Complex: Andre Agassi's 10 Best Sneakers of All Time

Growing up i was never in to tennis but i knew the notable names as well as their signature sneakers. Todays sneaker designs still fall short of the classics and one that really set the bar high was the Agassi's. The Trainer silhouette and artistic eye catching colorway and design made them a must have. Check out Complex magazines break down of the top 10 best sneakers of all time.

Few athletes pushed the boundaries of a sport further than Andre Agassi did in tennis during the late '80s and early '90s. His rockstar-like appearance, from the mullet to the flashy clothing and brightly colored sneakers, helped him become one of the biggest stars tennis had ever seen. Nike teamed up with Andre Agassi in the late '80s as he rose through the ranks of tennis and became a full fledged superstar. After a decade or so, Agassi and Nike parted ways and left with us a signature sneaker line that rivals the best. Today it was announced that Nike and Andre Agassi are once again partnering to make the tennis world a better place and we couldn't help but reminisce. Check out the Andre Agassi's 10 Best Sneakers of All Time.

10 Signs Your A Lame Sneakerhead Via @Complexmag

“As sneakers and the culture and community surrounding them continues to grow, the number of lames that somehow find their way into becoming a “sneakerhead” seems to multiply at exponential rates. Quick, look around. Is it you? Is it the guy that posts pics of the full size runs he rolled out of the mall that kept you from that latest release? Is it the guy that can’t handle someone else getting hooked up with a pair of kicks? Is it the kid camping for kicks with no intention to ever wear them?”

1. You Cry Publicly When You Miss Out On Releases.

2. You Say “I Need Those” For Every Hype Release.

3. You Tell Everyone How Much Of A Sneakerhead You Are.

4. You Talk About The Good Old Days…Which Was When Your Mom Bought You Sneakers.

5. You Only Know Sneakers By Their Nicknames.

6. You Only Wear One Brand Of Sneakers.

7. You Only Think A Sneaker Is Cool After A Celeb Co-Signs It.

8. The Only Place You Talk To People About Sneakers Is On The Internet.

9. You Only Wear Shoes To Post A Picture of Them On Social Media.

10. You Can’t Admit To Being Guilty Of At Least One Thing On This List.

23 Things You May Not Know About Air Jordans By @Complexmag

When Michael Jordan left the University of North Carolina in 1984, he wanted to sign with adidas, not Nike. He was a self-described “adidas nut,” and told his agent that if the deal the German company offered was even close, he’d sign with them. Apparently it wasn't. Their loss.



The very first drawing of the Air Jordan ball-and-wings logo was sketched out on the spur of the moment by Nike's Peter Moore, while the "Air Jordan" name was actually conceived of by superagent David Falk. And while it's hard to believe now, Falk wanted Jordan treated more like a tennis player than a basketball player — because back then, they were the ones getting the signature product.



When Nike first presented MJ with sketches of the black and red Jordan 1s, he innocently responded "I can't wear that shoe, those are the Devil colors." As a Tar Heel, MJ wasn't so eager to don the colors of rival NC State, even if it was his new NBA look.



Michael Jordan was an unproven rookie when the Jordan 1s were designed and marketed, and at $65 a pop there was skepticism that anyone would buy them. Instead, he emerged as the most exciting player in the NBA, and when the shoes finally released, they flew off the shelves.



The Air Jordan II was the first Nike shoe to not feature Swoosh branding anywhere on the sneaker. It was a risky move, but it ushered in an era where design, not a logo, was most important.



The Jordan II was the only pair of Jordans to be made in Italy, and thanks to the faux lizard skin on the upper and design inspiration from a women's boot (an inspiration that would pop up again with the Air Jordan XII) they brought a new level of luxury to sports product as well as pop culture.



