With the NBA heading into the final stretch run, we decided to finally break down Nike's best signature shoes. From the latest and greatest to ones worn by the Glove, Sir Charles and VC, Complex hits you with another list to discuss - The 25 Greatest Nike Signature Basketball Sneakers of All Time. (In the interest of not turning it into a list of a dozen Air Jordans and some other shoes, we only took the original Air Jordan 1 into consideration. Yes, Jordan didn't spin off into its own brand until later, but in the interests of fairness and variety, this seemed like the best solution.) RELATED: The 100 Best Nike Shoes Ever Made RELATED: Sneaker Report - The 10 Most Ridiculous Things Players Have Said About Their Signature Shoes RELATED: Sneaker Report - Breaking Down 3 Non-Basketball Shoes for the Court RELATED: Sneaker Report - The Best Basketball Shoes for Point Guardsspan Free fast shipping on $50+ See more like thisNike pays tribute to Black History Month

Nike BHM Collection features a distinct motif honoring Didier Drogba, Serena Williams and Kevin Durant -- athletes who are making a civic impact beyond athletics. ‘Tis the season for festive Nike Basketball signature footwear The brand unwraps Christmas Day colorways of Kobe Bryant’s, Kevin Durant’s and LeBron James’s signature shoes. Inside Access: Kevin Durant’s backpack revealed A deeper look at the design and inspiration behind Nike’s KD backpack. Unveiling the KD V, Kevin Durant's fifth Nike shoe The KD V leads with premium performance while bringing Kevin's journey to life. The number 5 acts as inspiration: 5 players united on the court, 5 sides of the nation's Pentagon, 5 corners of a star, and what that means to #35. Nike Basketball comes alive in NBA 2K13 Nike+ Basketball, athlete signature footwear, NIKEiD integration and the Innovation Kitchen all feature in NBA 2K13 video game integration. Kevin Durant wraps up 2012 Nike Greater China Tour in Hong Kong

The gold medalist, three-time scoring champion and the All-Star MVP spends two days in Hong Kong coaching local athletes and meeting fans. Kevin Durant kicks off 2012 Nike Greater China Tour in Shanghainike shoes models usa Durant's begins his annual tour as the Nike+ Festival of Sport 2012 wraps up.best running shoes austin Nike Zoom KD IVlow cost adidas running shoes Nike Basketball’s releases over the past 20 years represent the definition and redefinition of the hoops shoe. In 2011, the Nike Zoom KD IV was born. Videos: Insider Access to USA Men's and Women's Basketball As the road to glory continues, USA Men's and Women's Basketball players give an insider's perspective. Videos: Insider Access to USA Basketball

USA Men’s Basketball Team Members Debut NIKEiD Shoes USA-Inspired NIKEiD Designs Showcased On Court as Part of the Nike World Basketball Festival 2012 in Barcelona, Spain Nike Ushers in Basketball's Post Season Nike Basketball celebrates the road to finals gold with premium series of playoff footwear Kevin Durant Unveils the New Nike N7 Zoom KDIV Kevin Durant to debut the new Nike N7 Zoom KDIV shoe. Kevin Durant Wears the NIKE+ FuelBand in Orlando Building his Fuel Score as he knocked down shots and advanced to the 3-point contest finals, Kevin Durant wears the NIKE+ FuelBand, a wristband that tracks movement. Nike Basketball introduces special editions for Orlando Taking inspiration from space exploration, the collection features a galactic theme on the LeBron 9, Nike Zoom KD IV and Nike Zoom Kobe VII System. Nike Introduces 2012 Black History Month Collection Limited-edition collection celebrates 36th anniversary of Black History Month.

Nike introduces 'Year of the Dragon' collection Nike observes the Year of the Dragon with four special editions: the Air Force 1 Low Supreme, Air Jordan 2012, Nike Kobe VII System Supreme and Nike Zoom KD IV. Nike Basketball introduces Christmas colors Special colors of Nike's key signature basketball shoes will debut on the feet of Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire on Christmas day.Nike has confirmed that no All-Star themed footwear has been prepared for the festivities, ending a long-standing tradition of sneaker releases that were, at on point, the most sought-after items on the market. It’s only been three years since Nike’s “NOLA Gumbo League” born from New Orleans flavor was released, and the change of venue removing the game from Charlotte may have played a role, but the larger picture is that Nike Basketball’s signature shoes aren’t the hotly coveted items like they used to be. How Nike Basketball’s All-Star kicks and the category in general fallen from grace can easily be identified.

