The Best Signature Sneakers of the 2025 NBA Playoffs (So Far)
StyleA closer look at all the heat that’s graced the hardwood during this very wild postseason.By Calum MarshMay 21, 2025Photographs: Getty Images; Collage: Gabe ConteSave this storySaveSave this storySaveThe NBA playoffs have not gone according to plan. After racking up the best record in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers got walloped by the Indiana Pacers in the second round. The defending champion Boston Celtics, meanwhile, crashed out against the New York Knicks. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, and many others all went home earlier than expected, too.One element of the postseason that hasn’t been all that surprising, though? There’s been no shortage of sneaker heat on the hardwood, from brand-new signature models to wild new spins on classic silhouettes. And with the Oklahoma City Thunder now taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, we’re about to witness two of the league’s brightest stars—Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous Alexander—face off in two of the sport’s sickest shoes: Ant’s beloved Adidas AE1 and Shai’s much-hyped Converse Shai 001.That’s just the kind of high-stakes footwear drama we’ve come to expect from the NBA. Here are the best sneakers of the 2025 NBA playoffs—so far.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Converse Shai 001Garrett Ellwood/Getty ImagesMVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander premiered his debut Converse signatures at All-Star Weekend in February—a sci-fi silhouette in a butter yellow colorway that looked particularly great off the court with baggy denim. During the playoffs, however, Gilgeous-Alexander’s favored the Shai 001 in mean black and gray makeups that have felt more in line with his serious, locked-in performances against the Grizzlies and Nuggets.Anthony Edwards’ Adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low ‘Metallic Grey’Noah Graham/Getty ImagesAdidas recently teased the highly anticipated AE2, the sequel to one of the best signature basketball sneakers in recent memory. But for the time being, Ant-man is still finding new ways to impress with the original. This playoff run, it’s been the AE1 Low in the eye-catching ‘Metallic Grey’ colorway, which takes the streamlined low-top silhouette and makes it look as if it’s been dipped in mercury, shining every time it catches the light.LeBron James’s Nike LeBron 22 ‘Gold Medal’Juan Ocampo/Getty ImagesThe 22nd edition of LeBron’s Nike signature line is one of his best silhouettes ever, beefing up the technical specs and adding an exaggerated wraparound Swoosh for dramatic effect. For the playoffs, Bron brought back a colorway first seen last summer during the Paris Olympics: the ‘Gold Medal’ 22s, wrapped in a shimmering metallic leather that produces a vivid array of blues, pinks, and yellows.Stephen Curry’s Under Armor Curry 12 ‘Sakura’Noah Graham/Getty ImagesThis cherry blossom-inspired version of the Curry 12 wasn’t actually designed for its namesake player; instead, it debuted last summer as a player exclusive for Japanese point guard Kesei Tominaga, a Curry Brand signee who plays for the G League’s Noblesville Boom. The vibrant pink kicks looked plenty righteous on Steph himself, though—a highlight from the two-time MVP’s unexpectedly short and injury-ridden playoff run.Tyrese Haliburton’s Puma All Pro Nitro ‘Pinstripes’Joe Murphy/Getty ImagesIndiana has been having an incredible run in these playoffs, beating every comer and defying every expectation, thanks in no small part to the heroic efforts of Tyrese Haliburton. Fittingly, Hali’s been seen wearing this player exclusive version of the Puma All-Pro Nitro, dubbed the “Pinstripes,” which pays homage to the classic 1990s Pacers uniforms—exactly the era of Pacers basketball that Hali’s been channeling with his recent postseason triumphs.Luka Doncic’s Jordan Luka 4 “Quai 54”David Sherman/Getty ImagesThough Luka Doncic’s first playoff series as a Laker didn’t go quite the way he’d hoped, he did take the floor against the Timberwolves in one of the best iterations of his Jordan Brand signature sneaker yet: the Luka 4 “Quai 54,” a yellow-and-black colorway named for the famed Jordan-sponsored streetball tournament held in Paris every July. Like several famous Kobe models before it, the shoe borrows stylistic cues from Bruce Lee’s iconic yellow jumpsuit from Game of Death.Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 3 ‘Max Volume’Joe Murphy/Getty ImagesJa Morant’s first two Nike signature models were both fine enough, but the third iteration has really taken a leap forward in terms of style and storytelling. The new ‘Max Volume’ colorway, which Morant debuted during the Grizzlies’s first-round matchup against the Thunder, shows off the silhouette at its boldest and most unique, with furious streaks of pink and fuchsia running across the full length of the shoe.Jalen Brunson’s Nike Kobe 5 ‘WTR’Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty ImagesDespite their outsized fan base, the Knicks are sorely underrepresented on the signature sneaker market. (Karl-Anthony Towns
The NBA playoffs have not gone according to plan. After racking up the best record in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers got walloped by the Indiana Pacers in the second round. The defending champion Boston Celtics, meanwhile, crashed out against the New York Knicks. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, and many others all went home earlier than expected, too.
