10 Unforgettable Sneakers That Celebrated Black History Month

Each year during Black History Month, institutions take the opportunity to celebrate the individuals past and present that continue to shape the trajectory of the country. Within our purview, sneaker culture itself is unquestionably indebted to black culture, a fact that we’ve seen footwear brands across the industry with annual commemorative collections. It’s a history that stretches back to the mid 2000s, but we’ve parsed the archives to assemble some of the most lasting and impactful instances, all assembled below.

 
THE AIR JORDAN 3
 
We’re starting off with a bang; easily the most notable instance where Michael Jordan’s legacy was leveraged for Black History Month. 2011’s sleek black and gold affair marked the first time the elephant print on an Air Jordan 3 release was modified for the public, sporting laser etched details that nodded to the first nationwide recognition of BHM in 1976. On the interior, Jordan-esque refrains project a succinct yet powerful message: “Overcome the odds. Make an impact on your sport. Change the world.”

 
THE NIKE KOBE 9 ELITE
 
Sometimes less is more, and as the Kobe 9 Elite entered the monochromatic world of the 2015 Nike BHM collection, it proved the prompt absolutely correct. Though already accustomed to dense geometric looks in its mainline drops, the alternating black and white colorway for Black History Month instantly became one of the best received in his line. Soon after, it’d finalize as the last release in the original run of the Kobe 9. Truly, it was a “save the best for last” proposition, as the mismatched look still commands some of the highest grey market prices across his ninth signature.

 
THE NIKE AIR FORCE 1
 
The Air Force 1 Low can truly be regarded as the genesis of Nike’s Black History Month efforts, releasing a BHM version in 2005 that kicked off what’d become a yearly tradition in Beaverton. As such, there’s a long history to pull from, but 2012’s pair stands out for its combination of a simple foundation and expressive accents on top.
 
All of the 2012 pairs from the Swoosh were celebrations of historic champions on the international stage; the ‘96 USA Women’s Basketball Olympics squad, the ‘02 Brazil men’s team at the World Cup and the ‘08 Kenyan men’s running group in Beijing, played out with the rich, multi-color details on the liner, laces and outsole.

 
THE NIKE LEBRON 15
 
Though a mainstay of inline Nike collections, in 2018, the superstar-turned-mogul leveraged his own gravitational pull to make an impact. “Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for, and how powerful we are, as men, as women, black or white,” reads James’ animating principle for the mismatched colorway, each sporting gold embroidered “Equality” text on their heels.
 
The limited quantities of this shoe, only 200 pairs of each produced, may be a familiar prompt, but it dropped to unprecedented success. The LeBron 15 was released exclusively via a Rally Up raffle, where entries for the shoe cost $10 that went directly to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. All told, the launch raised nearly half a million dollars, and the PE version that kicked off its cadence was enshrined in the exact collection it was dedicated to.

 
THE ADIDAS D ROSE 6
 
As seen with the Kareem collection earlier, “past meets present” is a recurring concept in adidas’ BHM efforts, yet 2016 may be their most significant execution. Jesse Owens’ story remains one of the most animating in both the history of black athletes and within adidas’ walls; Adi Dassler gifted the Olympian a pair of track spikes sported during his record-setting high jump and throughout his Berlin performances. That spotlight proved transformative for the nascent footwear operation, and 70 years later, the moment’s legacy appeared with the 2016 Black History collection.
 
Though again each of the shoes is worthy of note, the adidas D Rose 6 from the group bears the most direct connection, wearing Owens’ 773 pinny number on its tongue, an identical black and gold colorway from the cleats, and a graphic depiction of the Olympic crowd on the interior.

 
THE NIKE ZOOM KD 4
 
In much the same way as the Air Force 1, Nike Basketball can’t be excluded from any BHM sneakers conversation. Some of the most everlasting looks from the mid 2010s spawned from the initiative, and as the KD 4 persists as the superstar’s best-received, it was a shoo-in for inclusion here.
 
The aforementioned ties to 1996’s Gold Medal USA team further elevate the legacy of each of the basketball models on display here, especially with Kevin Durant going on to carve out his own slice of history months later in London. Some thirteen years later, he stands alone as the all-time scorer for Team USA, retroactively imbuing this shoe with even more historical significance.

 
THE NIKE SB DUNK LOW
 
Long among the most reliable narrative palettes in Beaverton, the SB Dunk has taken on black history month on multiple occasions. Including one with the impending 2025 edition was only right, as was a colorway with a stated tie to a black Swoosh signee. The previous two editions in 2013 and 2014 utilized inputs from Theotis Beasley and Ishod Wair, respectively, and in year three of the run, Beasley returned on consult duty.
 
For 2015’s cleaned-up edition, Beasley pulled from his status as a role model for those hoping to follow in his footsteps. With proceeds from the full 2015 collection going towards uplifting young black athletes, there’s a natural synergy in everything this SB Dunk represents.

 
THE ADIDAS CRAZY 8
 
Standing as the league’s all-time scorer for nearly 40 years, the legacy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is undebatable. His footprint in footwear is nearly as impactful, a fact that adidas sought to recognize by assembling their roster of basketball models for their 2015 Black History Month collection. Unquestionably each of the shoes from the capsule is significant (J Wall 1, D Rose 5 Boost, D Lillard 1), but it’s hard to deny the Crazy 8 as the standout.
 
The logline is nearly enough to cement that, mapping Kareem’s high school career onto Kobe Bryant’s first-ever signature shoe, tying together the early steps of two of the most hallowed athletes that ever passed through adidas’ halls.

 
THE EWING 33 HI
 
Many of our selections here find brands bringing stories of black athletes to their most venerated models, but Ewing Athletics doesn’t need to look outside their own walls for that same inspiration. Jump back to the brand’s 2018 Black History Month collection for the first to come to our minds for this exercise.
 
Pinning the frequently used black and gold colorway on the Concept and 33 Hi made for a suitable embrace on its own, but the 33 Hi Weave really sent things above and beyond. Putting a lifestyle spin on the big man’s model, the special make-up hit on both Jamaican and Pan African colors, a dual purpose that helps sum up why Ewing as a whole remains so well-suited to this celebration.

 
JUST DON x AIR JORDAN 1
 
Then in his early days in the Nike, Inc. oeuvre, Don C. managed to earn a pantheon BHM edition with his trademark luxury style, issuing just 37 pairs of a croc-skin, richly patterned Air Jordan 1 in accordance with the holiday’s 37th anniversary. While now sadly out of most of our price range, the eBay auction release ensured that all the proceeds ended up in the hands of direct action organizations, pledging to the Big Brothers & Sisters for the 2013 pair.
 
Circling back two years later for an alternate white colorway, Don C’s story in and of itself is an example of the theme at play, rising from a Beaverton newcomer to one of the most powerful collaborators in the Jordan Brand rolodex by the time of the 2015 version.