In the world of trainers, few brands capture the imagination quite like Nike. With their iconic swoosh logo and eye-catching designs, they appear everywhere from the catwalk to our social media feeds.
When it comes to raw figures, Nike sold an estimated $28 billion worth of footwear alone in 2020, and their longevity and commitment to innovative trainers keep us coming back for the best sneakers, and the best running shoes.
With this in mind, the team at OnBuy Treadmills were keen to officially crown which Nike trainers are the most loved on social media.
To find out which Nike sneakers wuold take the social media crown, they looked at data from two of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram and TikTok. They assigned a popularity score for the number of hashtags across both platforms, providing an overall figure out of 100.
Drum roll please…
Topping the trainer table is the timeless Air Force One. First released in 1982, this classic design has amassed over 787 million views on TikTok, and just under 2.5 million posts on Instagram – scoring a total of 99 out of 100.
Originally released as a basketball trainer, the Air Force One quickly became a genuine streetwear icon, staying close to the original blueprint while still exploring exciting collaborations such as Roc-A-Fella, Off-White and Travis Scott along the way.
Sharing second place are fellow 80’s stalwarts Air Max and Dunk, with an identical score of 96 out of 100.
Released over 25 years ago with an innovative air bubble design in the sole, the Air Max is the most hashtagged Nike trainer on Instagram with almost 6.5 million posts.
The Dunk, on the other hand, boasts the majority of its score from 402 million views on TikTok. Named to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the innovative ‘slam-dunk’ basketball technique, the trainer has come a long way from a skateboarding icon to a number of chic designer collaborations.
Next on the list is a trainer that has served with distinction for 50 years, the Cortez, ranking joint third with an overall score of 89 out of 100. It made its official debut at the 1972 Munich Olympic as Nike’s first track shoe, and quickly became a favourite for marathon and long distance runners. For both metrics, it came fourth for both Instagram posts (755k) and TikTok views (23.7 million).
Matching the Cortez in the rankings and completing the top 5 is the Air Jordan. Produced for their namesake Michael Jordan and released to the public in 1985, this model has clocked up an impressive 56.7 million views on TikTok.
Finally, rounding out the top 10, we have the Air Vapormax, Blazer, Air Presto, Air Huarache, and Metcon.
Fancy owning a slice of these social media hits for yourself? Check out our guides to the best sneakers and best running shoes.
