The Best Basketball Shoes of the 2000s by Year

2004

Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2k4 & Nike Air Force Operate

image via vans shoe shop

For the second straight year, Nike dominated the hardwood. With the streetball craze slowly fading away, Nike looked to the past and future in seemingly opposite manners on the Air Zoom Huarache 2k4 and Air Force Operate. While the Huarche 2k4 was extremely progressive at the time, its ethos were based on the brand’s best basketball shoes from the last two decades. Conversely, the Air Force Operate derived directly from the Barkley line. Retro attributes would influence performance basketball models for years to come, while the lower cut build seen on the Amar’e-endorsed Operate would take well to the hybrid post players that depict today’s game.