Honestly, it’s one of the weirdest trivia facts in basketball footwear. You remember the posters. You remember the Kia Optima jump. You definitely remember those "Dr. Drain" commercials. But if you walk into a sneaker shop today and ask for the "Blake Griffin 1," the clerk is going to look at you like you’ve lost it.
The truth is, despite being one of the most explosive athletes to ever wear the Jumpman, blake griffin jordan shoes never included an official signature line. No Griffin 1, no BG32. Nothing.
Instead, Blake became the "face" of a specific performance line that basically belonged to him in everything but name. It was a strange marketing strategy that saw Jordan Brand leverage his gravity-defying dunks to sell a shoe called the Super.Fly. For a guy who was essentially the co-captain of "Lob City" and a perennial All-Star, the lack of a name on the heel remains a point of debate for sneakerheads who grew up in the early 2010s.
The Super.Fly Era: A Signature Shoe in Disguise
When Blake jumped ship from Nike to Jordan Brand in late 2012, it was a massive deal. At the time, Jordan had a clear hierarchy: Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had their own signature lines (the Melo and the CP3), while others just wore the flagship Air Jordan or team models. Blake was supposed to be the next logical step toward a signature shoe.
But the brand did something different. They put him in the Jordan Super.Fly.
Think of the Super.Fly 2. That shoe was built from the ground up specifically for Blake’s physics—or lack thereof. Designers like Justin Taylor worked to create a platform that could handle a 250-pound man landing from a 35-inch vertical. They introduced Flight Plate technology, which was designed to harness the energy of the Zoom Air units for maximum liftoff.
Blake didn't just wear them; he was the muse. The Super.Fly 4 even had a whole marketing campaign featuring Marvin the Martian, playing on the idea that Blake’s dunks were essentially "out of this world." For a solid five-year stretch, if you saw a Super.Fly on a shelf, you thought of Blake Griffin.
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Why didn't he get the name on the box?
It’s a fair question. Some industry insiders suggest Jordan Brand was trying to move away from individual signature models to avoid saturating the market. Others think they wanted a "flagship performance" shoe that wasn't tied to a single player's legacy, making it easier to sell to big men and guards alike.
Whatever the reason, Blake was a good sport about it. In a 2019 interview with Complex, he mentioned how much he loved the technical side of the shoes, even if they weren't named after him. He was deeply involved in the "wear-test" phases, often pushing designers to make the shoes lighter without sacrificing the stability a power forward needs.
The Shift to the Flagship Air Jordan
As the Super.Fly line eventually faded out, Blake’s role shifted. He became the primary ambassador for the main line—the actual Air Jordans that Michael Jordan once made famous.
Specifically, Blake was the guy leading the charge for the Air Jordan 34.
This was a pivot. By the time he was with the Detroit Pistons, he wasn't just "the dunker" anymore. He was a veteran. He was a playmaker. The Air Jordan 34 was a marvel of engineering, stripping away all unnecessary weight to create the "Eclipse Plate." It was a shoe that felt more like a sports car than a basketball boot.
- Air Jordan 34: Blake's go-to for its lightweight feel.
- Air Jordan 35: Known for the "McLovin" Player Exclusive (PE) he wore with the Nets.
- Air Jordan 37: One of the last models he wore professionally before retirement.
The Legend of the McLovin PEs
If you want to talk about the "holy grail" of blake griffin jordan shoes, you have to talk about his Player Exclusives. Since he didn't have a signature shoe, Jordan Brand let him go wild with the colorways on the standard models.
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His most famous? The "McLovin" Air Jordan 35.
In May 2021, while playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Blake stepped onto the court in a pair of 35s inspired by the fake ID from the movie Superbad. The tongue of the shoe literally had his "ID info" printed on it in the style of the Hawaii license from the film. It went viral instantly.
It showed a side of Blake that fans loved—the deadpan, comedic timing that translated into sneaker design. He also had a "Captain America" Jordan 34 and various "The Office" themed pairs. These weren't shoes you could buy at Foot Locker; they were 1-of-1 pieces of art made just for him.
What Most People Get Wrong About Blake’s Shoes
There’s a common misconception that Blake’s shoes were "budget" Jordans. That's just flat-out wrong.
While the Super.Fly wasn't as expensive as the numbered Air Jordan (the Retros or the new yearly flagship), it was a premium performance beast. It often debuted new technology before the flagship shoes did. For example, the Flight Plate technology in the Super.Fly 2 was a precursor to the systems used in the Air Jordan XX8, which many consider one of the best-performing basketball shoes of all time.
Blake was a "tech-first" player. He needed cushioning. He needed lockdown. He didn't care about the "lifestyle" appeal as much as he cared about not rolling his ankle when he came down from a lob.
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The 2026 Perspective: Blake's Legacy in Footwear
Now that we’re in 2026 and Blake Griffin is being nominated for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, his sneaker legacy is being re-evaluated. He was the bridge. He was the guy who kept Jordan Brand relevant on the court during a time when LeBron and KD were dominating the signature shoe conversation.
He proved that you don't need your name on a shoe to be a "signature" athlete. His influence is still visible in the way Jordan Brand designs shoes for modern bigs like Zion Williamson. The focus on "explosive flight" and "stable landings" started with the data they gathered from Blake’s feet for a decade.
How to Find Blake Griffin Shoes Today
If you’re looking to pick up a piece of this history, you’ve got to be smart about it. You won't find them at retail anymore.
- Check Resale Sites: Look for "Jordan Super.Fly" on platforms like GOAT or StockX. The 2017 and 2012 models are increasingly rare in deadstock condition.
- Look for PEs: If you have deep pockets, you can occasionally find Blake's actual Player Exclusives on auction sites like Sotheby's or specialized sneaker collector groups.
- The "Modern" Route: If you want the feel of a Blake shoe without the vintage price tag, look at the current Air Jordan flagship models (like the AJ 38 or 39). They carry the DNA of the stability and "Flight" tech that Blake helped refine.
The era of blake griffin jordan shoes might not have had a catchy name or a numbered sequence, but for anyone who played ball in the 2010s, those Super.Fly silhouettes are synonymous with the most exciting era of Clippers basketball. It wasn't about the branding; it was about the bounce.
If you're hunting for a pair of Super.Flies, pay close attention to the outsole traction. Older pairs from 2013-2015 can sometimes experience "sole separation" or hardening of the rubber if they haven't been stored in a climate-controlled environment. Always ask for "bend tests" if you're buying from a private seller to ensure the Phylon foam hasn't crumbled.