The Air Jordan I, Michael Jordan’s first foray into the world of signature sneakers, was also his most controversial. The iconic shoe was “banned” by the NBA upon its release in 1985, a situation Nike greeted with aplomb. The NBA reportedly levied Jordan with a $5,000 per game fine, a tab which Nike was quick to pick up. The apparel giant would soon leverage the publicity into an ad campaign, smartly capitalizing on the shoe’s forbidden nature; “Fortunately, the NBA can’t stop you from wearing them,” the commercial poked. The legacy of the Jordan I is well-documented and the shoe has gone on to garner acclaim for the last four decades, spawning innumerable retros and elusive collaborations. The greatest professional athlete-inspired sneaker line of all time was effectively born out of controversy.

When graphic designer Ari Forman created these bootleg Air Force 1s as a custom “case study,” I bet he didn’t realize the trouble he would soon find himself in. When he dropped his Ari Menthol 10s in 2006, they quickly became one of the most controversial sneakers of all time. A commentary on the effect major corporations—from cigarette companies to sneaker giants—had on the lives within sneaker communities, the sneaker was as much cultural critique as it was aesthetic experiment. The Menthols featured incredible detail, from the money signs on the sole, to the custom “ARI” on the heel, to the signature Menthol Spinnaker logo in the place of the similar-looking Nike Swoosh on the sides. The sneakers even came in a shoebox designed to replicate a cigarette carton. Just 252 pairs were produced, but Nike sent a cease and desist letter immediately. Thinking the worst of the backlash was behind him, the cigarette companies who would soon come after him even harder. Every pair was ordered to be destroyed and years of legal trouble ensued for Forman, but his sneakers still live on in infamy.

Commonly referred to as the “Shackle Shoes,” adidas attempted to release a controversial take on its Roundhouse Mids with the help of famed designer Jeremy Scott back in 2012. The controversial sneaker— which featured orange shackles that would appear chained around the ankles—was quickly cancelled amidst a wave of significant criticism, as many found the sneakers to explicitly evoke symbols of imprisonment and slavery. adidas originally chalked it up to its provocative designer pushing the limits of sneaker design, however that wasn’t acceptable for some of the brand’s more vocal detractors, among them being civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson. “These slave shoes are odious and we as a people should be called to resent and resist them,” he proclaimed. An absolutely terrible idea by adidas all around.

This past July 4th, Nike was preparing to release a USA-themed Air Max 1 to tie in with the holiday slate of releases. The “Betsy Ross” Air Max 1 prominently featured the original American flag–complete with 13 stars representing the 13 original colonies at the country’s inception–which quickly received a wave of scorn, specifically from within Nike’s own walls. After reportedly receiving some internal pressure from brand ambassador Colin Kaepernick and others—Nike pulled the plug on the release. The original flag recalls America’s inception, sure, but also an era where slavery was a major facet of American life. Some pairs found their way onto secondary markets and are currently selling for insane amounts, but the proper release was rightfully killed due to the backlash that quickly garnered prime time space on every news channel.

Converse’s most popular and recognizable basketball sneakers over the years has been its “Weapon,” which was made famous by legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, both of whom wore the classic kicks during the 1980s. In an attempt to capitalize on that nostalgia, Converse prepped a modern, updated version for release in the fall of 2003. The only problem was that the updated version was dubbed the “Loaded Weapon.” Alongside the insensitive, tone-deaf branding, the timing of the release couldn’t have been worse. Right before the sneaker was slated to launch, Baylor star Patrick Dennehy was tragically shot and killed by a teammate. In addition, many NBA stars of the time were facing weapons charges, including Jayson Williams, Allen Iverson and Gilbert Arenas. “It’s problematic when you look at the level of violence in the African-American community,” said Dr. Leonard Moore, director of African-American studies at Louisiana State University, to ESPN in 2003. “To try and capitalize on misery and fratricide is reprehensible.”

When Puma released a special-edition Speedcat for the United Arab Emirates’ 40th National Day in 2011, the sneaker was clad in black, red, green and white—the colors of the UAE flag. Puma was blindsided by the backlash, which was immediate and fierce. Detractors argued that the UAE flag is sacred, and for the colors to be on a sneaker is nothing short of sacrilege. “A national flag represents a country and what it stands for and it is strictly not right for depicting it on shoes or anything that is worn on the feet,” said Aida Al Busaidy, a UAE media professional, to Emirates 24/7 in 2011. “It is highly disrespectful.” Puma reacted quickly and removed all of the sneakers from stores. Luckily for them, they reportedly only made 120 pairs.

