A groundbreaking moment in the apparel industry, Sheryl Swoopes became the first women's basketball player to have her own signature shoe. A headliner on the iconic 1996 U.S. women's national team and the first player to sign a WNBA contract, Swoopes and her sneakers carried the women's game to new heights. They’ve an all-in-one weaved upper which is both breathable and water-resistant. The soles use an adaptive polymer compound to provide a proper cushion which rebounds around the foot no matter what sport you’re undertaking. The P-hold heel grip is said to be able to reduce injuries too. These are thoroughly recommended. It was the moment when the raw talent and grit of streetball was fused with the prestige and fame of professional basketball,” said John Scipio, AND1 General Manager. “The Tai Chi really captivated a generation and has been our most notable shoe, ever. It’s become an icon in the footwear industry. We feel the time to re-release the shoe is now, and the big stage of ComplexCon is the best place to do it.” It means we were doing it right," Bryant said at the time. "Because professional athletes aren't going to throw shoes on their feet just to throw shoes on their feet."

Not to forget that AND1 competed against Nike in the 90s. Tom Austin, former Co-Founder and Design-Lead of AND1 had high hopes for selling his design. With reward. Being up there with Nike and selling shoes like crazy was completely revolutionary – especially for a streetball brand. Featuring a laser-etched strap adorned with more than 200 graphic icons, Michael Jordan's life story was celebrated along the daringly modern sneaker. The classic tennis shoe meets the large billboard sized advert on the side, what’s peculiar about this is that the name on the shoe is “Double” rather than the manufacturing brand. However, this minor quirk aside there’s a lot to like about the OSdream Canvas Kung Fu Shoes. Long before Big Baller Brand came along, Ewing launched his own sneaker brand. The straightforwardly named "Ewing 33" still sees monthly rereleases in New York to this day. The most expensive recommendation on our list, however, are the PEAK TAICHI King Women’s Adaptive Smart Cushioning Running Shoes and it’s fair to say that they’re the kind of shoes that you would probably buy if you were doing a lot of Tai Chi or a lot of other sport alongside Tai Chi rather than for a few minutes in the park each week.

The league has long fueled the footwear industry throughout its history, with iconic on-court moments giving life to off-court trends, all while providing fans with a tangible connection to their favorite stars.

They’re very comfortable and very hard wearing for a soft canvas shoe. The padding on the mid-sole makes them feel a bit more substantial given how light they are. But once again like many of these Chinese shoes, they’re very narrow.

18. Nike Penny 2

Launched during the height of his career, Hardaway's second sneaker featured a similar design to the Penny 1. The "Li'l Penny" ads featuring a miniature alter ego voiced by an up-and-coming comedian that made the line a massive success. And1’s roots lie in street culture, and the brand’s DNA lies in the street ball, music and graffiti movements of the ’90s. We wanted to make something really unique to match the characteristics of Shawn Kemp's game," Morris said. Irving's debut model set the foundation for what is currently the industry's fastest-selling series. With jagged grip lines inspired by the Sydney Opera House and details layered throughout, the Kyrie 1 set the stage for the storytelling and themes that would come to define Irving's line. While Vinsanity’s performance at the dunk contest crashed the media, AND1 reached their height of popularity around the globe. Everyone knew what was going down when streetballers like “Skip to my Lou”, “Hot Sauce” or “The Professor” showed up on the court, releasing their famous mixtapes (watch here: AND 1 MIXTAPE VOL.3) and touring different cities within the AND1 MIXTAPE TOUR.

The Air Force 1 has long been celebrated for its never-ending colorways and designs. Whether a detailed artist collaboration, simple two-color edition or the perennial favorite all white, the Air Force 1 has been adopted by all genres and all eras since its 1982 introduction. What is great about these DOUBLESTAR shoes (excuse the all CAPS many of the Chinese Tai Chi show training brands really like branding that shouts) is that they’ve got a classic trainer look whilst still being thin soled enough to do some serious Tai Chi in. You’d happily wear these as a casual shoe all day long. With an atom-graphic design on the bottom and a radiant, gradient-fading mesh upper, the Garnett 3 was all about highlighting the youthful power forward's expressive game on the court. They are at a mid-tier price point and that was reflected in both the choice of materials used and in the quality of the workmanship involved on the shoe. The tread on the soles is clearly designed with martial arts use in mind too.

This was a bold shoe," said Scottie Pippen, who wore the shoes in the 1996 Finals to cap off the Bulls' 72-10 season. "I think Nike did a great job of really making a statement with this shoe." You can't write a better ending," Air Jordan vice president Gentry Humphrey said. "It just doesn't get any better than that." For the future, we plan to have a womenswear line coming out very soon,” he revealed. “ Women have a whole other perspective on this thing we call street ball … That story needs to be told.”

Frazier was a foundational figure who helped to define the league's on- and off-court style. Puma not only made him the face of the brand, the company also awarded him the NBA's first signature sneaker. Ever since, the Clyde has been an ongoing staple model for the company, and it now sets the foundation and inspiration for its current basketball relaunch.The very first Nike basketball sneaker, worn by Portland Trail Blazer Geoff Petrie, the Blazer has become a timeless staple of Nike's Sportswear division ever since, and it's a hallmark of the sport's long-dominant brand. The Hyperdunk launched Nike Basketball's new Flywire and Lunar Foam technologies in 2008, but it was Bryant and a majority of the 2008 USA national team wearing it at the Beijing Olympics that ultimately made the shoe a must-have. At 13 ounces, it was one of Nike's lightest basketball shoes ever. They’re pretty hardy for a canvas slip on and we’d expect them to take a reasonable beating before they need replacing. The cotton lining is reasonably comfortable, and it absorbs any sweat you might have nicely but we’d recommend putting talc inside when they’re not in use to keep them smelling fresh and clean. For the money, they’re good value. The Pump launched a new era of technology for Reebok (and copycat brands to follow), adding adjustable padding to the collar of the high-tops and helping to jump start the company's basketball category.