The Best Olympic Sneakers Of All Time
From Michael Johnson’s gold spikes to Michael Jordan’s patriotic 7s.
For the sneaker obsessed, the Olympics are about more than medals. The games have long been an extended holiday in the footwear world, an event where ordinary shoes step onto hallowed ground—the track, the podium—and into history. The Olympics nurtured sneaker culture when it was young, galvanizing global audiences to pay attention to the patriotic colorways brands had on offer. Those brands have been, at times, as competitive at the Olympics as the nations and athletes they outfit, vying for supremacy on sport’s biggest stage. Who has made the best Olympic sneakers? What are the most memorable and important shoes connected to the games?
This is our ranking of the best Olympic sneakers. Like most of our lists, it comes with caveats.
We looked to organize the list through the lens of modern sneaker culture, meaning that some of the more ancient shoes with Olympic connections—Onitsuka Tiger’s original Cortez and Mark Spitz’s Adidas Gazelles aren’t on here as a result. The list also focuses on sneakers that were tied to the Olympics, either to be worn by athletes participating or consumed by fans watching. Yes, we’re allowing lifestyle sneakers in; Complex rarely looks at shoes strictly for their performance, so this isn’t a calculation of which Olympic shoes have won the most medals.
Nor is it a list of the best Olympic-themed sneakers in USA colors, although it may look like it. It is so heavy on red, white, and blue sneakers because America has set the tone for global sneaker culture more than any other country, and Nike, the sportswear brand that’s best capitalized on the Olympics, generally reserves its best efforts for the US, its home team.
The list consists only of shoes from Summer Olympic Games because the Winter Olympics have historically been less sneaker friendly and generally lacking in the kind of shoes that can translate into casual wear and thus transcend their sport. It features shoes only from the Olympics that have already taken place, although we could see models like the Nike Jam sneak onto a future ranking. It has a few non-sneakers, because there are some track spikes that can’t be ignored in the history of Olympic footwear.
These are the best Olympic sneakers, ranked. Debates, critiques, and reader suggestions motivated by geographical bias are all welcome.
All products are independently selected by our editors. Complex may collect a share of sales from the links on this page if you decide to shop them.
20.Puma Complete Theseus II
Year: 2008
We’re not so blinded by nationalism that the important footwear and footwear moments of non-American athletes are invisible to us. That said, anyone would be forgiven for missing Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and his Pumas at top speed—all it took in 2008 was a blink. At that year’s Olympics in Beijing, he was one of the standout stars, collecting gold medals in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint, and 4x100-meter relay. (The last of these was later voided when one of Bolt’s teammates on the relay tested positive for banned substances.) Bolt was the undisputed fastest man in the world, and a tall character whose big personality matched his achievements. So did his shoes. Bolt was setting records that year in the Puma Complete Theseus II in a fitting gold colorway and pointing to the shoes on camera after his victories, much to the delight of Puma. He could have tied them a little tighter, though—the laces were actually undone as he cruised to his 100m win. —Brendan Dunne
19.Nike Air Presto 'Australia'
Year: 2000
This might have been the most niche shoe on the list, until it wasn’t. Created for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the Nike Air Presto for Australia was made as a promo-only sneaker for the games. It was done up in the colors of Australia’s uniforms—not their flag—in green and yellow and the five stars that appear on the country’s flag. The shoes pretty much only could be hunted down in Australia on the secondary market, but re-released in 2020 for the 20th anniversary. They weren’t quite met with the same fervor that Nike was likely hoping for, but that doesn’t make them any less of good. —Matt Welty
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air Presto "Australia" here.
18.Nike Kobe 7 'Olympic'
Year: 2012
The Kobe 7 debuted long before the 2012 London Olympics with the “Kobe System” Nike commercials, featuring Kanye West and other celebrities and new technology like interchangeable midsoles. The shoes were tough to play in for me personally, but I can appreciate the ways Kobe pushed boundaries and took risks with his footwear. As it pertains to the Olympics, who can forget the iconic image of Kobe Bryant sealing the victory for Team USA against Australia in the quarterfinal? KD celebrating in the back, the Black Mamba’s stoic expression, and on-feet the Kobe 7 being cemented in USA Basketball lore. Just off the strength of that clutch performance, this shoe is part of Olympic history. —Oruny Choi
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Kobe 7 “Olympic” here.