Michael wasn't too big on signing with Nike from the start and after two of the people who did the most to bring him to the brand (Peter Moore and Rob Strasser) left, he was considering a change of scenery as well — his initial deal was up in 1988. In the end, it was young designer Tinker Hatfield's incorporation of the elephant print and the Moore-conceived Jumpman logo on the revolutionary Air Jordan IIIs (and Michael's dad telling His Airness that Nike had his best interest at heart) that convinced him to stay. The Air Jordan IIIs should be everyone's favorite shoe beyond aesthetic reasons. (And this is why they are in my top 5 favorite kicks of all time - kixionary)



The Air Jordan V was the first basketball sneaker to feature 3M material (the Nike Air Epic was the first ever). Hatfield designed the tongue that way to make the sneaker look even flashier under the arena lights and strobes (sorry, photographers), and match Jordan's rockstar-like fame.



MJ suffered an injury to his foot in the second game of the NBA Finals against Magic and company. When asked if he wanted a special shoe to help protect the injury or his usual VIs — Michael simply responded to the training staff, "give me the pain."



Like many other things in the Air Jordan canon, the "Hare Jordan" ad campaign may look like a no-brainer now, but it represented quite the risk — and quite the investment — in 1992. The initial ad alone cost $1 million (not including Jordan's salary), took six months to make, and required 3,000 separate illustrations drawn by 25 different artists. Ehhhhhh, what's up,jock?



After Jordan left the NBA to pursue baseball full-time, Tinker Hatfield was told to abandon the Air Jordan line and move on to new things. But Tinker didn't think Mike was done with hoops quite yet, and continued to design new Air Jordans as if he'd never retired. Without his passion and belief, the Jordan line might have died after the VIII.



Michael Jordan was disappointed with how the Jordan X ended up since he was not consulted on the final design as he normally was. When Hatfield finally tracked him down to show him the Xs, Michael responded “I don’t like it and you need to change it.” Hatfield had added a strip of leather across the toe, something that hadn't been on an Air Jordan since the V. Chastened, he got on the phone the next day and had alterations made for the ensuing colorways after Jordan and jokingly (at least we hope so) told Tinker he would make up the financial difference if they didn't sell as well as his previous models. Even the retro version of the "Steel Grey" Xs featured a clean toe. Mike is always right.



It is no secret that Tinker Hatfield has drawn inspiration from strange places when designing Jordans, but maybe none as strange as a lawn mower and its protective cover that helped birth the most iconic Jordan to date — the XIs. Patent leather has found its way onto countless sneakers since, but it's worth remembering that, on the Air Jordan XI, it served a functional purpose besides adding flash.



During the Bulls playoff run in '95, Tinker unveiled the "Concord" XIs to Michael to see how he felt about the design. Jordan was so excited about the shoes that even against Tinker's wishes he rocked them on the court and forced Nike to go with the sample version design for the following season. The hype was so crazy from Michael holding up a pair and showing them off on television that the release in the fall was chaos. Sound familiar?



Before the Air Jordan XI ever hit shelves, Michael predicted the sneaker featuring smooth patent leather would get dressed up with suits. Sneakerheads talk about the Boyz II Men awards show appearance where they rocked the "Concords" and how it was likely a sign of things to come for one of the most iconic sneakers of all time. Go ahead and search the internets for art, it can't be found, but it definitely happened. And even without that, you probably know someone who wore Jordan XIs to a wedding. Possibly even their own.



When the Air Jordan XIII was released in '97, a shoe was released under the Jordan Brand name for the first time. This was a long time coming — and something that David Falk had wanted since the beginning, and Strasser and Moore wanted in 1987. A decade later, it was finally time. Enter CEO Jordan. The shoes rolled out along with the Air Jordan Trainers and Air Jordan Teams, making the line more than just the signature shoes for the first time.



With Michael on the verge of retiring again he decided to break out a pair of OG Jordan 1s at what was likely to be his final game at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1998. LeBron wasn't the first player to feel like he had just as much love and memories from the Knicks sanctuary. Mike's feet had grown a size since he first rocked the kicks, but that didn't stop him from making another statement in a long career of historical feats. He'd finish with 47 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and some seriously sore feet.



