The All-Time Greatest Country-Themed Sneakers
There are sneaker fanatics all over the world and, other than their shared love for creps, one thing they tend to have in common is a love for repping their local area.
To celebrate that niche category, we’ve curated some of the greatest country-themed sneakers to ever hit the street. From the Nike Air Pegasus ’89 ‘German Reunification’, to the celebratory Nike Air Force 1 ‘Puerto Rico’, they’ve all got a proud story to tell.
Suss them down below, and stay tuned for a potential Part 2, plus our All-Time Greatest City-Themed Sneakers coming very soon!
Nike Air Pegasus ’89 ‘German Reunification’Nike Air Pegasus ’89 ‘German Reunification’
Releasing in October 2015, the Nike Air Pegasus ’89 ‘German Reunification’ marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Hitting the design with insane details, Nike aimed to drop a crep that paid homage to Germany’s reunification. Dressed in camo, it featured the colours of both German armies – the Bundeswehr and the NVA. A specialised print on the insole reading ‘1990’ and ‘2015’ pays homage to the 25th anniversary.
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Nike Air Force 1 ‘Country Camo’Nike Air Force 1 ‘Country Camo’
Back in 2018 we received a bunch of European-inspired Nike Air Force 1s that had been given some serious camo treatment. Four pairs were created in total, all doused in different camo patterns specific to their region – each pair adorned with a removable Velcro flag.
Who doesn’t love removable Velcro accents on their sneakers?
Air Force 1 ‘Puerto Rico’Air Force 1 ‘Puerto Rico’
By definition, Puerto Rico is not a country, but we simply could not leave this design off the list. Originally hitting stores in 2005, the Air Force 1 ‘Puerto Rico’ was a success. It was originally scheduled to make a comeback in 2020; however, Nike later decided the product didn’t accurately represent the OG and pulled it from shelves. It seems as though some pairs slipped through the cracks, with a few people getting their hands on the controversial 2020 iteration.
Created to celebrate the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, the all-white upper with subtle flag details comfortably sits among some of the greatest country-themed creps.
adidas AF 1.3 Primeknit Bootadidas AF 1.3 Primeknit Boot
The adidas AF 1.3 Primeknit Boot was inspired by the elite German federal police unit: the GSG 9. Like a military boot on steroids, we’re sure if the GSG 9 ever got their hands on these they would be both the fastest and most comfortable police in the game.
It’s not often that an elite police unit inspires a sneaker, so it had to make the all-time greatest list.
Nike 25th Anniversary Air Force 1 Low and Mid ‘China’Nike 25th Anniversary Air Force 1 Low and Mid ‘China’
In 2007, the Nike Air Force 1 celebrated its 25th anniversary, and with that came some major celebratory releases. Two of those drops included an Air Force 1 Low and an Air Force 1 Mid that both represented China. The Low was hit with a clean intertwined hemp upper, while the Mid was splashed with a green coat and woven Swoosh details. Both pairs were also given some nice hangtags that added an extra special touch.
Nike Dunk Low ‘Brazil’Nike Dunk Low ‘Brazil’
Nike Air Presto ‘Korea’Nike Air Presto ‘Korea’
A 2020 release, the Nike Air Presto 'Korea' was set to drop for the now-postponed Summer Olympics. Emulating Korea’s away kit, it’s dressed in a mismatched blue and red cage, and an all-over Zebra print. The final detail is the Taegukgi sitting proudly on the heel.
Nike Air Max 97 ‘Silver Bullet’ (Italian Exclusive)Nike Air Max 97 ‘Silver Bullet’ (Italian Exclusive)
It wouldn’t be a list of All-Time Greatest Country-Themed Sneakers without the Italian-exclusive Nike Air Max 97. Celebrating the rich history between the 'Le Silver' and Italian culture, it was released early, exclusive to Italy before the rest of the world got another taste of the ‘Silver Bullet’.
Featuring a little Italian flag on the pull-tabs, it now resells for a hefty sum.
Nike Kyrie 2 'Australia' Nike Kyrie 2 'Australia'
Paying homage to his home country of Australia, Kyrie Iriving whipped up this iteration of his signature Kyrie 2 back in 2016. Dressed in that beaitiful Aussie gold, the NBA champion really went back to his roots with this one.
