Basketball Shoes NBA Players Are Wearing Today

The NBA used to have shoe rules. Not anymore. Now players can express themselves any way they want.

New basketball shoes. Maybe they were Chucks. Or Jordans. Or Kobes. Nothing beats that feeling of putting on a clean pair of kicks. But this wasn’t always the case for NBA players.

The NBA used to have shoe rules. Every player had restrictions on what color shoes they could wear during games. Sneakers could be majority black or white, with a little team color.

In the 2018-19 season, the NBA removed all shoe color restrictions. For the first time in league history, players could wear any color shoes they wanted on the court. Players enjoyed their newfound freedom and continue to express themselves in creative ways with their in-game sneakers.

Check out the shoes NBA players are wearing today.

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kyrie 5 “Bandulu”

Bottom line: Yes, he’s about as popular in Boston as the Yankees.

Sure, the Nets are worried about his mood swings.

But Kyrie Irving is just here to be himself, and his shoe game is on point.

Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clipper

@brkicks / Instagram

Brand: Peak

Style: Louis Williams Underground GOAT

Bottom line: Not too many NBA bench players have a signature shoe.

But Lou Will isn’t your everyday sixth man.

And Peak, a Chinese shoe sneaker brand, isn’t your average shoe company.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Kobe 4 Protro

Bottom line: Anthony Davis has created a “signatures shoe” and already set a Lakers franchise record with the team — most free throws made in a game (26).

Will it be the first of many records in purple and gold? That’s a good question.

The bigger question is will he ever get his own signature shoe like Kobe.

James Harden, Houston Rockets

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: adidas

Style: Harden Vol. 4

Bottom line: Some people follow trends. Other people set them.

Take a wild guess which camp James Harden represents.

Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Brand: Nike

Style: Jordan CP3.XI

Bottom line: Chris Paul isn’t ready to give up on his dream of winning an NBA championship. But he has no chance of winning a ring with the Thunder.

That’s why he is rumored to want to play for the Bucks.

Going to a contender is his only shot.

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Kelvin Kuo / AP Photo

Brand: New Balance

Style: OMN1S

Bottom line: Don’t hurry. Don’t worry.

Kawhi Leonard didn’t become the best basketball player in the world overnight.

For his next amazing feat, watch him turn Los Angeles into a Clippers town.

Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Jordan WhyNot Zer0.2 “Tokyo” PE (player exclusive)

Bottom line: New team. Same old Russell Westbrook style.

Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Under Armour

Style: Curry 7

Bottom line: Glory doesn’t last forever. And the fall from grace can be more swift and painful than anyone imagined.

Although the Warriors’ dynasty is history, Steph Curry’s “Show Us the Money” phase with Under Armour was supposed to keep moving up and to the right.

Curry’s broken hand in the first month of the season proves (once again) that nothing is guaranteed.

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets 2.0

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Kyrie 5 “Keep Sue Fresh” PE

Bottom line: Kyrie Irving believes Sue Bird is “the greatest point guard to ever play.”

So he turned that idea into a shoe — to make sure Bird has a fresh sneaker game.

Always.

Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: PG 3 By Miles Bridges

Bottom line: Miles Bridges has doubled his points output from his 2018-19 rookie season. It’s gotta be the shoes, right?

Hornets owner Michael Jordan would say no. But as we learned many years ago, Mr. Jordan’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

Jae Crowder, Memphis Grizzlies

@nbakicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Marquette Jordan Jumpman Hustle PE

Bottom line: Jae Crowder has come a long way from Marquette.

After playing for four NBA teams in seven seasons, Crowder might have found a home with the Grizzlies in Memphis.

He already is a “Grind City” hero after hitting a buzzer-beater to beat the Nets.

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Brand: Nike

Style: Kobe 4 Protro

Bottom line: How would you like to be a multimillionaire by the time you were 21? That’s where Luka Doncic is heading.

Doncic capitalized on the NBA’s new shoe rule in the 2018-19 season and wore tons of cool shoes, even making in-game shoe changes, if necessary, to help him play better.

His two-year deal with Nike expired before the 2019-20 season, and now the reigning Rookie of the Year is a sneaker free agent and looking forward to getting paid to wear more cool shoes.

Glenn Robinson III, Golden State Warriors

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kobe A.D.

Bottom line: Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, but he maintains a large presence in the league.

His kicks are go-to picks for a lot of active players because of their comfort, lightweight and versatility.

What’s more, the league’s any-color shoe policy has opened up a whole new world of innovative opportunities.

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: adidas

Style: N3XT L3V3L

Bottom line: Is it a shoe or a sock?

This non-traditional adidas model wins the award for sneaker most likely to confuse people. And give them nightmares.

But Zach LaVine has no trouble skywalking in them.

P.J. Tucker, Houston Rockets

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Air Bakin

Bottom line: Tim Hardway first rocked the Nike Air Bakin in 1997. They still look sharp 22 years later.

And P.J. Tucker’s efficient scoring with the Rockets is stirring echoes of the “T” in the Run TMC up-tempo offense from the early 1990s.

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Lebron 17

Bottom line: It’s good to be the king.

You have lots of versions of shoes — and colorways — to choose from.

And every time someone buys a pair of your signature kicks, you get a little more money for tacos.

De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: Zoom Kobe Venomenon 4

Bottom line: Before the 2019-20 season, Kobe Bryant held an invitation-only basketball camp in Thousand Oaks, California.

Some of the best ballers in the NBA participated, including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Kyrie Irving.

De’Aaron Fox also was in the house. His attendance is a sign of how respected he is and how good he can be.

