Jay-Z is officially headlining the Super Bowl LXI halftime show. The NFL announced it during Monday Night Football, and it will be his first time performing on that stage. Roc Nation has helped shape the halftime show since 2019, so the moment feels long overdue. It also has sneakerheads wondering what Hov will have on his feet.
Over the years, halftime has become one of the best launch pads in sneaker culture. Here are the 10 best sneakers ever worn at the Super Bowl halftime show:
10. Kendrick Lamar, Nike Air DT Max ‘96 “Colorado Away” (Super Bowl LIX)
Kendrick Lamar made the sneaker world pay attention with an unexpected pick at Super Bowl LIX. He wore the Nike Air DT Max ‘96 “Colorado Away,” a signature shoe from Deion Sanders.
The white and black upper has gold accents that match the Colorado Buffaloes’ team colors. It released in September 2024 for $170, but demand surged right after the show. StockX reported that trades on the shoe jumped 413% following the performance.
Further, Roc Nation helped produce that show, and now Jay-Z is stepping up to headline one himself. Overall, it was a low-key choice that turned an underrated Nike into a hot pair overnight.
9. Flea, Adidas 8 “Lakers” (Super Bowl XLVIII)
Super Bowl XLVIII proved that a halftime sneaker does not need to be brand new to stand out. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea walked out in Adidas 8s in the “Lakers” colorway. He is a huge Lakers fan, so the purple and gold made total sense.
The silhouette also started as Kobe Bryant’s adidas signature shoe, which adds even more history to the pair. Meanwhile, frontman Anthony Kiedis wore a pair of Energy Boost. Overall, it was a simple choice that has aged very well, and it still looks great.
8. Big Boi, Air Jordan 3 “Tinker Oregon” PE (Super Bowl LIII)
Travis Scott grabbed most of the sneaker headlines at Super Bowl LIII. However, Big Boi quietly wore one of the rarest pairs in the stadium. The OutKast rapper performed in his home city of Atlanta in the Air Jordan 3 “Tinker Oregon” PE.
Collectors consider the pair super-rare, since it reportedly went to a small group in the Oregon community. That makes it very hard to find outside of that circle.
Overall, it was a deep cut for real sneakerheads in the middle of a very mainstream show. Moments like that are why halftime sneaker spotting has become so much fun.
7. Rihanna, MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross (Super Bowl LVII)
Rihanna’s return to the stage in 2023 was a huge moment for music and sneakers. She performed in an all-red look with matching MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross sneakers. Google Trends data showed searches for the silhouette spiked 4,000% after the show.
Further, it proved that a Halftime sneaker does not need a Nike or Jordan logo to make an impact. The pair also showed how quickly this stage can turn a fashion sneaker into a household name. Overall, it was a rare halftime sneaker moment that came straight from the fashion world.
6. Usher, Custom Chrome Air Jordan 4 (Super Bowl LVIII)
Usher ran through his biggest hits from the early 2000s at Super Bowl LVIII. His custom Air Jordan 4 stood out just as much. He wore the chrome pair with an Off-White outfit covered in 394,000 embroidered crystals.
Usher, Jordan Brand, and customizer The Shoe Surgeon created the shoe together. The upper mixes shiny chrome with shades of blue, grey, and white. It also fit the throwback energy of his set perfectly.
Further, it showed how far custom work can go on a stage this big. Overall, it gave Air Jordan 4 fans one of the flashiest halftime pairs ever.
5. Bad Bunny, Adidas BadBo 1.0 “Resilience” (Super Bowl LX)
Bad Bunny used the biggest stage in sports to debut his first signature sneaker with Adidas. He wore the BadBo 1.0 in an all-white “Resilience” colorway that matched his cream outfit.
The shoe was designed from the ground up with its own identity instead of reworking an old Adidas silhouette. It released the day after the game, which kept the hype at its peak.
The show became the most-watched halftime performance on record.
4. Eminem, Air Jordan 3 “Slim Shady” PE (Super Bowl LVI)
Eminem walked into Super Bowl LVI in an unreleased Air Jordan 3 PE with a “Fire Red” look. The best detail sat on the heel, where a name tag read “Hi! My name is Slim Shady.” He later captioned a photo of the pair “Air Shady.”
That show took place at SoFi Stadium, the same venue where Jay-Z will headline in February. Eminem also has a deep history with Jordan Brand, including a famous Air Jordan 4 collab with Carhartt. Overall, it was a creative PE that matched his persona perfectly.
3. J Balvin, Air Jordan 1 High OG “J Balvin” (Super Bowl LIV)
J Balvin teased his Air Jordan 1 collab before Super Bowl LIV, then wore it on stage. He joined Jennifer Lopez and Shakira for a guest spot during the show. The multicolor shoe, with its bright patches and his smiley face logo, stood out immediately.
Sneakerheads wanted a pair right away, but COVID delays pushed the release to December. It still sold out instantly once it finally dropped.
This was the first halftime show after Roc Nation partnered with the NFL. It remains one of the most eye-catching Air Jordan 1s ever released.
2. Travis Scott, Air Jordan 6 “Olive” (Super Bowl LIII)
Travis Scott used Super Bowl LIII to show off the Air Jordan 6 “Olive” before anyone could buy it. He debuted the shoe right before taking the stage, and its glow-in-the-dark outsole added extra mystery.
He also gave Maroon 5’s Adam Levine an unreleased pair of the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 “Mocha.” Levine’s pair came with pink laces, which made it easy to spot. Neither shoe was available yet, which made the hype even bigger.
The Air Jordan 6 was later released in October and sold out right away. Overall, few halftime moments have led to such a huge release afterward.
1. Justin Timberlake, Tinker Hatfield x Air Jordan 3 “JTH” (Super Bowl LII)
Justin Timberlake’s Air Jordan 3 “JTH” is the shoe that started the halftime sneaker playbook. He wore a never-before-seen Tinker Hatfield design with a “White Cement”-inspired look and a reflective Swoosh. Both Timberlake’s and Hatfield’s signatures were inside the tongues.
Many people assumed it was a one-of-one, but Nike dropped the colorway on SNKRS right as his performance ended. Anyone who grabbed a pair now owns a true big-game grail.
Since then, Jordan Brand has treated halftime like a launch stage. With Jay-Z now stepping onto that stage in 2027, the bar for halftime sneakers has never been higher.