New Balance 576 'France' New Balance 576 'France'
Loud and proud, it would be hard not to tell that this New Balance 576 is representing France. With a fresh suede upper, the French flag has been wrapped around the whole shoe, then slapped on the heel counter to confirm its inspiration.
Ewing 33 Hi 'Jamaica'Ewing 33 Hi 'Jamaica'
The Ewing 33 Hi 'Jamaica' was originally dropped in 1991, and was designed to celebrate Patrick's birthplace: Kingston. Brought back in 2013 and 2018 (pictured above), the whole model is dressed mostly in white with green, red and yellow hits.
Reppin' hard is the Jamaican flag plastered on the heel counter.
ASICS GEL-Lyte III 'France'ASICS GEL-Lyte III 'France'
We simply couldn't leave the ASICS GEL-Lyte III 'France' off the list. Dressed in the colours of the French national flag, the perfect combination of blue, red and white allows for a loud design that does justice to an iconic silhouette.
Vans Era 'American Stripes'Vans Era 'American Stripes'
Ronnie Fieg x ASICS GT-2 KFE 'Brazil'Ronnie Fieg x ASICS GT-2 KFE 'Brazil'
You can't talk about Brazil-themed sneakers without mentioning the GT-2 'Brazil' colab between Ronnie Fieg and ASICS. A KITHSTRIKE release, this bad boy dropped unexpectedly in 2014 – the same year that Brazil hosted the World Cup. Unsurprisingly, pairs were snapped up very quickly, and it's easy to see why – that midsole detail is insane!
Nike Kobe 9 'China'Nike Kobe 9 'China',
In 2014, Nike dropped the Kobe 9 in a range of different iterations, including this beautiful 'China' rendition. This lucky model features an all-red upper with partially exposed Flywire cables and a pretty golden Swoosh.
Nike Air Max 180 Germany SP 'Camo'Nike Air Max 180 Germany SP 'Camo'
Another camo sneaker that is country-themed, we present the Nike Air Max 180 SP Germany SP 'Camo'. This streamlined beast was splashed with Hyperfuse mesh and camo that matches the same pattern worn by the German Army.
Nike Air More Uptempo 'Italy'Nike Air More Uptempo 'Italy'
A sneaker fit for a loud and proud Italian, the Nike Air More Uptempo 'Italy' featured the national colours of red, white and green plastered all over it. This obvious ode to the tricoloured Italian flag is not for the faint hearted.
Big Pun x Ewing 33 Hi 'Puerto Rico'Big Pun x Ewing 33 Hi 'Puerto Rico'
The Big Pun x Ewing 33 Hi 'Puerto Rico' was inspired by the Puerto Rican flag, dressing in blue with splashes of red and white. Big Pun used the colab to rep his Puerto Rican heritage in style.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi 'USA'Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi 'USA'
An American shoe covered in an American motif, it doesn't get much more USA than this. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi 'USA' was draped all-over with an American flag mixed with white laces and a white midsole.
Nike Air Max Triax 96 'USA Olympic'Nike Air Max Triax 96 'USA Olympic'
While the Nike Air Max Triax 96 'USA Olympic' is returning this year, it was back in 1996 that it really made its mark. While Atlanta played host to the Olympic Games of that year, Nike decked out their undeniably 90s silhouette in the famous blue, white and red of the host nation.
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ASICS x Netherlands Olympic Team GT-2ASICS x Netherlands Olympic Team GT-2
Gearing up for the 2012 Olympics, ASICS came through with a GT-2 designed especially for the Netherlands Olympic Team. Featuring suede uppers heavily splashed with orange, and dropping in limited quantities, these are a Grail for many an avid collector.
BAPE RoadSta 'National Flag'BAPE RoadSta 'National Flag'
BAPE catered for multiple corners of the globe when they released their RoadSta 'National Flag' collection back in 2007. Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Brazil and Italy were the lucky countries chosen for a loud and proud homage to their homeland.
Nike Air Max 1 'USA'Nike Air Max 1 'USA'
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