17.Nike Air Max Triax 96
Year: 1996
I really love this shoe. Some could argue that the Air Max Triax 96 is the definitive Air Max from 1996 over the Air Max 96. And they’d have a legitimate claim. The sneaker played a big role in the 1996 Olympics. The games that year took place in Atlanta and were a huge cultural moment for every American, sort of like the World Cup two years prior. The Triax 96 was the podium shoe for US Olympians. Michael Johnson made history at those games in his gold track spikes, but he also wore the Triaxes on the medal stand. The shoe looks great in its red, white, and blue colorway with gold accents. It also donned the American flag on the tongue and USA on the heel. They’ve been retroed since and are still just amazing. —Matt Welty
16.Nike Air Swoopes 2
Year: 1996
This is definitely not a shoe for everyone, but the impact it's had on women’s sports and culture makes it legendary. Sheryl Swoopes being the very first woman to sign to the WNBA in 1996, and the first woman to have her own Nike signature shoe before the first WNBA tip-off, is a huge flex. The Air Swoopes is what started it all, but the second model, the Air Swoopes 2, took things up a notch. The dynamic lacing system and the introduction of Zoom technology elevated the signature line in style and performance. But Swoopes winning gold in the Air Swoopes 2 at the 1996 Olympic games alongside Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, and Ruthie Bolton, who each wore them as well, is what really cemented its legacy. —Breeana Walker
15.Parra x Nike SB Dunk Low
Year: 2021
During the 2021 summer games in Tokyo, skateboarding made its Olympic debut. To no one's surprise, Nike took advantage of one of the sneaker industry's most important and influential sports with an entire SB collection made in collaboration with the artist Parra out of Amsterdam. Parra and the Swoosh created the official federation kits for Japan, Brazil, France, and the United States. But on top of that, the duo got together for a colorful rendition of the Nike SB Dunk Low featuring colorful overlays inspired by pop art. This shoe is meaningful as Nike’s first Olympic entry from SB, which has been a pillar for sneaker collectors for decades. —Ben Felderstein
Shop StockX's inventory of the Parra x Nike SB Dunk Low here.
14.Nike Dunk High 'Olympic'
Year: 2004
Nike released a three-shoe pack of Olympic-themed lifestyle footwear for the 2004 Olympics held in Athens that included an Air Max 95, Air Force 1, and this Dunk High. The 95 and AF1 had multi-colored uppers inspired by the Olympic rings, but the Dunk got straight down to business. It featured a simple design utilizing black trim accenting a solid upper in the only metallic color an Olympic sneaker should ever use: gold. —Zac Dubasik
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Dunk High “Olympic” here.
13.Nike Air Pegasus ‘92 'USATF'
Year: 1992
Does every Nike shoe involved in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics deserve a spot on this list? Definitely not. But that year is still the benchmark for great USA-themed sneakers, so even the models on the margins are worth reflecting on. And anything Michael Jordan wore has significance for sneakerheads. Of course, he spent most of his time in Barcelona in his own signature shoes, but there were other sneakers in his rotation, like this USA Track & Field-branded version of that year’s Pegasus. The sneaker’s been back a few times as a retro, and earned new interest in 2020 when it popped up in the Last Dance docuseries. It’s not a hugely unique or historical shoe, but nonetheless stands out as an Olympic, Jordan-approved entry into Nike’s longest-active sneaker line from its breakout Olympic year. —Brendan Dunne
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air Pegasus ‘92 “USATF” here.
