It’s 2025, and the sneaker cult is not yet over Michael Jordan‘s banned shoes Nike Air Ship, and its colorway. With Nike celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Air Jordan 1, the hype among fans has once again been reborn. To celebrate this event, the brand even launched a special limited edition Air Jordan 1 ’85 “Bred.” This particular colorway became a signature after its infamous ban. Over the years, the brand launched several shoes inspired by AJ1. While the NBA has relaxed its rules for footwear over the last few years, there are still iconic shoes from the past that couldn’t escape the strict NBA rules and policies regarding uniforms and shoes.

The impressive Adidas Top Ten 2000 with pink and teal accents!

One of the shoes that wasn’t well-received by the league was a version of the popular Top Ten 2000. These were promoted by Kobe Bryant in 1996 when he had inked a deal with the company. Back in 2012, Smith, along with teammates Jeff Teague and DeShawn Stevenson, was warned by the NBA for wearing the Adidas sneakers with pink and teal accents during a road game in Miami.

The South Beach-inspired gorgeous shoes would have gone well with the Miami Heat’s “Miami Vice” uniforms, which had a similar color scheme. But the colorway didn’t match with the Atlanta Hawks’ red and navy color scheme at the time. Following this, it led to a warning from the league. The shoes as well as the rules that got it banned keeps getting more and more interesting!

Netflix Stranger Things inspired Nike Hyperdunk 2016 custom 

No Stranger Things fan in the NBA? The Netflix sci-fi show became a big hit, garnering fans across the nation. Even celebrities couldn’t miss it including Karl-Anthony Towns, who is a huge fan of the show. So, in what was likely a tribute to the show, Towns launched sneakers that featured one of the most famous and important brandings from the series.

A glimpse at the shoes, the red and black accents on the shoes reminds of the upside down world. It was an ingenious design. However, this design violated the NBA’s shoe policies for players. As per the rules, the players couldn’t wear shoes that promoted a brand other than the NBA. Hence, he got the warning for these shoes. While speaking of Jordan’s banned shoes story, there’s another instance and shoes that many might remember.

What was wrong with Athletic Propulsion Labs Concept 1?

The rage of flashy jumps in basketball will never end!  One cannot forget Jordan’s ability to almost float in the air to dunk the ball. And if a shoe on top of that could elevate the player’s leaping abilities, that edition is bound to seek attention. 

These Athletic Propulsion Labs Concept 1 were reported to have jump enhancement technology. Studies done on the shoes showed that it had the spring effect that could propel the player to jump higher than usual. Is that for real? Well, the brand didn’t have to work much on convincing people. Why?

The creators of the shoe were the brothers, Ryan and Adam Goldston. And before the function of this technology could be even confirmed, the NBA banned the shoes in 2010. Whether it’s true or not, the ban caused a noise in the market. And this ban again catapulted the shoes to success just like seen with the Chicago Bulls legend’s shoes. Back in 2020, the brand aired another two editions focussing on the same technology.

The Tribute with Under Armour Curry 4 customs gone wrong!

One of the best functional and classy sneakers flaunted by Stephen Curry are the Under Armour 4s. One particular version is the pair he wore for the Chinese New Year game in 2018. The design on his shoes also matched the design of his jersey.

This jersey was a special one designed by Nike. It featured the Golden Gate Bridge with an extra lion to celebrate the “Year of the Lion.” However, since the rule changes in the NBA, the shoes were banned. As per these rules, players were not allowed to replicate the Nike-designed jerseys, which were part of the NBA’s deal with Nike, on any other brand’s items. Unfortunately, Curry could not flaunt these shiny new pairs.

The NBA didn’t approve of the mismatched Nike Kyrie 4!

NBA player De’Aaron Fox once wore mismatched Kyrie Irving sneakers, but the NBA didn’t allow them. As a result, he had to switch to a more standard-colored pair of LeBron James sneakers to comply with the league’s rules. These aren’t the only shoes that got banned. 

The Jordan Melo M10 worn by Carmelo Anthony and Jordan Melo M13 custom by Frank Kaminsky are the other shoes that were banned by the league. While it’s certainly unfortunate for the shoes to get banned, some of these pieces became a major hit thanks to the it.