When it came time to design the statue of Mike outside of the United Center, the Air Jordan IXs were selected because of their distinct outsoles. Of course, the IXs were also the only Air Jordans that MJ never played in as a Bull before he retired for the second time in 1998.



The Air Jordan series accomplished a lot of firsts for a basketball sneaker, including a price tag of $200. Granted the Air Jordan XVII did come with a briefcase and interactive CD, but it hadn't been that long since $150 seemed sky-high. Funny though, we don't remember too many people complaining.



Jordan Brand had to completely re-work its marketing plan for the black mamba inspired Jordan XIXs because Michael is afraid of snakes. Kobe Bryant should remain forever thankful (for this and, um, pretty much his whole career).



Just like bonus tracks on your favorite album, the Air Jordan XXI came with something extra that you might not have known was even there. Heck, you might still haven't seen it. If you ever hold them up to a black light, a special message illuminates. What is it? Find out for yourself.



After the XVs Tinker was less hands-on with the design of the Jordan line until the Air Jordan XX3. With the XX3s, the team at Jordan Brand spent more time working on innovation than on any other Jordan and helped change how performance sneaker design was approached. They made the shoe thinner and slimmer so it would fit the athlete's foot even better and also sharply decreased the amount of adhesives needed to keep sneakers together. Not only was it the first performance basketball shoe to be part of Nike's "Considered" line, it would shape much of what was to come.



Ever wonder why Air Jordans are released on Saturdays? It's so kids don't skip school to get 'em. Now they just have to miss class on Friday (er, or Wednesday) to line up. Teachers and principals must be thrilled about Twitter RSVPs — except for all the text alerts going off in class.

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Complex June/July 2011 Issue – Rick Ross & Andy Samberg Cover

This is just all around Dope! Complex presents the first cover of their upcoming June/July 2011 issue. It feature Rick Ross and Andy Samberg on the cover, replicating the Jaws 2 poster. The issue hits stands on June 7th, but you can read the cover story here.

Complex – LeBron James’ Greatest Off-Court Sneaker Moments

More often than not, LeBron is spotted rocking his own shoe line. However, when we do get a glimpse of the Miami transplant off the court, he is often is a pair of fresh sneaks. From custom AF1s to the Nike Air Max 24/7 “Neon, LeBron’s shoe game is on par with a lot of folks who are known for their collections. To get the full scoop, hop on over to Complex for some of LeBron James’ Greatest Off-Court Sneaker Moments.

Pusha T’s Greatest Footwear Moments

Pusha T is making things happen as of lately. Known for his razor-sharp wit and incredible punch lines, the man is on a mission. Most recently, the member of the ground breaking group, The Clipse, signed to Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music label and was also spotted destroying the B.E.T. Awards Hip-Hop Cypher. In addition to his heavy involvement in music, Pusha T has also been an avid collector of sneakers. Complex took to the time to profile some of these sneakers in Pusha’s collection. Hop over to Complex and check out Pusha T’s Greatest Footwear Moments.

Curren$y’s Greatest Footwear Moments

Complex took a break from the hip hop artists for the last two Greatest Footwear Moments installments as they showcased skater Paul Rodriguez and model Amber Rose. However, this week, Complex caters to the hip hop community again by highlighting Louisiana rapper Curren$y’s Greatest Footwear Moments.

Curren$y has always let us know that he is one of the fly rappers in the hip hop community with album/mixtapes titles such as Jet Files, Pilot Talk, Music to Fly to, and How Fly. Therefore, his kicks must be on point, right? Click here to view Curren$y’s Greatest Footwear Moments brought to you by Complex.


For the last couple of months we have given you the inside scoop on the industries biggest sneaker freaks but one artist continually gets requested by our readers. Although voluntarily remaining underground, Curren$y Spitta has gained huge amounts of popularity with mixtapes like How Fly (a Wiz Khalifa collab) and most recently Smokee Robinson. Coining the term "round house kicks" on Wale's "Word Play" and creating a Twitter page for his Laney Jordan Vs(@spittaslaney5s), it seems our readers might be on to something. Does he really know kicks as much as he tokes up?

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