12.Nike LeBron 10 'Olympic'
Year: 2012
By this point, the LeBron signature line was on a crazy run from the iconic “South Beach” LeBron 8 to LeBron 9 “Big Bang,” and the momentum was growing. James debuted his 10th signature shoe during the gold medal game against Spain at the London Olympics in 2012. Designed by Jason Petrie, the full-length visible Zoom unit, dynamic Flywire, and the diamond-inspired backwards Swoosh made the 10 one of the best of LeBron’s line. Slightly different from the version LeBron played in during the Olympics, Nike pulled out all the stops with the LeBron 10 “Gold Medal” retail version featuring Nike+ technology for the first time on a signature basketball model, a gold Swoosh, and lion lace-lock. —Oruny Choi
11.Nike KD 4 'Gold Medal'
Year: 2012
It’s wild to think it’s already been 12 years since the last golden era of Nike Basketball. There’s no debate the KD 4 is the best shoe in Kevin Durant’s signature line, and the “Gold Medal” colorway dropped soon after Durant’s first gold medal in his first Olympics. While he didn’t technically play in the “Gold Medal” colorway in the gold medal game against Spain, this version was special because it featured a few hidden purple hits including the insole as a nod to the ribbon attached to the Olympic medals. In 2011 and 2012, it seemed like KD had a hit with every KD 4 colorway he dropped with Nike. Not to mention, the shoes went for just $95. Simpler times. —Oruny Choi
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike KD 4 "Gold Medal" here.
10.Nike Air Force 1 'Olympic'
Year: 2004
Before there was OriginalFake, this was the original fake sneaker. The Nike Air Force 1 “Olympic” from 2004, which was made to celebrate the games in Athens, was a notoriously bootlegged sneaker back in the day. The shoe, which was made in the colors of the Olympic rings with a silver base, was one of the first Air Force 1s in the kind of over-the-top colorways that would define the silhouette in the mid 2000s. Recently, I saw someone post a pair of the “Olympics” on X and comment how it was the shoe that started it all for them. It was funny because they were such a bad fake. The shape was so wonky and the shoe was crumpled up. But they served as a relic for that era. You always hear people talk about how crazy fakes were back then, but you rarely see pairs that survived. The sneakers were sort of retroed for the first time in 2020 for the eventual 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Except that version didn’t quite look the same, and had a tearaway upper. —Matt Welty
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air Force 1 “Olympic” here.
9.Nike Air Zoom Flight '96
Year: 1996
Penny Hardaway has one of the more popular catalogs in signature sneaker history. Arguably though, his biggest on-court achievement came wearing a shoe from outside his own line, even though that line had only recently been introduced. Hardaway laced up an exclusive version of the Zoom Flight ‘96 with his Olympic number 6 stitched on the heel to win gold in the Atlanta games. The Zoom Flight ‘96, alongside the Zoom Flight ‘95, are more closely associated with Jason Kidd, but it was Penny who made USA Basketball history wearing the shoe as part of Dream Team 2. —Zac Dubasik
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air Zoom Flight '96 here.
8.Air Jordan 6 'Olympic'
Year: 2000
While the Olympic colorway of the Air Jordan 6 doesn't have nearly the prestige that its Air Jordan 7 predecessor had, it’s still one of the more revered non-original colorways of Michael Jordan’s sixth signature shoe. Originally, the predominantly navy and white sneaker dropped ahead of the 2000 summer games in Sydney. Jordan himself never donned the sneaker in the Olympics, but Jordan Brand athletes Ray Allen and Vin Baker took home gold in the fan-favorite shoe. It was an early moment confirming that Jordan Brand could effectively create a legacy without its namesake, and create storytelling sneakers through other athletes. These Jordan 6s hit shelves again in 2012 in conjunction with the London Olympics and are making their long-awaited return once again for Paris come August. —Ben Felderstein
Shop StockX's inventory of the Air Jordan 6 "Olympic" here.
7.Nike Flyknit Trainer 'Volt'
Year: 2012
Can we have this Nike back please? Can we once again feel the thrill of watching a brand new sneaker tech unveiled on sport’s biggest stage and packaged up in slick colorways and streetwear-ready iterations? It might be another four years until we get that, so we’re stuck reminiscing in the meantime.
