Banned Kicks: The Controversial Sneakers That Made Headlines

The sneakers we wear say a lot about us - however, some are more controversial than others.

Sneaker Fortress has compiled a list of the 10 most controversial sneakers of all time.

Nike's "Satan Shoes," created by MSCHF, caused controversy in 2021 due to featuring a drop of human blood in the sole.

The Nike Air Jordan 1 was controversial in 1985 for violating the NBA's dress code.

Rev. Jesse Jackson described Jeremy Scott's ‘Shackled’ sneakers as ‘slave shoes’ that commercialized hundreds of years of human degradation.

The iconic Nike SB ‘Heineken’ Dunk released in 2003, but was quickly halted due to a cease and desist sent by the Dutch brewing company.

The Ari Menthol 10s, a custom-made Nike Air Force 1 designed by Ari Saal Forman, are the stuff of sneakerheads’ dreams and nightmares.

Originally released in 1997, the Nike Air Bakin featured a controversial logo on its heel which closely resembled the Arabic word for ‘Allah’.

The Air Force 1 Experimental ‘Postal Ghost’ launch of 2021 stirred up quite a bit of controversy due to its remarkably similar look to the USPS Priority Mail box.

When they were first released, Golden Goose sneakers were considered quite controversial, with the public questioning why anyone would pay for shoes with a battered look.

Sneakerheads are dumbfounded that a relatively small brand has created shoes that are voted higher than many big designer brand sneakers.

Whilst the design has been called out by Kanye West for allegedly copying his YEEZY slide design, this hasn’t prevented them from being a huge success.