CHICAGO _ Most sneaker collectors and basketball fans start and end on-court shoe conversation with the Air Jordan line _ and ESPN appears to fall in line with that approach.
ESPN sneaker reporter Nick DePaula ranked the 74 best basketball shoes of all-time, creating a list heavy on different releases from Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Included in the ESPN piece are 10 different sneakers from his Air Jordan signature shoe.
Included are the Air Jordan 14 "Ferrari", Air Jordan 13 "He Got Game", Air Jordan 6 "Infrared" and Air Jordan 4 that appeared in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing". At the top of the list at Nos. 1 and 2 were the Jordan 11 and Jordan 1, respectively.
Both critically acclaimed releases at the top of ESPN's list broke new ground in the sneaker world.
The Jordan 1 was especially transcendent, launching the model for signature sneakers and making the Nike brand a household name.
The Jordan 11 is the shoe MJ wore during one of the best seasons of his career as he led the Bulls to a 72-10 record and the 1996 NBA title in the most aesthetically pleasing pair of shoes ever.
