Source: Joseph Patronite / Getty
Your face is covered with a five-pound helmet identical to the ones the 52 other people on your team are wearing and you’re all rocking the same uniform. How can you set yourself apart from everyone else squaring up at the line of scrimmage?
It’s gotta be the shoes. Well, the cleats.
As brands like Jordan, and its parent company Nike‘s influence in the league grew when it came to on-the-field accessories, so did sales of its coveted sneakers. The NFL’s uniform policy—though recently relaxed—calls for cleats to match the uniforms. But everyone from the flashy Deion Sanders to the quiet-as-kept Donovan McNabb has compelled a Jordan brand plug to bless them with player exclusive cleats to show off to the world on Monday nights, and sneaker heads are here for it.
Check out the best NFL cleats of all time.
Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Player: Dez Bryant
Date: December 28, 2014
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI
Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty
Date: December 29, 2013
Sneaker: Air Jordan XII
Source: Mitchell Leff / Getty
Date: December 14, 2014
Sneaker: Air Jordan 11 Low “Concord”
Dez Bryant made a name for himself as a wide receiver at Oklahoma State and was even one of the best track and field stars in the country. That type of clout will earn you some of the freshest cleats on the field. Only Michael Jordan has a better collection than him. He said it himself. We’re sure he has some gems ready for the upcoming season, too.
Source: JEFF KOWALSKY / Getty
Player: Deion Sanders
Date: September 10, 2000
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI
If there was a NFL player who invented the word flashy, its Deion “Neon” Sanders. You know that the man who once said, “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good,” stayed laced in exclusive Jordans on the turf.
Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Source: Martin Morrow / Getty
Player: Warren Sapp
Date: February 4, 2001
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI “Bred”
The defensive line stayed laced too, especially Warren Sapp. Hailing from The U, he was known for his hard-hitting tackles, occasional outbursts, and pummeling QBs in Jordan 11s that had his last name sewn into the tongue.
Source: SCOTT ROVAK / Getty
Date: November 26, 2001
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI “Black Infrared”
Sapp handled his business as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, sacking the Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. Even the Rams’ infamous”Greatest Show on Turf” offense couldn’t stop the 300-pounder.
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Player: Terrell Owens
Date: December 19, 2004
Sneaker: Air Jordan XIII
Known for his off the field antics just as much as his on the field personality, Terrell Eldorado Owens always sported a pair of player exclusive Jordan cleats that were on full display during his elaborate touchdown celebrations. The Hall Of Fame committee said he was disruptive, but it’s only a matter of time before he gets his own bust.
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Player: Terrell Owens
Date: November 25, 2010
Sneaker: Air Jordan III
T.O. wasn’t the lightning quick receiver we’d seen in years prior, but in his final NFL season he was still able to lead all Bengals’ receivers (including Ochocinco) in receptions—and wear Jordan cleats we’d never seen. He’d only be a Cincinnati Bengal for one season before an ACL injury forced him off the field.
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Player: Donovan McNabb
Date: December 30, 2001
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI
The early aughts were prime time for the Philadelphia Eagles. It was when Donovan McNabb called the pocket his home for 10 seasons, became one of the highest ranked rushes for a quarterback, and wore Jordan XIs with his #5 etched into the heel.
Source: Joe Robbins / Getty
Player: Marvin Harrison
Date: November 8, 2004
Sneaker: Air Jordan XIII
Source: CRAIG LASSIG / Getty
Date: August 24, 2001
Sneaker: Air Jordan XIV “UNC”
Marvin Harrison was one of McNabb’s teammates while at Syracuse. Often considered one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game, the Philly native also wore tons of Colt blue Jordan’s, including IIIs, XIVs, and XIIIs. It also doesn’t hurt that he spent most of his 13-year career alongside Peyton Manning.
Source: Jim McIsaac / Getty
Player: Charles Woodson
Date: November 10, 2013
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI “Playoff”
Ice Cube fan or not, the simple grey, black, and white Oakland Raiders jerseys made them an easy favorite. And Heisman winner Charles Woodson took advantage of that by wearing Jordan cleats that effortlessly meshed with his jersey. However, he didn’t care about matching when he wore a gold pair of Jordan VIIs in his last Pro Bowl appearance.
Source: Brian Bahr / Getty
Player: Michael Crabtree
Date: December 20, 2015
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII
Michael Crabtree also took advantage of the Raider colors and has alternated between the African tribal print-inspired Jordan VIIs and a pair of blacked out Jordan XIIs.
Source: Tom Pennington / Getty
Date: February 1, 2015
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII “Seahawk”
Source: Joseph Patronite / Getty
Player: Randy Moss
Date: January 6, 2001
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI
Source: Mark Brettingen / Getty
Date: December 1, 2002
Sneaker: Air Jordan IX
Randy Moss may hold the NFL single-season touchdown reception record, but he was never able win a Super Bowl. He played with the Patriots during their 2007-2010 drought as the team struggled to rekindle its old magic. But his best cleats came when he was a Minnesota Viking. These would’ve looked just as good on Kobe Bryant at the Staples center, but he didn’t sign with Nike until 2007.
Source: Dustin Bradford / Getty
Player: Von Miller
Date: September 8, 2016
Sneaker: Adidas Boost Yeezy 750
Being the highest paid defensive player in NFL history with a $114.5 million contract has its perks. But wearing whatever cleat you want during games isn’t one. Von Miller’s Yeezy Boost 750 cleats were banned by the NFL. But the league can never take away the story behind Yeezus signing his Yeezy’s; it’s peak Kanye.
