It’s mid-February, and for all basketball enthusiasts, it means one thing: All-Star Weekend. As every year, the weekend dedicated to NBA stars returns, starting today, Friday the 16th, with the NBA Rising Star, continuing on Saturday with the three-point shooting contest and the dunk contest, and ending on Sunday with the All-Star Game featuring the stars of the Eastern Conference against those of the Western Conference. This year, in particular, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo vs LeBron James.
But it’s not just the players taking the court; the brands also jump on this alley-oop, releasing new sneakers ready to whistle both on and off the court. Over the years, there have been many releases, and we’ve decided to revisit ten that have entered the history of the All-Star Game.

1985: Air Jordan 1 High ‘Chicago’

For his first All-Star Game, Michael Jordan took to the court wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1 High ‘Chicago’. Designed by Peter Moore, these sneakers feature the colors of the Chicago Bulls and include the famous Nike Air cushioning system incorporated into the midsole.

1991: Reebok The Pump

In 1991, during the dunk contest, Dee Brown (at the time a guard for the Boston Celtics) was ready to run towards the basket when, without much ceremony, he placed the ball on the court and literally began inflating his Reeboks through a small inflatable pump on the tongue.

1996: Air Jordan 11 OG ‘Columbia’

One of the most beautiful silhouettes designed by Tinker Hatfield, the Air Jordan 11 OG ‘Columbia’, made their debut during the All-Star Game with MJ as MVP. They are characterized by their color, a pristine white that yellows over time, giving the shoe that special beauty typical of objects with a story to tell.

2003: Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘True Blue’

2003 marked the end of an era, being Michael Jordan’s last year. Despite all eyes being on MJ at the All-Star Game, a very young Kobe Bryant didn’t go unnoticed, and neither did his choice to wear a pair of Jordans. At the time, Bryant didn’t have an exclusive contract with any brand, so he chose to wear the Air Jordan 3 Retro ‘True Blue’ for the occasion.

2005: Reebok Shaq Attaq

One of the most hilarious advertising ploys is associated with the Reebok Shaq Attaq worn by Shaquille O’Neal in 2005. From the name to the various brand activations, every aspect of the launch of this silhouette played on Shaq’s size and especially his shoes (we’re talking about a size 22!), so large that you could fit a phone inside and actually use it, or even a remote-controlled car and let the shoe travel anywhere.

2012: Zoom KD 4 ‘All-Star – Galaxy’

In 2012, Nike created a sneaker called ‘All-Star – Galaxy’ for 3 players, including Kevin Durant, who was named MVP of that year’s edition. At his feet were a version of the Nike Zoom with a space-themed midsole pattern and an orange swoosh on a metallic silver upper.

2013: Barkley Posite Max ‘Area 72’

The following year, Terrence Ross took to the court wearing a pair of sneakers designed to celebrate Charles Barkley’s career through their details: the black colorway, the upper with space motifs, and the phosphorescent sole. The icing on the cake? A small Raygun logo – a symbol of the Nike Raygun collection to which this shoe belongs – on the tongue of the shoe.

2015: Air Jordan 29 Photo Reel

Certainly not the shoe that left the greatest mark, but one that couldn’t be missed on this list is the Air Jordan 29 Photo Reel. For 2015, Jordan Brand decided to pay tribute to its 30th anniversary by printing the famous photograph of Michael Jordan scoring on a Chicago court with the city skyline in the background across the entire silhouette. The image became iconic as it inspired the creation of the brand’s logo.

2018: A Bathing Ape x Dame 4 ‘Green Camo’

In 2018, adidas made headlines by launching a collaboration with A Bathing Ape. The guard of the Portland Trail Blazers took to the court wearing a pair of Bape x Dame 4 in the Green Camo colorway. Characteristic are the shark teeth all over the upper and the acronym “WGM” in red, blue, and orange, which stands for “World Gone Mad”.

2020: Nike LeBron 17 “Mr. Swackahammer” e “MonStars”

Not only on the occasion of the All-Star Weekend but also with the release of Space Jam 2, LeBron James flaunted the Nike LeBron 17 in two colorways inspired by the movie in 2020. For the first two quarters, he chose the “Mr. Swackahammer” colorway, which features the purple and green colors of the villainous “bad” owner of the Monstars team. After the break, LeBron returned to the court with the same shoe, but in the “MonStars” colorway, characterized by an acid green and electric blue.