The dawn of the Flyknit era in 2012 might have been the last time the future of Nike looked legitimately bright. And we’re not just saying that because of the signature volt colorways of shoes like the Flyknit Trainer and the Flyknit Racer, which were rendered in a shade designed to be as noticeable as possible to the human eye. The Flyknit Trainer was the shoe of the Olympics for Nike in 2012, not as a silhouette worn for sports but as a medal stand shoe, constantly atop the podium for stars like Michael Phelps and Serena Williams.
Part of what made Flyknit as a whole so fun when it debuted last decade was the way it pulled sneaker lovers away from retros for a moment. One need look no further than this list for proof as to how much collectors are stuck in the past; much of what we consume as footwear nerds is retro product that’s been endlessly revived—Nike’s three most popular sneakers right now are shoes from a combined 120 years ago. The intro of Flyknit at the Olympics swerved around the expected even in its colors, eschewing the red/white/blue palette for something new and bold. By the way, yes, we love Dunks etc, but Nike right now would do well to give us a little more of the new and the bold. —Brendan Dunne
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Flyknit Trainer "Volt" here.
6.Nike Shox BB4
Year: 2000
When it comes to in-game dunks, it’s hard to think of one more iconic than Vince Carter leaping over 7-foot-2 Frédéric Weis in the 2000 Olympics. The truth is, it probably wouldn’t have mattered what shoe Carter had on for the play. We could just as easily be writing this about the Nike Air Force Carbide that Carter also wore that summer—it’s just that heroic of a highlight. But it wasn’t the Air Force Carbide—a long forgotten team model—it was the Shox BB4, and marketing and sport couldn’t have aligned much better. Nike’s Shox cushioning platform was known for its “boing” ad campaign, and looked like literal springs. They might not have actually made anyone jump any higher, but Nike couldn’t have asked for a better muse when it came to selling aspirations. —Zac Dubasik
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Shox BB4 here.
5.Nike Air More Uptempo 'Olympic'
Year: 1996
Yes, Nike did the Air More Uptempo retros to death throughout the 2010s, but don’t let the recent oversaturation fool you. The Olympic colorway of the Air More Uptempo is one of the best basketball sneakers of all time. If it wasn’t for a certain track runner to be mentioned shortly, Scottie Pippen would have been remembered for lacing up the best shoes at the ‘96 Summer Games. The design, with an upper spelling out “AIR” in bubbly white letters across each side panel, still feels just as unique as it did 28 years ago. The gold 8 stitched on the heel as a nod to Pippen’s Olympic jersey number is an underrated subtle detail. As if the sneaker needed any more selling points, Pippen helped lead the Dream Team 2 to a gold medal in Atlanta while lacing it up, which only further adds to its legacy. There’s a reason that Nike brings these back out every four years to celebrate the Summer Olympics. They’re just that good. —Mike DeStefano
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air More Uptempo "Olympic" here.
4.Nike Hyperdunk Supreme 'United We Rise'
Year: 2008
Nike has long used the Olympics as a showcase for upcoming technology and innovation, and there’s no better example of this than the original Hyperdunk that was featured in the 2008 Games in Beijing. The design language and tech would go on to inform not only Nike Basketball, but the company as a whole. Lunar Foam and Flywire were featured in countless products in the years that followed, but no singular sneaker captured the ethos of the era quite like the flagship basketball sneaker worn by multiple members of the 2008 Redeem Team (as well as the opponents they rather easily knocked off en-route to the gold medal). The Hyperdunk was a statement-level team shoe worn by players of all ages and skill levels at gyms worldwide. Its DNA can even be seen in shoes like the game-changing Kobe 4. But before all that were the United We Rise colorways worn by Team USA, and more specifically, the “Mamba” variation worn by Kobe Bryant. Those shoes had limited availability at retail (or in the case of the Kobe version, super-limited availability), but they kicked off a franchise that became a phenomenon. —Zac Dubasik
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Hyperdunk Supreme "United We Rise" here.
