The Best Soccer-Inspired Sneakers of All Time, Ranked

Year: 2006

The Ronaldinho x Air Force 1 Low was part of Nike’s “Collection Royale” pack from 2006 that honored some of its elite athletes from the era, including an Air Force 1 Low for LeBron James, Air Force 1 Mid for Michael Vick, Dunk Low for Serena Williams, and Dunk Highs for Dontrelle Willis. Each pair featured graphic panels, and while the set wasn’t particularly hyped, Ronaldinho’s patent-covered Air Force 1 in Brazil’s was the clear standout. It might not be the top ranked patent leather Brazil AF1 on this list (more on that later), but it was a worthy tribute to an all time great that was still in his prime. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2019

Some of the most overlooked sneakers on this list are Neymar Jr.’s Nike Shox R4 collabs from 2019. There were two colorways of the model, but we’re focusing on the “Sao Paulo Markets” pair. It dons a red to green gradient color scheme that pays tribute to Neymar Jr.’s childhood and the vibrancy of the São Paulo street markets in Brazil. —Victor Deng

Year: 2016

Neymar has always been known for his style off the pitch, so when he linked with Jordan Brand back in 2016, it made perfect sense. He was almost like football’s Allen Iverson: flashy, and impossible to ignore. The Air Jordan 5 Low “Neymar” reflected his personality with a reflective upper, loud Infrared hits, and Neymar’s No. 10 swapping in alongside MJ’s 23. But the best part was the matching NJR x Jordan Hypervenom cleat, which brought the Air Jordan 5’s shark teeth to the pitch. Looking back, the whole project was ahead of its time, especially now that Brazil is officially with Jordan Brand. —Douglas Jase

Year: 2025

Before I even get into the club, Liverpool getting an Air Max 95 collab says a lot. The shoe pays so much homage to 95 culture—for those who don’t know, Air Max 95s are typically referred to as “110s” across the pond because of the original price. The Liverpool x Nike Air Max 95 is dressed in black and honestly, it might be a reach, but it’s nice to wear for England weather. All in all, the club carries a lot of history, even recently winning the Premier League, and that legacy combined with the love and effort behind the Air Max 95 makes this collab feel perfect. —Douglas Jase

Year: 2017

Nike tapped the great Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 to remix the iconic gold Air Max 97. Ronaldo’s pair has a patchwork mudguard, which pays tribute to his upbringing when his mother would fix his sneakers by sewing them back together. A year later, Nike revisited the theme with a Portugal-inspired red colorway, but it didn’t translate as well as the original. —Victor Deng

Year: 2005

Nike SB looked to Buenos Aires’ Boca Juniors soccer club in 2005 for inspiration on this Dunk Low. The varsity royal upper, lightning Swoosh and accents, and gum outsole, combined for a sneaker that not only served as a tribute to the Argentinian football team but was also a standout look in the heyday of the Pink Box-era Nike SB. Nike SB brought the Boca Juniors Dunk back in 2017 in a fairly disappointing iteration that featured suede overlays, a thin tongue, and slim profile, but the original remains an elite example of Nike SB Dunks as well as soccer-inspired sneakers. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2011

Kobe Bryant’s support for FC Barcelona was well documented, and in 2011, Nike referenced that with a pair of “FC Barcelona” Kobe 6 releases. The “Storm Blue” pair was inspired by the Home kits and the “Mango” version for the Away kits—but the latter was the better of the two. It donned a loud orange and black color scheme and even had the team’s crest behind the tongue. If there’s a colorway that Nike needs to bring back, this pair gets my vote. —Victor Deng

Year: 2023

Back in 2023, Dutch streetwear brand Patta released its biggest Nike collaboration to date by partnering with the legendary FC Barcelona football club on the Air Max Plus. The project paid homage to the history between Barcelona and Dutch football, sporting the club’s purple and blue team colors on the upper and the double Swoosh. Patta branding is stamped on the tongue and Barcelona’s shield appears on the shoelaces. The Patta x FC Barcelona x Nike Air Max Plus is filled with history but packaged in a simple execution. —Victor Deng

Year: 2013

Kobe Bryant’s love for soccer was often reflected in different Nike Kobe styles. This includes the “Mambacurial” Kobe 8 release in 2013, which was directly inspired by the Swoosh’s premier Mercurial Vapor 9 soccer cleat that year. Aside from the bold colorway, the most noticeable update from this iteration to standard Kobe 8s was the Swoosh logo on the upper now shifted from the sides to across the toebox, as well as the large “Nike” branding on the medial side. There are rumors that the “Mambacurial” Kobe 8 is returning later this year, which could be timed with this year’s World Cup festivities. —Victor Deng

Year: 2006

Nike’s pack of patent leather Air Force 1s celebrating the 2006 World Cup is one you had to experience to fully appreciate, because of how perfectly it encapsulated the era. It was timely in its celebration of soccer’s biggest stage, on trend in capturing the hype Bape built with its patent leather Bapestas, and actually wearable. The set has stood the test of time too thanks to its clean executions of USA, Mexico, Holland, Brazil, Portugal, and Korea colorways. And that’s why we’ve ranked it number one on this list of best soccer-inspired sneakers—it’s not only great at honoring soccer, the pack is a great set of sneakers, period. —Zac Dubasik