Lasering is one of the most unique design elements to ever appear on sneakers. For this list specifically, we’re looking at Nike and Jordan Brand’s laser-etched designs, which were the brainchild of veteran designer Mark Smith in the early 2000s.
The concept materialized in 2003 with the Smith-led Nike Laser Project, which included a super limited run of his and Stephan "Maze" Georges’ laser-etched Air Force 1s, Tom Luedecke’s Cortez, and Chris Lundy’s Dunks. That year, Smith also created a one-of-one “Laser” Air Jordan 3 for Michael Jordan’s 40th birthday that later inspired the release of future “Laser” Air Jordans, including the coveted Air Jordan 4s from 2005. It’s worth mentioning that we only included sneakers that released to the public, so friends-and-family pairs like the blue Entourage x Nike Air Force 1 Lows did not make the cut.
In honor of the “Laser” Air Jordan 1 Low and Jordan 3 dropping this weekend, we’ve ranked the best laser sneakers of all time.
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Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘Mark Smith Cashmere’
Year: 2003
Of course we had to include the man who started Nike’s Laser Project on this list. One of the pairs that fits the bill is Mark Smith’s “Cashmere” Air Force 1 Low from 2003. As previously mentioned, the style was part of the Laser Project that included Air Force 1, Dunk, and Cortez colorways. This pair was also limited to only 200 pairs, and the tan makeup on the uppers really highlights the laser design throughout. —Victor Deng
Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘Ueno Sakura’
Year: 2005
The “Ueno Sakura” Nike Air Force 1 Low could qualify for a wide variety of lists. Best Air Force 1s? Check. Best Japan exclusives? Check. Sneakers we want Nike to bring out of the vault? Check. But in this case, we’re talking about it in the context of the best lasered sneakers of all time. The lasered graphics even carried through to the packaging, which included a wooden box with a matching floral print inside. There’s so much more to this sneaker than the lasering though. The colorway is subtle, yet unique, and the leather is top notch. The shoe even had a true pop culture moment, on the feet of Fat Joe in the “Make it Rain” video with Lil Wayne. —Zac Dubasik
Air Jordan 3 ‘Laser’
Year: 2026
It’s hard to top the “Laser” Air Jordan 4s from 2005, but this year’s laser-etched Jordan 3 is quite good. It features an updated laser design on the upper, which Jordan Brand says is inspired by various moments in Michael Jordan’s life. The rest of the shoe dons brown accents and complements the engraving nicely. Even the “Nike Air” branding on the heel has been laser-engraved. —Victor Deng
Air Jordan 20
Year: 2005
When the Air Jordan 20 released in 2005, it was one of the first widely available shoes to feature lasered detailing. What had previously been known for its use on limited-edition lifestyle models had finally come to the masses on a performance sneaker, telling tales of Michael Jordan’s life and accomplishments on his 20th anniversary shoe. The shoe was also significant for the return of Tinker Hatfield, who hadn’t designed an Air Jordan since the much-maligned AJ15. As for the lasering’s artwork, Hatfield teamed up once again with Mark Smith who’d worked on the Air Jordan 9’s sole. Although the lasering was only one element of what made the shoe so unique, it helped take the concept mainstream, making the Air Jordan 20 one of the best lasered sneakers of all time. —Zac Dubasik
Nike Huarache 2K4 ‘Kobe Laser’
Year: 2004
It should come as no surprise that Mark Smith’s Nike laser project made its way onto the sneakers of one of the Swoosh’s top endorsers, Kobe Bryant, in the early 2000s. Specifically, the Huarache 2K4, which was a sneaker that was heavily linked to Bryant before his signature line was formed. Multiple laser-etched Huarache 2k4 iterations were released from 2004 to 2008, and even Lakers-themed PE colorways were made for Bryant himself. —Victor Deng
Nike Air Force 1 Low ‘Maze’
Year: 2003
The Stephan “Maze” Georges x Nike Air Force 1 Low felt more like a graffiti piece than traditional laser artwork. The Boston-based artist had a background across graffiti, fashion, directing, and more, making the Air Force 1 a perfect canvas for his work. This wasn’t Nike asking, “Who’s the biggest celebrity artist we can attach to a shoe?” Mark Smith carefully brought in friends and artists whose work he personally respected, with Maze joining names like Chris Lundy, who is also on this list. The whole project felt dedicated to artists first, almost echoing the creative freedom Nike SB was tapping into around that same era. Originally released in 2003, only 2,500 pairs of Maze’s Air Force 1 were made. It’s one of those pairs that may not get brought up as often today, but its history in Nike’s early laser work led to sought after shoes like the unreleased Entourage x Nike Air Force 1s. —Douglas Jase
Air Jordan 5 ‘Laser’
Year: 2007
This is my favorite sneaker of all time. I realize that's not the most popular opinion and a lot of people are going to think I'm crazy, but anyone who knows me knows how much I love this shoe. Every few months I check Ebay for a pair of size 12s in good condition and snag them as long as the price isn't too insane, as a pair is only good for 2-3 wears at most these days. The orange midsole, the olive lasering, and the combination of the two colors on the lining are a perfect combo in my eyes. Lasers also dropped during an insane run for the AJ5 between 2005 and 2007. Go back and look at the heat we were getting from that silhouette during that stretch: “Burgundy,” “Olive,” “Dark Army,” “Sunset”—and the list goes on. We know the Laser 4s are coming back, now I'm just personally calling on Jordan Brand to do the right thing and bring the 5s back as well. —Ben Felderstein
Chris Lundy x Nike Dunk Low ‘Wave’
Year: 2003
Artist Chris Lundy took his signature surf and ocean-inspired style to the upper of the Nike Dunk Low in 2003 on two limited edition, lasered works of art. The shoe’s construction was transformed into a one-piece upper, giving maximum real estate for the design to breathe. Two colorways were produced—one, a darker brown that was limited to 2,500 pairs, as well as a lighter tan, seen above, that was limited to just 200 individually numbered pairs. Lundy passed away in 2018, but his contribution from the early days of the concept lives on as one of the best lasered sneakers of all time. —Zac Dubasik
Mr. Cartoon x Nike Air Force 1 Low
Year: 2004
When it was time for Mr. Cartoon, aka Mark Machado, to design a Nike Air Force 1, he fully leaned into his Chicano roots. A lot of the collaborations on this list use laser etching, but few use it to paint a picture and tell a story the way this pair does. Mr. Cartoon has talked about having to convince Nike that a tattoo artist deserved to exist in the sneaker space, and he was absolutely right. The shoe feels like a reflection of L.A. street culture, with the spiderweb across the toe box almost mimicking the placement of a tattoo on an elbow. I’ve always thought this pair was especially interesting, and with Nike opening the vault lately, I’d love to see them bring this concept back. It doesn’t even have to be this exact colorway, but at least give us another iteration of the Mr. Cartoon Air Force 1. —Douglas Jase
Air Jordan 4 ‘Laser’
Year: 2005
There’s a reason that a majority of sneaker fans are excited that the “Laser” Air Jordan 4s are reportedly coming back as a two-shoe pack in 2027. Nike designer Mark Smith’s laser-etched graphics looked so good when applied to the Air Jordan 4’s upper, specifically the black and white pairs from 2005. While the “White Laser” was a new version of the original “Fire Red” colorway, the “Black Laser” pair was a new iteration at that time, and is still one of the most celebrated releases ever. Jordan Brand would revisit the laser theme on the Jordan 4 in 2015 and then again in 2019, but their popularity didn’t come close to the original 2005 duo. —Victor Deng
