas, and they had the Caddys and the Lexuses to prove it. And long before they became known for their fashion game (admittedly, Dre more than Big Boi), the young Antwan André Patton saw nothing wrong in mixing an adidas Equipment t-shirt with some Js. Well, at least they were real.
Jay-Z Air Jordan VI
19. Jay-Z — Air Jordan VI Retro "Infrared"
When: 2012
Where: 560 State Street, Brooklyn NY
A king overlooks his kingdom. Jay-Z may only own 1/76387458354th of the Nets or whatever, but one can't deny that he was instrumental in bringing them — and the Barclays Center — to Brooklyn. Marcy's close, but it was still a long way to travel.
David Hasselhoff Nike Night Track
18. David Hasselhoff — Nike Night Track
When: Early '80s
Where: In a Hammock
My God, how do you not love the Hoff? From the sleeveless t-shirt to the shiny Nikes, this guy could have driven K.I.T.T. straight into Studio 54. As long as he promised not to sing.
DJ AM Nike Dunks
17. DJ AM — Various Nike Dunks
When: 2007
Where: In his Closet
As part of the Air Mack$ crew along with Ben Baller and DJ Homicide, the late Adam Goldstein AKA DJ AM virtually cornered the market on Dunks in the early 2000s. Not that they limited themselves to Dunks or anything. Here we see AM offering a gesture of respect to his competition.
Steve Jobs New Balance
16. Steve Jobs — New Balance 574
When: Early '90s
Where: Photoshoot
So hey, what do you think these guys were talking about? You have to admire the computer geeks for their consistency. Bill Gates still rides the nerd look hard, although he's since graduated to somewhat cooler glasses, and Steve Jobs stayed in grey New Balance until his untimely death in 2011. Glad he abandoned that haircut, though.
Robin Williams Nike Dunk Viotech
15. Robin Williams — Nike Viotech Dunk Low
When: 2008
Where: New York City
BAPE camo and Viotechs — Robin Williams was clearly not concerned about matching. Despite all the money he spent on, um, recreational products in the '80s, Williams has done his part to keep various boutiques alive via his ever-expanding wardrobe. We are not mad.
Keith Haring Air Jordan 1
14. Keith Haring — Air Jordan 1
When: Mid '80s
Where: New York City
You don't become a respected artist without having a sense of style, and here we've got Keith Haring looking like some kind of proto-Jeremy Scott from his Mickey Mouse shirt and his motocross pants all the way down to his Air Jordans. Green and yellow doesn't go with red and black? Who says?
Big Daddy Kane Air Jordan IV
13. Big Daddy Kane — Air Jordan IV "Fire Red"
When: Late '80s
Where: In a Limo With Friends
This has to be one of the most '80s photos of all-time. Kane in the back of a limo complete with champagne on ice and a few of his closest friends. Somehow we doubt anyone's gonna tell him to get his Js off the upholstery.
Jay-Z Air Yeezy II Beach
12. Jay-Z — Nike Air Yeezy II
When: 2012
Where: St. Barts
This is how you do it. You wear the most coveted shoe of the year to the beach, take them off, and then park them a few feet from your towel as if to say "not only do I have them, but they can hang out on their own — besides, I can always get more." King.
Larry David Air Jordan VI
11. Larry David — Air Jordan VI "Infrared"
When: Mid '90s
Where: "Seinfeld" Set
Larry David is best known for rocking the hell out of some Simples, so it's kind of funny to come up on photos of him in Jordans. We haven't had the opportunity to ask him or anything, but it wouldn't surprise us at all if they were just some Seinfeld cast-offs. Nice jeans too, Larry.
Shawn Kemp Reebok Kamikaze
10. Shawn Kemp — Reebok Kamikaze
When: Early '90s
Where: Seattle
The Reign Man in the rain — photo setups don't get any better than this. The Space Needle in the background, the coffee cup on the table, all this photo needed is one of those guys from Pikes Place Market throwing Kemp a fish. Or maybe Gary Payton could have filled in. And forget the Kamikazes, we want that rain suit.
Macauley Culkin Reebok Pump
9. Macauley Culkin — Reebok Pump Battlegrounds
When: 1992
Where: Promo Shoot With Two Other Kings
All we can think of when we look at this photo is the incredible amount of shit Mike must have given Macauley off-camera for wearing Reeboks. Bold move by the little man, no matter how popular he was at the time. What, what did you think we were going to say?
Kanye West Air Yeezy Sample
8. Kanye West — Nike Air Yeezy Sample
When: 2008
Where: 50th Annual Grammy Awards
In 2008, Kanye West was nominated for eight Grammys and took home four, but all anyone wanted to talk about was those shoes. Turned out that they were an early sample of what would become the Air Yeezy — as everyone would find out not long after. Retro colorway?
Jerry Seinfeld - Air Jordan VII
7. Jerry Seinfeld — Air Jordan VII "Cardinal"
When: 1992
Where: Playboy Magazine cover
With the varsity jacket, black jeans and Air Jordan VIIs, Jerry Seinfeld could be dressed for a shoot today. Although one would expect the multi-multi-millionaire could afford a cleaner pair of Js. And — holy hell, there's eight Playboy models in that phone booth!
Bob Marley adidas
6. Bob Marley — adidas SL 72
When: Mid '70s
Where: Jamaica
Bob Marley wasn't exactly the clichéd stoner — he was also an athlete who had a passion for soccer. He also apparently had a passion for adidas, judging from the many photos of him kicking about in Sambas. Had he not died in 1981 at the age of 36, maybe Run-DMC would have had to settle for second.
Biz Markie Safari
5. Biz Markie — Nike Air Safari
When: 1987
Where: Album Promo
Nobody beats the Biz. Before Biz Markie became one of the biggest sneaker collectors in hip-hop and one of the most sought-after party DJs in the world, he helped introduce the world to the Air Safari, a Tinker Hatfield designed luxury runner that started Nike's shift towards something other than just pure performance. The star of the show is right.
Kurt Cobain Converse
4. Kurt Cobain — Converse Chuck Taylor All Star
When: Early '90s
Where: Hanging Out
Before it became some symbol of the counterculture, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star was just a sneaker. And before that it was THE sneaker. It's important to remember that lots of symbols started as something else, something more practical. Flannel was big in the Pacific Northwest because it's chilly and there's a long history of outdoor activity and logging. All Stars were cheap and disposable. And sometimes icons don't become icons until after they're gone.
David Letterman Jordan 1
3. David Letterman — Air Jordan 1
When: 1986
Where: Late Show with David Letterman
Michael Jordan isn't a god, but he was a savior. Nike needed a boost in the worst way in the mid-80s, and they put all their chips on the kid with the wagging tongue from North Carolina. Which, as it turned out, was only the best bet they ever made. The NBA immediately raised objections to the red and black sneaker, which led to an amazing commercial as well as a classic Letterman moment.
Tupac Fila Grant Hill
2. Tupac Shakur — FILA Grant Hill
When: Mid '90s
Where: Relaxing in California
All sorts of Euro stuff going on here, from the FILAs to the Jaguar. You'd think the most iconic images of 'Pac would be of him in Jordans — it was the right era, after all — but Tupac was never one to just be part of the crowd.
Run DMC Superstar
1. Run-DMC — adidas Superstar
When: Early '80s
Where: New York City
Without "My adidas," there is no "Reebok Back" — or any other hip-hop sneaker tie-in, for that matter. The paean to the sneaker was one thing, making the relationship official was quite another. Run-DMC were pioneers in more ways than one. Still not sure how their shoes didn't fall off all the time, though.