As the NBA regular season has come to a close and the playoffs have begun, it's time to take a look back at the most worn sneakers of the 2020-2021 season. Thanks to kixstats.com, we have a comprehensive breakdown highlighting the brands and models players chose to lace up the most throughout the year.
To no surprise — you caught the sarcasm in our headline, right? — Nikes were worn far more than any other brand during the 2020-2021 NBA regular season. Nine out of the top ten most worn sneakers came from Nike, including three Kobe models in the Kobe 5, Kobe 6, and Kobe 4. The Kobe 5 and Kobe 6 sit atop the list at one and two, respectively, as the former was worn 2,469 times during the regular season, while the latter was worn 1,980 times. Rounding out the top five are the KD 13 at number three (worn 1,747 times), the Freak 2 at number four (worn 1,256 times), and the Freak 1 at number five (worn 840 times). Others from Nike — and Jordan Brand — featured in the top ten include the Jordan 35 at number 6 (worn 706 times), the Kyrie 7 at number seven (worn 662 times), the previously mentioned Kobe 4 at number eight (worn 631 times), and the PG 5 at number ten (worn 474 times).
The lone non-Nike sneaker to crack the top ten is none other than the Dame 7 from adidas. The Damian Lillard signature comes in at number nine on the list, having been worn 590 times throughout the NBA regular season.
Nike has long since held a majority market share in regards to the performance basketball market, and this year the trend seemingly continued. Will other brands like adidas, Under Armour, PUMA, and New Balance be able to catch up? History says no, but truthfully, only time will tell. Also, will the popularity of the Kobe line dwindle, or surge to new heights, now that Bryant's deal with Nike has expired? This is certainly one aspect to keep an eye on going into next NBA season and beyond.
For now, you can see the breakdown of this year's most popular basketball sneakers — as worn on NBA hardwoods — below, then follow on over to kixstats.com for more statistics.
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