3.Michael Johnson’s Gold Nike Spikes
Year: 1996
We know this list is primarily about sneakers, but did you really think we could leave these off the countdown? At the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, US sprinter Michael Johnson called his shot when he laced up a pair of metallic gold Nike spikes on his way to capturing gold medals (and setting the then-world records) in the 200 and 400-meter races. He was the first man to ever win both events in the same year. Johnson and his spikes became a national sensation. They were slung over his shoulder on the cover of TIME. They even ushered in a new nickname for the Olympian: The Man With the Golden Shoes. If social media was around in the ‘90s, Johnson’s gold Nikes would have broken the internet. The shoes didn’t appeal only to sneaker nerds, this was a moment of mainstream interest in flashy footwear. But the pair wasn’t just about its looks. Designed by Tobie Hatfield, they were also a technical marvel. Each shoe weighed just 3.5 ounces, which unequivocally made them the lightest pair of track shoes at the time. Every four years, we desperately hope that Nike will find a way to celebrate this iconic moment with a wearable release. Until then, we’ll continue to marvel at the images of the greatest moment of foreshadowing in footwear history. —Mike DeStefano
2.Nike Air Force 180 'Olympic'
Year: 1992
When we talk about the 1992 Dream Team, it's easy to immediately think of Michael Jordan’s sneakers. How could you not? He was on top of the world then. However, it was Charles Barkley who led the team in points per game. He did it in an Olympic, USA-themed colorway of the Nike Air Force 180. Barkley was a powerhouse who needed an equally powerful shoe on the court. The Air Force 180 and Sir Charles were a perfect match. The white and blue upper, gold detailing, and red accents illustrated Team USA’s dominance. The midfoot strap and overall construction provided a level of stability that the trash-talking Barkley would need to help the Dream Team capture the gold. It’s not the most celebrated silhouette of its era, and hasn’t lived on through quite as many retros as Jordan’s shoes that year, but it shouldn't be forgotten. Olympic connections aside, the Air Force 180 also is a sleeper pick as one of the best basketball sneakers of all time. Dream Team, world-dominating lore intact, it’s even better. —Breeana Walker
Shop StockX's inventory of the Nike Air Force 180 "Olympic" here.
1.Air Jordan 7 'Olympic'
Year: 1992
This is America, baby. This is the best version of a red, white, and blue sneaker there is. This is the Air Jordan 7 that Michael Jordan wore as part of the Dream Team, the superstar squad that captured the imagination of viewers across the world and helped make basketball a global sport. Jordan was the undisputed star of that team, near the height of his dominance in both the NBA and the sneaker business in 1992.
It’s important to remember that when this shoe arrived decades ago, the idea of storytelling through sneaker colorways was relatively novel. These days, there are yearly Air Jordan retros connected to every minute detail of Jordan’s life—shoes fashioned after a jacket he wore one time for a TV appearance or special editions referencing an obscure exhibition game that hardly anyone has recorded evidence of. Back then, in 1992, those things didn’t exist. You got a handful of Jordan colorways for each model, most of them anchored by the colors of his Chicago Bulls.
The “Olympic” Air Jordan 7 (that’s a nickname by the way, Nike couldn’t officially call the shoes that) dared to go further. It celebrated the only time Jordan would participate in the Olympics as a pro, swapping out his number 23 on the heel for a 9. It anticipated the historical dominance of the Dream Team by splashing gold into the accents. (The humility suggested by the silver overlays wasn’t necessary, but it did help the shoe shine more.) It’s a storytelling colorway that relies not on convoluted narrative, but the kind of plain, objective superlatives that endeared generations of fans to Jordan and his footwear. It was made for the best basketball player ever, who is also the athlete with the single best signature sneaker line ever (in collaboration with the best sneaker designer ever), on what was undoubtedly one of the best basketball teams ever assembled. It doesn’t get better than that. —Brendan Dunne
Shop StockX's inventory of the Air Jordan 7 "Olympic" here.
