Top 10 Comic Book Sneaker Collaborations
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When a sneaker becomes iconic, it takes on a mythical hold of its colors. Yes, any sneaker brand can make a black, white, and red product, but block those colors in a particular sequence and they are automatically Chicagos. It could be adidas or PUMA making them or Nike testing them out on some Dunks, it doesn’t matter; they are Chicagos. Whether they live up to the name is something else. The same goes for comic book characters. A different person might inherit the mask, but whether it’s Stever Rogers or Sam Wilson, that’s Captain America. That might cause some arguments among fans, but when someone new takes on a familiar role, they are carrying the weight of that character.
Whether it’s a collaboration or not, comic book fans cannot help but see their favorites on sneakers. If it’s red and gold, a sneakerhead might think USC, but to comic book enthusiast, it’s got to be Iron Man. Grey with shades of blue and a hint of yellow? It can only be Batman. Most sneakerheads might think nothing of the Air Max 95, but fans of Yu-Gi-Oh are pumped right now because the arrival of the Air Muscle is on the way. This is how fans see the world and sneaker brands have been quick to capitalize on that, whether they have the license or not.
As this year’s edition of San Diego Comic Con gets underway, here are our picks for the best comic book sneaker collaborations of all time. We do have two ground rules. For this list, we only went with official collaborations. The reason for that is that the comic book-inspired sneaker list has become so bloated. Think the X-Men villain pack and the Blob, and the confusion of tracking which movie studio owns the rights to Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. We had to form an invisible barrier around the collabs like it's Sue Storm. And we’re keeping it stateside, mainly because we did a Best Anime Sneaker List last year and that deserves its own space to shine.
10. Man of Steel x Reebok Shaq Attaq
- Year Released: 2022
Admittedly, there are other Superman sneaker collaborations out there that are better aesthetically and more accurately represent the most iconic superhero. However, none of them reference the man who glossed himself the real-life Superman, Dwight Howard Shaquille O’Neal. Considering how long Shaq has identified himself as Superman, there had to have been a handshake agreement between the Big Fella and DC Comics years ago. Why? Because nobody outside of DC has profited more from the connection. There was the 1997 film Steel, where Shaq played an alternate version of Superman, the various references in his raps, the John Williams theme song that would play when he subbed in and out of games, and more. So to finally get that partnership in sneaker form was a cool moment for longtime fans of both Supermans.
9. Marvel x Bathing Ape Bapesta Collection
- Year: 2005
Housed in packaging that replicated action figures, Bathing Ape’s original collaboration with Marvel in the mid-aughts was a revelation. Before this team-up, sneakers that were based on comic books were rare and subtle. BAPE founder Nigo embraced the concept and made sure there was no mistaking the inspirations. Dressed in shiny patent leather with obnoxious color blocking, it was very easy to tell which sneaker was based on The Hulk and Iron Man and Spider-Man. Interestingly, BAPE didn’t go the blinding chrome route when it came to Silver Surfer, opting for a blue and purple colorway that is a nod to his former boss Galactus. Not surprisingly, the Cyclops is the least interesting of the bunch with its bland black, blue, and yellow look. Regardless, that shouldn’t detract from the significance of this collaboration, as the bright hues of the Bapestas from this pack and other releases would eventually influence Nike and other brands to embrace bolder looks.
8. Jimmy Jazz x New Balance x Black Panther Pack
- Year Released: 2018
As part of the rollout for the first Black Panther movie in 2018, Marvel tapped New Balance to bring the prince and eventual king of Wakanda to the sneaker masses. Inspired by the vibranium suit, the 574 and 990V4 Mid take on a different tone as they manage to strike a balance between the T’Challa’s standing in the royal hierarchy and the business that he has to attend to as Wakanda’s protector. While both pairs follow the same pattern of solid black with silver hits to mimic the suit, the 574 switches it up with a leather upper with elements like debossed patterns and modified heel clips that represent the hidden nation. It wasn’t the runaway success that the movie became, but it is interesting to think about what the reception for this pack would have been had it come around during the New Balance renaissance of a few years later, when the 550s started to gain steam.
7. TMNT x adidas Superstar Shelltoes
- Year Released: 2024
Based on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the first drop from the Shelltoe Pack featured the Turtles when they all wore red bandanas. It was followed up by colorways inspired by their sensei/father figure Master Splinter and their arch nemesis Shredder a few months later. Following in the tradition of the BAPE x Marvel collabs and adidas’ own Star Wars sneakers, the Shelltoes were packaged like action figures and even included a comic book that reprints the first few issues of the original run. It’s a nice history lesson for fans of the Turtles who jumped on board either through the cartoons or the many movies and reboots that various studios have attempted through the years.
