It's a Wrap: Super Bowl LIV Sneaker Highlight Reel 2020
Don’t you just love it when an event lives up to the hype? Super Bowl LIV in Miami delivered just that, and so much more. The Kansas City Chiefs’ fourth-quarter comeback secured the franchise its first title in 50 years, the halftime show brought the latino heat and, of course, the sneaker game’s superstars unveiled plenty of treats for our feet.
There were more footwear highlights this year than ever before, with Team Swoosh proving – once again – they’re big-game players when it comes to the Super Bowl. Here are our biggest plays from 2020.
Rare Air in Miami
As always, Super Bowl festivities gave Nike a chance unveil a killer lineup of gridiron-inspired Grails in the lead-up to the big game. It’s tough to pick just one favourite, but anyone lucky enough to score any of the following uber-limited releases will no doubt be feeling like a bona fide winner right now.
Further proof of the evolving eSports juggernaut, the EA Sports x Nike Air Max 90 'Super Bowl LIVE' released alongside a Microsoft Xbox One X console inspired by the EA Sports Madden ’20 video game. Exclusively available at the EA Sports Bowl event, pairs are sure to be one of the rarest AM90 commodities in the silhouette’s 30th anniversary year.
Likewise with the UNKNWN x Nike Air Max 90 '305' collaboration, which which was gifted to the Miami retailer’s friends and family. Limited to just 54 pairs, the sneaker wears a luxurious satin upper, repping a Miami-themed green and orange scheme.
Last but not least, J Balvin went full JT, revealing his very own Air Jordan 1 collaboration while performing on stage with Shakira and J-Lo. We still haven’t heard any news on a wide release, so these could end up being the most sought-after Super Bowl sneaker of 2020.
General Release Blitz
It can’t all be about hard-to-cop oddities, and 2020 came through with the best haul of Super Bowl GR colourways that we’ve seen in a long time.
Doing their best to counter the blitz from Beaverton, adidas took their Super Bowl LIV celebrations to a whole new dimension, dropping a ‘Miami’ colourway of the progressive 4D Run 1.0. Inspired by the city’s signature shades, it features an ocean-saving Parley ocean plastic textile upper – very appropriate considering the colours are inspired by the Miami Dolphins.
Of course, Nike weren’t to be outdone, unveiling something old and something new. The Air Barrage Low gave us a welcome throwback to the 90s, while the Jordan Air Max 200 added some football flavour to one of the brand’s newest hybrid silhouettes.
Cleats Brought the Heat
Looking like a cleat from the future, the Nike Vapor Edge Pro 360 Premium and Elite 360 Premium stole the show this year from an on-field standpoint. Inspired by player feedback, the Vapor Edge cleats make sure of a 360-degree Flyknit upper reinforced by a durable NIKESKIN overlay. Additionally, ultra-light sole design has internal plates and independent traction pods, delivering instant propulsion and power transfer.
Meanwhile, Super Bowl LIV also gave several players from both the 49ers and Chiefs a chance to pay homage to Kobe Bryant. With heavy hearts, players like Dante Pettis and Emmanuel Sanders wore custom cleats honouring the late Mamba, decorated in stunning detail.
Shakira and J-Lo certainly dropped jaws with their halftime show, but the sneakers brands also made sure their ‘performance’ was on point in 2020.