In 2012, Nike SB released a boozy “Black & Tan” dunk, inspired by the lager and stout concoction of the same name. While the release was innocently intended to pay homage to Guiness, it certainly did not go over that way. The term “Black & Tan” conjures up devastating memories for the Irish, memories that have absolutely nothing to do with beer. It was a name given to a violent British paramilitary unit that conducted brutal attacks during the Irish Independence Wars of the 1920s and were responsible for the devastation of Bloody Sunday in 1920. Nike quickly apologized but the damage was already done.

The Jordan XII originally released in 1997 and it was well known that its side stitch panels drew inspiration from Japan’s “Rising Sun” flag. While the original colorways were more subtle with their homage, Jordan Brand chose to make it more overt for its 2009 retro release. While the body of the shoe was primarily white, the inner soles were very clearly the Rising Sun flag. The flag promotes overtones of Japanese imperialism, which instantly upset many retailers in China and Korea. The brand quickly swapped out the soles for plain white ones in response to the backlash and despite the sneaker’s then 12-year-old design, this seemed to do the trick for retailers.

When Nike released the Air Bakin basketball shoe in 1997, the flame logo located on the heel was the site of an unforeseen controversy. The logo closely resembled the word “Allah” written in Arabic script. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) quickly condemned the shoe and Nike attempted to rectify the situation by placing a fabric patch over the logo and changing colors. This wasn’t good enough, as CAIR’s president threatened to boycott Nike products around the world. In addition to apologizing and pulling all 38,000 pairs that were in circulation, Nike would build playgrounds for Islamic youth organizations around the country.

In 2010, the Detroit Pistons were battling a rash of ankle injuries. Trainer Arnie Kander was candid on what he thought was the culprit, Nike’s Hyperize basketball shoe. Kander referred to them as glorified moccasins and condemned them for the team. He claimed the sneakers were far too light to provide adequate ankle support and once the team stopped using them, ankle injuries went way down, according to him. It was rare for a trainer to call out a company and sneaker for injuries (he never explicitly said it was Nike, but it was widely understood which shoe he was referring to).

If there’s one thing you can take from this list, it’s that Nike sneakers are ripe for (unofficial) reworks and conceptual redesigns. If there’s another thing you can take from this list, it’s that the good folks out in Beaverton aren’t afraid to get the lawyers involved whenever they believe that a pair of “custom kicks” goes.. a step too far (pun very much intended).

Warren Lotas—somewhere between bootlegger and genuine streetwear designer—helped build his name thanks to unique, NBA-themed graphic tee collections—often featuring depictions of skeletons, horror movie icons or the Grim Reaper. Worn by the likes of various NBA players and seen on rappers like Travis Scott, Lotas’ profile grew well beyond the early confines of the Instagram feed.

Speaking of horror movie icons, Lotas’ sneakers—somewhere between an homage and a customization of existing Nike SB silhouettes—are identified by their flip of the signature Nike Swoosh, fashioning the curved portion of the Swoosh into a Jason-style hockey mask.

Starting with an homage to the notoriously unreleased “Freddy Krueger” SB Dunk, the series expanded into flips of other equally infamous SB Dunks—including the “Heineken” SB Dunk, the Stussy collaboration “Cherry” SB Dunk and, most notably, the Staple x Nike “Pigeon” SB Dunk.

While Lotas’ Nike flips were serving a niche, custom sneaker audience, it was the “Pigeon” Dunk rework that served as the metaphorical last straw. Shortly after the sneakers were announced and slated for a release, Nike sent over a cease and desist to Lotas, claiming that the designer was “promoting and selling fakes of coveted Nike Dunks.”

The “Pigeon” SB Dunk flip is particularly intriguing for a few reasons. For one, the original, official "Pigeon" SB Dunk stands as the de facto “birth” of modern sneaker collecting as we know it today—thanks to a chaotic release that drew attention from both streetwear fans and the general public alike. Secondly, this rework has apparently received the blessing of Jeff Staple; noting a post on Staple’s own Instagram account, it’s heavily implied that Lotas and Staple actively partnered on this rework-meets-rerelease.

With Lotas insisting that these SB Dunks aren’t bootlegs—but rather completely new luxury products (the designer insisted on Instagram that his sneakers are, “PRODUCED FROM SCRATCH BY ME. PLEASE KNOW THAT. NO ALIBABA BULLSHIT. ITALIAN MATERIALS."), it’s hard to know how this controversy will come to a close.

Needless to say, the Lotas “Dunks” certainly look a lot like their source material. It’s not often that a pair of customized sneakers fetch a higher price than the original—but if these get pulled off the market entirely by Nike, we can imagine Lotas’ designs becoming cult-favorite (and possibly highly-valued) pieces of sneaker infamy.