6. adidas Ultra 4D Black Panther
- Year Released: 2022
Whether it’s Ultra Boost or Ultra 4D, adidas has made many attempts to tie pop culture to one of their most popular sneaker lines of the past 15 years. The results have been mixed - ask anybody who owns a Game of Thrones Ultra Boost - but the Ultra 4D collab for the Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever deserves a lot of praise. Even though purple is not a primary color of Shuri’s eventual Black Panther suit, it is a nice callback to the color scheme of her armor from previous movies. The spikes on the toebox and the gold three stripes on the heel cage are nice touches as well. And even though adidas has no problem with splashing color to their Boost midsoles like they did during the early years, the use of black on the 4D unit meant they didn’t have to worry about that bit.
5. Batman x Converse Chuck Taylor Hi
- Year Released: 1989
A sneaker collaboration decades before anything and everything is dubbed a “collab.” Converse released a Chuck Taylor with all over Batman logo print on the canvas upper to coincide with the release of the 1989 movie starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Pictures that have circulated online of the boxes priced the sneakers at $29.99, a far cry from the going rate of Chucks today. And to complete the nostalgic trip, these Chucks were still made in the USA. By 2001, Nike had acquired Converse, and it was no longer an ongoing concern, as production had been moved overseas. For anybody who can scoop up a pair of these in decent condition online, know that it’s not just some random vintage buy; it’s a time capsule to a different era of sneaker history.
4. Air Jordan 1 Next Chapter (Across The Spider-Verse)
- Year Released: 2023
In late 2018, images started to surface of a new take on the Air Jordan 1 Chicago. It featured reflective dots on the red overlay, an icy blue translucent sole, and the Nike Air on the tongue was set against a blue background. It was originally dubbed “Chicago Crystal.” The chatter for it online was not positive as it because it was yet another rehash of the Chicago 1s. And it probably would have stayed that way until Nike announced that the sneaker was actually a tie-in to the new Spider-Man animated feature film “Into The Spider-Verse.” After that, the energy shifted from apathy to hyped fave. It became a hit, an instant sneaker of the year contender, and beloved variant of the Chicago 1s. Not bad for a sneaker that doesn’t wear its Spider-Man influences all that well. The Next Chapter Air Jordan 1 made for the sequel “Across The Spider-Verse,” however, nailed the assignment. The mismash of materials and graphics on the overlays tell the story of multiversal chaos that Miles Morales is embroiled in and the leveling up of the art styles that are used in the movie. Despite not garnering the same hype as the first Spider-Verse Jordans, it’s a sequel that lives up to and in many ways surpasses the original.
3. Nike SB Janoski DB Isaiah Grubb (Batman)
- Year Released: 2015
Designed by 8-year old Isaiah Grubb for the Doernbecher Freestyle Program back in 2015, the Janoskis might look like your typical black pair with hits of red for contrast, but when you flash a light on the sneaker not unlike how Commissioner Jim Gordon flashes the signal, Batman appears. Using the same color changing reflective properties that were found on adidas XENO Flux sneakers, the upper transformers from solid black to a blast of color that outlines Batman’s logo. Diagnosed with a brain lesion at the age of 7, Grubb’s parents told him that Batman also had a similar ailment, helping to ease his mind because that was his favorite superhero.
2. Air Jordan 4 DB Isaiah Scott (Superman)
Year Released: 2011
Any ranking of the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection sneakers is a fool’s errand, because every sneaker tells a story of a child dealing with debilitating conditions. Saying one is better than another doesn’t feel right. However, when it comes to what people were hyped to buy the moment they were revealed, Isaiah Scott’s Air Jordan 4 is in the top five, and it’s probably not 5 or 4, or 3. Dealing with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is not easy for anybody, but Isaiah Scott found comfort and strength through Superman. Without the help of DC Comics beyond giving the ok to put the logo on the tongue, Isaiah designed the best Superman sneaker ever. Not a lot of Superman kicks would dare to add his weakness for kryptonite, but it’s featured prominently on Isaiah’s Js. The up and down arrows etched on the upper could be seen as a reference to Superman’s catchphrase “up, up, and away” or the ups and downs that kids in Isaiah’s condition face.
1. KITH x Marvel x ASICS GEL-LYTE III X-Men
Year Released: 2023
At the heart of comic book fandom is the desire to collect. Whether it’s a complete run of a series, or multiple copies of one trading card, or chasing that holy grail is gem mint condition, it’s a catch them all mentality. An X-Men fan from the boom period of the 90s, Ronnie Fieg knows what it’s like to chase that elusive next thing. For KITH’s collaboration with Marvel, they tapped into that collector mentality in a big way. Inspired by the legendary Impel X-Men trading card set, KITH implemented a blind box strategy for their ASICS GEL-LYTE IIIs based on Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, and others. Inside the trading card box-inspired packaging was a sealed bag, its contents hidden from the buyer. Inside was a pair of the GEL-LYTEs featuring one of the X-Men and a matching trading card with varying degrees of rarity. The possibilities were: maybe you wanted the Rogue colorway but ended up with Cyclops. That’s a terrible fate, but it might pay off in the end if the card ended up being an ultra-rare variant that was graded by PSA. On one hand, it’s very chaotic and potentially wading into the waters of gambling, but on the other is an adrenaline rush that can’t be replicated.
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
