Shoe brand logos are the symbols and wordmarks that let you spot a shoe brand from across the street: Nike’s Swoosh, Adidas’ three stripes, Puma’s leaping cat, and New Balance’s “N.” The best ones are simple enough to work on the side of a shoe, a tiny tag, or a phone screen.
Below, you will find 28 famous shoe brand logos with names, grouped into sports, casual, and luxury brands. Each entry explains what the logo shows and the story behind it, with facts checked against brand and historical sources. A quick identifier table near the end helps you name a brand from its symbol alone.
Key Takeaways
- Nike’s Swoosh, designed by student Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35, is the most recognized shoe logo in the world.
- Adidas bought the rights to its three stripes from Finnish brand Karhu in the early 1950s for two bottles of whiskey and a small cash payment.
- The Jordan Jumpman logo, introduced in 1988, is based on a pose Michael Jordan first struck for a 1984 magazine photo.
- Many shoe logos are animals or simple shapes, such as Puma’s cat, Lacoste’s crocodile, Timberland’s tree, and Hush Puppies’ basset hound.
- A strong shoe logo is simple, works at any size, and can be stitched or printed directly on the shoe.
Shoe Brand Logos With Names: Quick List
| Brand | Logo Name | What It Shows | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | Swoosh | A curved check mark | 1971 |
| Adidas | Three stripes / Trefoil | Three parallel stripes; a three-leaf shape | 1949 / 1971 |
| Puma | Leaping cat | A puma jumping | Refined 1970 |
| New Balance | NB logo | Slanted “N” with speed lines | Decades old |
| ASICS | ASICS stripes | Crossing curved stripes | 1977 (name) |
| Jordan | Jumpman | Michael Jordan in mid-air | 1988 |
| Converse | Star chevron / All Star patch | A star with a chevron | 1932 / 2007 |
| Vans | Off the Wall | Stencil “Vans” with long “V” tail | 1970s |
| Reebok | Vector | Swooping stripe shape | 1986 |
| Skechers | S logo | A bold “S” | 1990s |
| Under Armour | UA logo | Interlocking “U” and “A” | 1996 |
| FILA | F-box | A red and blue “F” | Brand from 1911 |
| Hoka | Hoka wordmark | Bold “HOKA” letters | 2009 |
| On | On logo | “On” lettering | 2010 |
| Mizuno | RunBird | A flying bird shape | 1980s |
| K-Swiss | Shield and five stripes | Crest and five side stripes | 1966 |
| Crocs | Crocodile | A cartoon crocodile | 2002 |
| UGG | UGG wordmark | Bold “UGG” letters | 1978 (brand) |
| Timberland | Tree | A tree | 1973 |
| Dr. Martens | AirWair | Yellow loop “AirWair” heel tab | 1960 |
| Clarks | Clarks wordmark | Script-style “Clarks” | Brand from 1825 |
| Red Wing | Red Wing | A red wing | Brand from 1905 |
| Hush Puppies | Basset hound | A basset hound dog | 1958 |
| Sperry | Sperry wordmark | “Sperry” lettering | Brand from 1935 |
| TOMS | TOMS flag | Blue and white striped box | 2006 |
| Lacoste | Crocodile | A green crocodile | 1933 |
| Gucci | GG | Interlocking double “G” | 1930s |
| Tory Burch | Double T | Two interlocking “T” shapes | 2004 |
What Are the Most Famous Sports and Sneaker Logos?
1. Nike: The Swoosh
The Nike Swoosh is a simple curved check mark that suggests speed and motion. Graphic design student Carolyn Davidson created it in 1971 for Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who paid her $35. Nike later gave her company stock as a thank-you.
The Swoosh is now so well known that Nike often uses it with no words at all. To see how Nike uses its brand against rivals, read our guide to Nike’s competitors.
2. Adidas: Three Stripes and Trefoil
Adidas uses three parallel stripes, a mark it registered for shoes in 1949. After the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Adidas bought the rights to the three-stripe design from Finnish brand Karhu for two bottles of whiskey and a small cash payment.