RJ Barrett, New York Knicks

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Puma

Style: Clyde Hardwood

Bottom line: RJ Barrett is following Walt Frazier’s path.

The rookie Knick joined the Puma family with a multiyear deal in August, and the iconic shoe company is excited to be back in the NBA hoops game.

Time will tell if Barrett can have a career anything close to what “Clyde” did.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (Assistant Coach)

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: adidas

Style: Adipure CrazyQuick

Bottom line: Tim Duncan replaced his playing shoes with coaching kicks. And they don’t look too different.

Instead of schooling opponents, “The Big Fundamental” is teaching fundamentals to the Spurs as a member of Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio.

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets 3.0

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kyrie 5 “SpongeBob SquarePants”

Bottom line: Animated show or animated shoe?

A Nike collaboration with Nickelodeon created these bad boys.

Twenty years of “SpongeBob SquarePants” also might be where Kyrie Irving (a super-fan of the cartoon) gets some of his crazy ideas.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: KD12 by Jaren Jackson Jr.

Bottom: “Much required, much given.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. has lived by these words his whole life.

The message is being transmitted to the world with his work ethic and the “MR” initials on the tongue of this shoe.

Terrance Ferguson, Oklahoma City Thunder

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Under Armour

Style: Curry 6

Bottom line: The 21-year-old shooting guard is still learning how to play the NBA game and provide meaningful minutes.

But he already knows how to make a statement with his kicks.

So he’s got that going for him. Which is nice.

Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: adidas

Style: D.O.N. Issue #1

Bottom line: If you know the Donovan Mitchell story, you know he “came close to quitting basketball.”

Good thing he kept playing. Mitchell is one of the best players in the Association.

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kobe 4 Protro

Bottom line: Devin Booker doesn’t just want to be a great NBA player. He wants to lead the Suns to glory.

You don’t become a great leader by following the crowd. Case in point: these lavender shoes.

When was the last time you saw that color on a basketball court?

Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: adidas

Style: T-Mac Millennium

Bottom line: Tracy McGrady accomplished a lot in his Hall of Fame career — 18,381 points, 5,276 rebounds, 4,161 assists.

Could Brandon Ingram be the next T-Mac? So far, move to New Orleans is agreeing with him.

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: adidas

Style: Zone Boost

Bottom line: Somebody cue the “Miami Vice” theme song.

These shoes would not have been allowed in the NBA in the 1980s. But they would have fit right in with the art deco style of Michael Mann’s classic show.

The TV crime drama series ran on NBC from 1984 to 1990, before Jamal Murray was born in 1997.

DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kobe A.D.

Bottom line: Three words. Clean. Clean. Clean.

Sometimes, less is more.

Frank Jackson, New Orleans Pelicans

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: LeBron 1 Air Zoom Generation “Wheat”

Bottom line: Ever wonder what basketball shoes mixed with Timberlands would look like?

Nike supplied the answer in 2004, when LeBron James said he could play in anything.

The rest is shoe history.

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets 4.0

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Kyrie 5 “I Love You Mom”

Bottom line: Kyrie Irving lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 4.

To honor her, he teamed up with Suraj Kaufman, owner of the Sneaker Shop in New Jersey (who also lost his mother to breast cancer), to create this heartfelt shoe.

That’s love.

Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clipper

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Li-Ning

Style: Way of Wade 8

Bottom line: Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams aren’t the only ballers on the Clippers.

Montrezl Harrell is on pace for a career season, averaging 20.5 points per game out of the gate.

And in the process, “Trez” is carrying on the spirit of Dwyane Wade. Like a boss.

Kelly Oubre, Phoenix Suns

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Converse

Style: All-Star Pro BB

Bottom line: These aren’t your father’s Chucks or your grandfather’s.

Can you say old school for the new generation?

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: adidas

Style: Dame 6 “Ruthless”

Bottom line: “Ruthless” is an appropriate name for these shoes.

Damian Lillard, aka Dame D.O.L.L.A., is the best rapper in the NBA. He’s got bars until infinity. Challenge him, and you’ll see.

Just ask Shaq, who battled the fire spitter from Oakland with two diss tracks “for fun,” then moved on before things got ugly.

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

@nbakicks / Instagram

Brand: Nike

Style: Air Jordan 34

Bottom line: Nature’s first green is gold … but nothing gold can stay. Robert Frost, in his famous poem, reminded us that all good things must come to an end.

The Celtics hope that doesn’t mean their glory days. While the C’s have the most NBA championships in league history with 17, they haven’t won everything since 2008.

Maybe this unnatural “Incredible Hulk” shade of green on Jayson Tatum’s shoes can re-animate them.

Josh Okogie, Minnesota Timberwolves

@NBAKicks / Twitter

Brand: Nike

Style: PG3 By Josh Okogie

Bottom line: Nike let 23 players customize kicks for the 2019-20 season using four current signature models: the Kyrie 5, KD 12, PG3 and Zoom Freak 1.

Josh Okogie was one of the 23, and his design sold out fast. There’s a reason the Nigerian-born shooting guard is known as “Nonstop.”

It’s why that word is on the tongue of the shoe. He’s relentless.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Aaron Gash / AP Photo

Brand: Nike

Style: Zoom Freak 1 “All Bros”

Bottom line: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first European-born player with his own signature shoe.

How many more versions of shoes will Giannis have in his career? And how much will they be worth?

“The Greek Freak” still has a lot of basketball left to play.

Hat tip: If you like basketball shoes, check out NBA Kicks on Twitter and Instagram.