One element of the postseason that hasn’t been all that surprising, though? There’s been no shortage of sneaker heat on the hardwood, from brand-new signature models to wild new spins on classic silhouettes. And with the Oklahoma City Thunder now taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, we’re about to witness two of the league’s brightest stars—Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous Alexander—face off in two of the sport’s sickest shoes: Ant’s beloved Adidas AE1 and Shai’s much-hyped Converse Shai 001.
That’s just the kind of high-stakes footwear drama we’ve come to expect from the NBA. Here are the best sneakers of the 2025 NBA playoffs—so far.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Converse Shai 001
MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander premiered his debut Converse signatures at All-Star Weekend in February—a sci-fi silhouette in a butter yellow colorway that looked particularly great off the court with baggy denim. During the playoffs, however, Gilgeous-Alexander’s favored the Shai 001 in mean black and gray makeups that have felt more in line with his serious, locked-in performances against the Grizzlies and Nuggets.
Anthony Edwards’ Adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low ‘Metallic Grey’
Adidas recently teased the highly anticipated AE2, the sequel to one of the best signature basketball sneakers in recent memory. But for the time being, Ant-man is still finding new ways to impress with the original. This playoff run, it’s been the AE1 Low in the eye-catching ‘Metallic Grey’ colorway, which takes the streamlined low-top silhouette and makes it look as if it’s been dipped in mercury, shining every time it catches the light.
LeBron James’s Nike LeBron 22 ‘Gold Medal’
The 22nd edition of LeBron’s Nike signature line is one of his best silhouettes ever, beefing up the technical specs and adding an exaggerated wraparound Swoosh for dramatic effect. For the playoffs, Bron brought back a colorway first seen last summer during the Paris Olympics: the ‘Gold Medal’ 22s, wrapped in a shimmering metallic leather that produces a vivid array of blues, pinks, and yellows.
Stephen Curry’s Under Armor Curry 12 ‘Sakura’
This cherry blossom-inspired version of the Curry 12 wasn’t actually designed for its namesake player; instead, it debuted last summer as a player exclusive for Japanese point guard Kesei Tominaga, a Curry Brand signee who plays for the G League’s Noblesville Boom. The vibrant pink kicks looked plenty righteous on Steph himself, though—a highlight from the two-time MVP’s unexpectedly short and injury-ridden playoff run.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Puma All Pro Nitro ‘Pinstripes’
Indiana has been having an incredible run in these playoffs, beating every comer and defying every expectation, thanks in no small part to the heroic efforts of Tyrese Haliburton. Fittingly, Hali’s been seen wearing this player exclusive version of the Puma All-Pro Nitro, dubbed the “Pinstripes,” which pays homage to the classic 1990s Pacers uniforms—exactly the era of Pacers basketball that Hali’s been channeling with his recent postseason triumphs.
Luka Doncic’s Jordan Luka 4 “Quai 54”
Though Luka Doncic’s first playoff series as a Laker didn’t go quite the way he’d hoped, he did take the floor against the Timberwolves in one of the best iterations of his Jordan Brand signature sneaker yet: the Luka 4 “Quai 54,” a yellow-and-black colorway named for the famed Jordan-sponsored streetball tournament held in Paris every July. Like several famous Kobe models before it, the shoe borrows stylistic cues from Bruce Lee’s iconic yellow jumpsuit from Game of Death.
Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 3 ‘Max Volume’
Ja Morant’s first two Nike signature models were both fine enough, but the third iteration has really taken a leap forward in terms of style and storytelling. The new ‘Max Volume’ colorway, which Morant debuted during the Grizzlies’s first-round matchup against the Thunder, shows off the silhouette at its boldest and most unique, with furious streaks of pink and fuchsia running across the full length of the shoe.
Jalen Brunson’s Nike Kobe 5 ‘WTR’
Despite their outsized fan base, the Knicks are sorely underrepresented on the signature sneaker market. (Karl-Anthony Towns wears the Nike GT Jump and Mikal Bridges wears the PG 6, in case you were wondering.) Jalen Brunson can reliably be found wearing Kobe 5s, but this playoff run, he’s been rocking a brand new P.E. version that comes color-blocked in a wild array of hues. Dubbed the ‘WTR,’ the shoe is an homage to Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, and hopefully represents the first step toward Brunson receiving his own signature line at some point in the future.
