The Sneaker History Of Grand Theft Auto

In video games based on pro wrestling, the running joke about how far technology has come can be determined by the physics of the hair found on performers with long manes. The same could be said for sneakers in basketball video games. From pixels people can count on one hand that passes for a sneaker in the 16-bit era to being able to fans now arguing whether or not the kicks they bought for their avatar in The City in NBA 2K should realistically bend and crease, the kicks that were once the afterthought are now just as vital to nailing the tone of a character.

Interpretations of sneakers in Grand Theft Auto have evolved from afterthoughts in the first two entries that took place from a top-down perspective to the blobs of polygons that look like Rob Liefeld drawings during the PS2 era to inspired takes on real-life products that have added to the immersion of the world Rockstar has created. But with the release of Grand Theft Auto VI this November, there are hints that the legendary developer is looking to push the envelope even further with sneakers that have never been more “real” than they are now. But before the fireworks pop off in a few months, here’s a look at how Rockstar has evolved their sneaker game through the years.

Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001)

Claude, GTA 3’s silent protagonist, has little to offer other than being a blank slate for whatever shenanigans you will get up to in the game. His sartorial choices are limited to his prison outfit at the beginning of the game, which is never seen again, and his black default bomber jacket with olive green pants. In the remastered definitive version of the game that was released in 2021, the once blurry sneakers now appear to be a dark blue pair with a white midsole and a hint of yellow. One intrepid Redditor has even gone so far as to create an outfit grid for Claude’s look with a pair of Nike SB Blazer Lows in Midnight Navy and Varsity Maize.

Grand Theft Auto Vice City (2002)

For the first time in the GTA series, players are able to swap outfits so Tommy Vercetti can blend in with the residents of Vice City, adding to the verisimilitude of the game’s 1980s setting. However, wearing the wrong outfit doesn’t actually trigger any alarms or penalties at this point in the series. Tommy is not able to customize different parts of his outfit, but when he is in casual attire mode, his sneakers of choice are always a dirty white pair of adidas Superstar knockoffs with only two stripes instead of the signature three. The subtle, but likely unintentional, adidas connection is furthered by Run DMC’s appearance in the soundtrack to Vice City. On the Wildstyle station that’s hosted by real-life New York City DJ icon Mr. Magic, Run DMC’s hit “Rock Box” plays in between an interlude by Mr. Magic and Kurtis Blow’s “The Breaks.”

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (2004)

In an era where over a decade can pass between new entries of Grand Theft Auto, Elder Scrolls, and The Witcher, it’s a little distressing to remember that not that long ago, gamers were treated to Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas within a span of 36 months. The visual update from GTA 3 to San Andreas was not that dramatic, but the dearth of gameplay options expanded at a rate that made people gloss over the graphics. What began as a voiceless husk of a character in Claude evolved into an iconic figure that gets the meme treatment to this day in Carl Johnson, aka CJ.

Unlike in Vice City, where you could only swap between preset outfits, San Andreas lets you run around in a green bandana, a bucket hat, a black blazer, green basketball shorts, and high-tops that are either an homage to Pro Keds or Chuck Taylors. Scattered throughout the sprawling San Andreas map are clothing stores where you can update your look.

Stores like Sub Urban and Pro Laps will feature sneakers in styles that were popular in early 90s California including heavily padded skate shoes, adidas Superstars, and even Timberlands. There are even urban legends that the Air Jordan 4 and Air Jordan 5 can be seen on secondary characters like Ryder and random NPCs.

Your style also affected how the people of San Andreas would react to your presence. There were special outfits that you needed to progress through certain missions in the game, but what you wore outside also determined how appealing you were to the ladies or if your crew respected you. Most importantly, a quick change of clothes at the safehouse can help bring down your wanted level a few stars.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)

Liberty City Stories is a prequel to GTA 3 developed for the PlayStation Portable that brings you back to the setting of the groundbreaking game but with some of the quality of life improvements found in Vice City and San Andreas, including the ability to change outfits. Sadly, the updates are closer to Vice City than San Andreas so you can only swap out entire sets instead of being able to customize different parts.

