Decades ago, as recently as the 1980s, basketball sneakers were an afterthought. NBA players didn’t have signature shoe lines. It wasn’t until Michael Jordan received his first one, back in 1984, that people began to take notice of them.
Now, NBA signature shoes are everywhere. In fact, they are a multi-billion dollar industry. Not only do people more than ever recognize them as an important piece of equipment needed to hold up under exhaustive and physical conditions and movements, but they’ve become collectibles. The resale price on certain pairs can climb into the thousands of dollars. Authentic vintage pairs can do for even more.
This sneaker craze has evolved over the years, sometimes even showing signs of slowing. But the core of the industry remains intact. Poring over all the different signature lines can be intimidating. Yet, it’s important to know which ones are most popular. Just as you would search for how to choose a Canadian sportsbook if you wanted to bet on basketball, you should do the same when purchasing a new pair of kicks. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in to play the game or be a collector. Knowing which NBA signature shoes are the most popular is an important element of making even a single purchase.
One of the best ways to do this? That would be to see what the pros themselves are actually wearing. And as it just so happened, we have compiled a list of the most worn shoes among NBA players just for this occasion.
- Nike Kobe 6 Protro
Nike’s Kobe Bryant shoe line remains a staple among players, collectors and casual wearers. To that end, the entire Kobe line ranks first in sales by a cosmically wide margin, according to SI.com’s Pat Benson. And to be sure, this is saying something.
Wearing Kobes isn’t just a fad. Nor is the genesis of the line’s popularity the tragic death of the five-time champion, his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people in a January 2020 helicopter crash. Kobe’s dominance of the sneaker industry began long before he ever retired.
This popularity endures today with the Nike Kobe 6 Protro. First released back in 2018, the Kobe Protro is standard fare among NBA players. So much so that they’ve worn them for a league-leading 71,312 minutes this season, according to the folks over at Kix Stats. Players who don them include New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson.
- Nike Kobe 5 Protro
Another Kobe Protro? Really?
Really, really.
We told you this line was standard fare in the NBA. Players wore the Nike Kobe 5 Protro 26,804 minutes this year. This is an absurd number that also illustrates the popularity of the No. 1-ranked Protro 6. The latter saw NBA players wear it for nearly three times as many minutes.
As for notable players who sported the Protro 5 this season, the list includes Trista da Silva of the Orlando Magic, Nique Clifford of the Sacramento Kings and Marvin Bagley III of the Dallas Mavericks. The shoe is also popular among collegiate athletes, and the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark had a specialized Protro 5 edition, too.
- Nike Sabrina 3
“Sabrina Ionescu Parade” Licensed Under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
As if you needed any more proof that Sabrina Ionescu the WNBA’s New York Liberty was a cultural icon.
NBA players wore the Nike Sabrina 3 for 26,125 minutes this season. That comes within 600 minutes of second place.
While the third edition of this line has so far been the most popular, a Sabrina 4 is apparently on the way.
- Nike Kobe 4 Potro
So, uh, if you are in the market for a basketball shoe the pros wear, it seems like the Kobe Potro model is the way to go.
For the Kobe 4 Potro specifically, it graced the NBA court for a total of 23,902 minutes during the 2025-26 campaign. That is a staggering number when you consider the shoe was now released two years ago.
Names to put on their feet this year include Javonte Green of the Detroit Pistons, Jordan Miller of the Los Angeles Clippers and Justin Champagnie of the Washington Wizards.
- Nike KD18
Rounding out our list in first place we have the NIke KD18. This is the second-most recent edition of Kevin Durant’s signature line with the sneaker giant. Nike released the KD19 back in March 2026.
This means that the KD18’s were the most recent ones of this line for most of the season. Hence why players wore them for 21,833 minutes total.
Durant himself, of course, accounts for a portion of these minutes. But he was also sporting KD19s before they were released, so he didn’t juice the KD18 tally on his own.
Plus, KD may have the most popular shoe among current NBA stars. Ever since leaving Under Armour, we saw Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors wear a pair in April 2026. Beyond him, Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, KD’s former team, is frequently known to throw these kicks on his feet as well.
