10. NIKE Air Maestro II
(Photo courtesy of kicksonfire.com)
The NIKE Air Maestro II made its way to the hardwood during the 1994 All-Star game worn by Hall of Famer, Scottie Pippen. These shoes are special because they were worn during the time when Pippen was the lead dog for the Chicago Bulls following Michael Jordan‘s unexpected retirement on October 6th, 1993. Pippen had a spectacular performance that night as he posted 29 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
9. NIKE Zoom Kobe 1
(Photo courtesy of sneakernews.com)
Kobe debuted this brand new colorway during his 2006 All-Star game appearance in Houston. This particular shoe was the first Zoom model introduced by Nike for Kobe Bryant. Bryant unfortunately had a poor shooting night, going just 4-of-11 from the field and missing all his 3-pointers. Bryant ultimately finished with eight points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
8. Adidas Crazy 8
(Photo courtesy of flightclub.com)
Kobe is making his second appearance (and definitely not his last) on this list because these are one of my personal favorite Adidas models, the crazy 8’s. Kobe made history during the 1998 All-Star game when he wore these by becoming the youngest player in NBA history to participate in the ASG. Bryant posted 18 points, six rebounds and just one assist during his All-Star debut.
7. Air Jordan 11 “Columbia”
(Photo courtesy of highsnobiety.com)
The Great One, Michael Jordan, laced up the Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” shoe in 1996 during one of the greatest All-Star games in history. This was the first all-star game that MJ played in following his initial retirement in 1993. Jordan won the All-Star MVP that year, putting up 20 points, four rebounds and one assist. The East came out victorious by a score of 129-118.
6. Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy”
(Photo courtesy of sneakerbardetroit.com)
The debut of these shoes during All-Star weekend came in 2012 in Orlando, Florida. It may, however, come as a surprise as to who was wearing these galactic kicks. None other than (ex) Celtics’ guard Rajon Rondo donned these shoes as he exploded offensively putting up an astonishing two points, two rebounds and eight assists. Despite Rondo’s trance-inducing shoes, the Western Conference would outlast the Eastern with a final score of 152-149.
5. Nike LeBron 10
(Photo courtesy of sneakernews.com)
LeBron’s second best All-Star shoe to date (stay tuned), the Nike LeBron 10 also drew comparison to the aforementioned Nike Air Foamposite One, going for a “galaxy” type look. James debuted these shoes in 2013, where he dropped 19 points, five assists and three rebounds. The West once again defeated the East by a score of 143-138, as Chris Paul was named MVP.
4. LeBron 9 “Big Bang”
(Photo courtesy of sneakerbardetroit.com)
The LeBron 9 is my personal favorite LeBron model and the NASA inspired “Big Bang” theme almost makes the shoe look radiant, as the bright orange and reflective 3M shines in the light. Another entrant from the 2012 All-Star game, James put up 36 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but couldn’t best the performance of MVP winner, Kevin Durant.
3. Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
(Photo courtesy of stockx.com)
1988 was an incredible year for His Airness. Jordan would capture his first Dunk Contest victory, besting the Human Highlight Reel, Dominique Wilkins. The 1988 All-Star game would ironically enough be held in Chicago, where MJ posted a career high in points during All-Star games. Jordan poured in 40 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals! MJ was named MVP of the game as the East defeated the West 138-133.
2. BAPE x Adidas Dame 4
(Photo courtesy of footwearnews.com)
Call me a hypebeast all you want, but when these shoes released in 2018, I had to do everything in my power to get these. Adidas collaborated with streetwear company BAPE and produced three amazing camo-style silhouettes for the DAME 4. Lillard had 21 points, three rebounds and two assists during the game. 2018 would see the disbandment of the classic East vs. West format ,as Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145.
1. Nike Kobe 7
(Photo courtesy of sneakerfiles.com)
The Nike Kobe 7 is without a doubt my favorite All-Star shoe to this day. Once again, Nike killed it with the NASA theme when these dropped on the same weekend as the aforementioned LeBron 9 “Big Bang”. The midsole resembles almost a supernova type of imagery coupled with a black midsole and glow in the dark outsole. During Bryant’s performance, he scored 27 despite breaking his nose earlier in the game. Bryant also made history that night, as he surpassed Michael Jordan for most points in All-Star history (262).