The microscopic 480x272 resolution means that details like the sneakers that Toni Cipriani wore were going to be tough to make out on the PSP screen, but the subsequent ports to the PS2 in 2006 and then mobile devices a decade later gave gamers a cleaner picture. Like Tommy Vercetti, Cipriani’s sneakers of choice were classic Shelltoes with two stripes but for his Bruce Lee knockoff, he switched to a pair with red and blue stripes.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)

Following the success of Liberty City Stories, Rockstar dropped their prequel to GTA Vice City a year later starring Vic Vance, the brother of Lance Vance who has a brief but memorable appearance in the original. Vance’s outfits don’t have that much variance from what Toni Cipriani wears in Liberty City Stories including the sneakers, but he does have a blue colorway when he dons the Smuggler outfit.

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

The leap to the HD generation meant a huge improvement in the visuals and scale of the cities that serve as playgrounds in the Grand Theft Auto series. However, with great graphical capabilities comes a greater chance for a sneaker brand to poke around and see if their designs are being used as merely inspirations or outright blueprints for Niko Bellic to run around Liberty City in. The sneakers of GTA 4 now include intricate details that people can pick out like the different types of laces and textures for the sneakers that look like adidas Stan Smiths or New Balance Trainers.

However, because the story is a lot more grounded compared to the insanity that takes place in San Andreas, Bellic never moves up to fancier kicks that might have been popping in the late 2000s like performance basketball models, tech runners, or skate shoes.

GTA IV is where the world was introduced to sportswear brand Eris, a subtle parody of Nike and DC Shoes with logos that bear a faint resemblance to the two brands. While players are unable to purchase Eris branded gear in GTA IV, their roles expand in later games.

The original online mode that debuted in GTA IV introduced a fraction of the chaos that now takes place in Grand Theft Auto Online. But where the game truly shines is in the PC version because intrepid modders have been tinkering with the game ever since launch.

As good as the base game was in 2008, downloading a few mods in 2026 transforms the look and feel of Liberty City to something that could have passed for a modern release in this generation. While Rockstar will never be able to get away with recreating Air Maxes or Vans SK8 Hi’s or Yeezys into a game as violent as GTA, modders have been adding the classics to Niko’s sneaker collection piece by piece.

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online (2013)

The base GTA 5 game and the standalone online component are full of legally distinct sneakers that will have you point at the screen because of how closely they resemble a pair of Yeezy 350s or Nike Air Force 1s. After the Bottom Dollar Bounties update, a number of sneakers were added to GTA Online that looked suspiciously like Air Jordan 5s sans the Jumpman. The levels in the design approval process for these kicks were probably on the same level as teams that have to create cars that evoke a real-life classic without incurring the wrath of high-priced and high-powered lawyers. Michael, Franklin, and Trevor have every sneaker that alludes to another sneaker at their disposal and there hasn’t been a word from any of the brands since.

But for those with a copy of the game on PC and with a reasonably powered graphics card and some RAM they picked up before prices spiked due to AI’s never-ending demand for more, if they want the main characters of GTA V to lace up in accurate recreations of the popular sneakers, there are ways to make it happen…

Grand Theft Auto VI (November 19, 2026)

All it takes is one screenshot for people just to wonder how far exactly Rockstar can push up against the edge of “legally distinct.” In one of the screenshots of the upcoming GTA 6, a background character is wearing a high-cut sneaker that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Air Jordan 1.

Meanwhile, key art for named character Dre’Quan Priest shows him sitting on a Jeep knockoff wearing a pair of sneakers that would not look out of place if they were being sold by one of the many designers that Nike has pursued throughout the years. There’s also a screenshot of Lucia, one of the two main characters, wearing what looks like an Off-White or Louis Vuitton Air Force 1 High.

One has to wonder if the brand understands the potential backlash they would get from holding back the release of GTA VI this late in the calendar over an Air Jordan 1 lookalike, but time will tell if that type of thinking will carry on when the mod scene gets ahold of the game and is able to add their custom kicks in the game that do not have any qualms with adding official logos and other branded hits.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com