Does that mean the formula for a comeback is as obvious? Above: Nike’s All-Star Collection release in February 2012 at The Florida Mall (Photo: NPR) Let’s rewind a bit to 2010, when Nike Basketball was was producing the hottest tickets in the game. Nike’s signature shoe line-up that year consisted of the Kobe V, LeBron 7, and KD 2 – all widely embraced by their respective fans and the sneakerhead community alike. The All-Star versions, which featured wood-grain detailing with reflective pop, are considered to be among the best All-Star releases ever. Nike Sportswear’s red-hot Foamposite and Penny line only fortified Nike Basketball’s place as number one, with 2012’s release of the “Galaxy” Collection transforming mall parking lots into war-zones. Until 2013, Nike Basketball was the only game in town, rivaled only by Jordan Retros. But during that “dynasty”, the landscape of the shoe industry was much different. For one, knit sneakers didn’t exist.

Flyknit would not be introduced at mass retail until mid-2012, and adidas Primeknit didn’t really make a mark until 2015 with the Ultra Boost. What the meteoric rise of the Roshe in 2013 (the shoe debuted in 2012) told us was that consumers cared less about bells and whistles and more about simplicity and budget. Nike Basketball in 2013 was the exact polar opposite of what the Roshe represented; the former pushed innovation and borderline belligerent colorways, whereas the latter represented a peaceful zen while using the most inexpensive materials suitable for footwear. Above: Original design sketch for the Nike Roshe Run (Photo: How To Make It) The Roshe was a force to be reckoned with because it kick-started the low-profile, low-frills footwear trend. Flyknit models were essentially higher-end knit shoes that achieved that same look, setting the stage for adidas to dominate with the Ultra Boost, NMD, Yeezy, and so on. Meanwhile, Nike Basketball stayed true to their innovative spirit and produced some impressive models, but the evolving aesthetic wasn’t what casual consumers, aka the majority, were clamoring for.

Pair decreasing demand with increasing prices/production and the most elementary economist will cringe hard. By 2014, Nike was getting fat off the Roshe and other unearthed models like the Air Huarache, which required almost zero marketing. There’s something about big dollars being thrown around that deters sneakerheads because sneaker culture was born from organic trends, and once brands try to capitalize, long term success is unlikely (Nike SB, we’re looking at you). Basketball shoes are a much more lucrative category backed by a multi-billion dollar professional league, with athletes being paid nine figures just to wear the shoes, so where’s the “cult” factor in that? Above: Steph Curry in China debuting the UA Curry 2.5 (Photo: Under Armour) In addition to evolving footwear trends, Nike Basketball took a bit of a hit on the sales and PR front thanks to Steph Curry and Under Armour. You’ve heard the story a million times over: Steph is essentially thrown to the side by Nike, with the story of the infamous last-ditch pitch to Steph and father Dell only adding to the ridicule.

Now signed with Under Armour, Steph goes on to have one of the best seasons in NBA history and perhaps the best two-year stretch ever. (We have to point out that Under Armour’s Curry line got just as cold for basically the same reasons that Nike Basketball did, but we’ll get deeper into that later.) So why exactly is Nike Basketball forgoing an All-Star collection? Nike recognizes that the demand just isn’t there anymore and another set of superfluous colorways will do nothing but check a box internally while telling its consumers to expect more of the same. But it appears that the once mighty category is finally grounded and fully aware of its surroundings, and from there is a much-needed restructuring, wiping the slate clean and breaking the formula that they created in the first place. Still, the Kyrie 3 is among the best-selling basketball shoes, and reaction to Paul George’s PG1 is very positive. Will Nike Basketball shoes reach that pinnacle of industry power again?