The Best Nike Sneakers By Decade by Stephen Cheetham

Every sneakerhead has his/her distinct tastes when it comes to Nike sneakers, and usually those tendencies can be categorized not only by style, but by the era. The 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s were all special in their own right primarily because each 10-year block was so unique from one another – the 1970’s had the simple runners like the Cortez, while the 90’s introduced brighter colors and more high-tech designs like the Air Max 90 and the Mowabb. Artist Stephen Cheetham, who we’ve featured before from his involvement in sneaker-related art exhibits, continued his personal sneaker history by creating illustrations of his favorite by decade; while he calls the Nike Bruin his favorite sneaker of all-time, his range of ‘likes’ is worth noting as it includes some forgotten gems that you may have stashed somewhere in your memory. If this type of art looks familiar, you’re probably thinking of Robb Harskamp, who was commissioned by Nike to create illustrations for Tinker Hatfield’s 30th Anniversary Party (and was also a name in a light controversy with Kick Draw sneaker art). Check out the decade-by-decade illustrations of Cheetham’s favorite Nikes below and let us know which decade you like best! Photos: artandsole