Sneaker brands have long put the best athletes behind their products to endorse them and convince the public to spend their money. Stan Smith, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant — the list goes on. Not every athlete who’s influential in the sneaker world has their own signature shoe. Maybe they have juice because they wear cool sneakers off the court, or it could be for myriad other reasons. There’s likely a famous athlete who’s made you want to wear a pair of shoes at one time or another.
Is it LeBron James? Odell Beckham Jr? Or Neymar Jr? It’s not just basketball players who have sneaker influence, although they carry the bulk of it in the States. There are also tennis stars, footballers, football players, and even retired athletes, too. Any they carry weight to different audiences for wearing different shoes. So we broke it all down and wondered, “Who’s the most influential now?”
10. Zion Williamson
It’s strange to make one of the most influential athletes in the sneakers right now someone who can’t legally have a sneaker deal or his own signature sneaker, but such is the case with Duke freshman Zion Williamson. One of the biggest sneaker moments of 2019 so far involved him, and it wasn’t because of a good reason. During a game against North Carolina, he cut and his shoe exploded. It caused a huge controversy, as he was slightly injured during the play. It caused the biggest sneaker fiasco in a longtime. Nike did an autopsy on the shoe. They went to China to find out went wrong. People were saying that the brand was putting him at a disadvantage. He’ll likely be the number one draft pick and have a big Nike deal and be the next big NBA star. Needless to say, people are paying attention to what’s on his feet. —Matt Welty
9. Michael Jordan
The man, the myth, the GOAT. Michael Jordan is special on this list. Not only because he’s the most successful basketball player, but that he’s the only non-active player on here. Unless you count playing beer pong and competitive tequila drinking. As of late, though, his off court style has been a thing of legend. The moment where it all came to light, after taking a few years off, was when MJ himself pulled up to sneaker boutique Social Status in Charlotte during this year’s All-Star Weekend wearing a turquoise fleece, bootcut jeans, and Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1s. Pretty, pretty good. It also doesn’t hurt that Jordan Brand’s made a huge turn in the company’s relevance and Jordan has looked good in the process. He’ll always be a big name in the sneaker game — he almost single-handedly started the craze in America — but when he shows face, people pay attention. —Matt Welty
8. Russell Westbrook
At the start of the ’18-’19 NBA season, there was a ton of buzz over the lift of sneaker color restrictions, but it’s safe to say that Jordan Brand and Russell Westbrook have managed to create one of the most captivating stories of the year. After a few misfires, Jordan Brand finally made the perfect signature shoe for the one and only Brodie. With the Why Not Zer0.2, the brand and designer Kelsey Amy have been able to tap into Westbrook’s flamboyant style with dozens of colorful and pop culture-themed colorways—and even the pairs released at retail have been pretty damn good. —Riley Jones
7. Neymar Jr.
Got his own Air Jordan? Check. Set the Sneaker Shopping record? Check. Has a contract worth $600 million. No, that’s not a basketball player. It’s Neymar Jr., the Brazilian football prodigy currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain. He’s the first soccer star to get his own Jordan, with the brand giving him a low-top Jordan V in 2016, which were accompanied by an Air Jordan cleat. His club is also the first side sponsored by Jordan Brand and received multiple pairs of an Air Jordan V last year. He also has over 100 million Instagram followers, boosting his reach far past any American athletes. —Matt Welty
6. Colin Kaepernick
Despite never having a signature sneaker with the brand, quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick dominated headlines throughout the fall of 2018 after becoming the face of Nike’s newest “Just Do It” campaign. By supporting Kaepernick during a time when he needed it most, the brand made it clear where it stood, and the stance paid dividends. Stocks and sales surged and every Nike product tied to Kaepernick has sold out quick. And just like the hottest sneaker drops, much of the former 49ers’ apparel is currently flipping for double on StockX. —Riley Jones
5. Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been the talk of the NFL in recent weeks thanks to his relocation to Cleveland, but he’s been wielding sneaker influence since his early days as a Giant. With several Nike collaborations already under his belt, the wide receiver has a new Air Max 720 model in the works, but Beckham Jr. is also one of those rare players with a mind-blowing cleat rotation, too. His numerous Air More Uptempo cleats (designed by Erin Cochrane) are among the best footwear you’ll see on Sundays, and if recent teasers of Sean Wotherspoon, LeBron James, and Foamposite-inspired colorways are any indication, OBJ is going to keep the momentum going full steam in Ohio. —Riley Jones
4. Serena Williams
Serena Williams is a generational talent, staking claim to an Open Era-record 23 Grand Slam singles titles (not to mention an additional 14 doubles wins). When it comes to athletes who are that elite, whatever they do becomes influential—simply because it’s them doing it. Williams has taken full advantage of this with on-court dresses inspired by vintage fashion, controversial catsuits, and more recently, collaborative endeavors with Jordan Brand and Virgil Abloh. For proof, look no further than her Off-White x Nike Air Max 97s, that are fetching nearly $1,000 on the resale market. —Zac Dubasik
3. Kyrie Irving
Listen to the kids, man. That’s why Kyrie Irving is so popular in a day and age where signature basketball sneakers are no longer the number one fiddle. His sneakers, priced at $130, are wildly popular with the kids because they’re affordable and take on fun themes. As of late, Irving’s drawn inspiration from Nike SBs from past, which is taken from his love of skateboarding growing up. He’s also worked with sneaker boutique Concepts on a few special makeups of his shoe and was the first to debut the retailer’s latest Nike SB Dunk collab, too. Not to mention that people pay attention to what’s on his feet when he comes through the tunnel every night. —Matt Welty
2. PJ Tucker
Second round draft picks with relatively mundane stat lines aren’t exactly prototypical when it comes to athlete influencers, yet here’s P.J. Tucker, whose sneakers are undoubtedly the most followed in the entire NBA. Unlike many athletes who are into sneakers because their status as celebrities affords them contracts and relationships favorable to acquiring whatever is hot at the moment, Tucker is an actual sneakerhead who also just happens to also play in the NBA. His numbers don’t tell the story of his game, but his strong defensive play and hard work earned him an important spot in the rotation of a top Western Conference contender as well as a healthy contract that allows him to flex harder than ever on court. Tucker’s sneaker game has bordered on overexposure this season, with him sitting down with seemingly every sneaker media outlet in the country to talk sneakers. But rather than coming across as thirsty, it’s likely because Tucker simply loves talking kicks—because that’s what real sneakerheads do. —Zac Dubasik
1. LeBron James
Lost games due to injury, a botched Lakers trade attempt for Anthony Davis, and missing the playoffs for the first time in 14 years—those certainly weren’t the headlines LeBron James envisioned when he left Cleveland for Los Angeles. Yet despite what can only be considered a disappointment of a season, James’ influence is as strong as ever. The basketball thing may not be panning out yet in Hollywood, but outside endeavors like his HBO series The Shop, and the official announcement of the upcoming Space Jam sequel, have helped expand his relevance. And all the while we’re watching what’s on his feet. From supporting his own new models, to keeping the legacy of retros alive through the LeBron Watch series, to supporting Nike Sportswear and collaborative models in the pre-game tunnel, James is still Nike’s premier endorser. The battle over who’s the GOAT may still rage on, but there’s no question who’s sneaker co-sign matters most when it comes to athletes.