The Trefoil, a three-leaf shape, was designed in 1971 and now marks the Adidas Originals line. A simple three-stripe shape, first used in 1991, became the main Adidas logo in 2022. Our guide to Adidas’ competitors shows how it uses that identity in a crowded market. Compare the two giants in our Nike vs Adidas breakdown.
3. Puma: The Leaping Cat
Puma’s logo shows a puma leaping through the air, with the brand name in bold capital letters. The cat was refined in 1970 by German cartoonist Lutz Backes, and the logo took its lasting form in 1979. Puma’s founder, Rudolf Dassler, was the brother of Adidas founder Adi Dassler.
4. New Balance: The NB Logo
New Balance uses a slanted “N” made of speed lines, often next to a smaller “B.” The design suggests forward motion and has stayed close to its original look for decades. You can find it as a large “N” on the side of almost every New Balance sneaker.
5. ASICS: The ASICS Stripes
ASICS uses a lowercase wordmark and crossing curved stripes that also appear on the sides of its shoes. The name comes from the Latin phrase “anima sana in corpore sano,” meaning “a sound mind in a sound body.” The company took that name in a 1977 merger. Its older stripe design lives on in its sister brand, Onitsuka Tiger.
6. Jordan: The Jumpman
The Jumpman shows Michael Jordan leaping toward a basket with his legs spread. Nike designer Peter Moore created it, and it first appeared on the Air Jordan III in 1988. The pose comes from a 1984 Life magazine photo shoot before the Olympics.
Photographer Co Rentmeester, who took the original photo, sued Nike in 2015. A federal judge dismissed the case, and an appeals court upheld that decision in 2018.
7. Converse: The Star Chevron and All Star Patch
Converse is known for two marks: the round All Star ankle patch with a star, used since 1932, and the star chevron, a star next to an arrow-like shape. The star chevron was introduced in 2007 and became a stand-alone logo in 2017, according to brand historians. Converse has been owned by Nike since 2003, and its brand history traces the All Star back to 1917.
8. Vans: Off the Wall
The Vans logo uses stencil-style letters, with the “V” stretched into a long tail under the word. The “Off the Wall” phrase came from 1970s skateboarding slang for tricks done off the walls of empty pools. Vans also has a famous side stripe, first called the “jazz stripe.”
9. Reebok: The Vector
Reebok’s vector logo is a swooping stripe shape first introduced in 1986 as part of the brand’s first rebrand. Reebok later used a triangle-shaped Delta logo for fitness products, before returning to the vector style. Reebok is now owned by Authentic Brands Group.
10. Skechers: The S Logo
Skechers uses a bold, slanted “S” and a matching wordmark, usually in blue or white. The “S” appears on the side of many of its comfort and walking shoes. Note the spelling: Skechers has no “t.”
11. Under Armour: The UA Logo
Under Armour uses an interlocking “U” and “A” that forms a single shape. Founder Kevin Plank started the company in 1996, first selling sweat-wicking shirts before adding shoes. See how it competes in our guide to Under Armour’s competitors.
12. FILA: The F-Box
FILA’s logo is a red and blue “F” inside a box, next to the FILA name. The brand was founded in 1911 in Biella, Italy, and is now owned by South Korea’s FILA Holdings.
13. Hoka: The Hoka Wordmark
Hoka uses a bold capital-letter wordmark. The original name, Hoka One One, comes from a Maori phrase meaning “to fly over the earth,” which matches the brand’s thick, cushioned running shoes. Hoka is owned by Deckers Brands.
14. On: The On Logo
On, a Swiss running brand founded in 2010, uses a clean “On” wordmark. Its shoes are better known for their “CloudTec” pods on the sole, which work almost like a second logo.
15. Mizuno: The RunBird
Mizuno, a Japanese sports brand, uses the RunBird, a flowing shape that looks like a bird in flight. It appears on the side of Mizuno’s running and football shoes.
16. K-Swiss: The Shield and Five Stripes
K-Swiss uses a shield-shaped crest and five side stripes. The five stripes first appeared on its leather tennis shoe, the K-Swiss Classic, in 1966.
What Are the Most Famous Casual and Outdoor Shoe Logos?
17. Crocs: The Crocodile
Crocs uses a cartoon crocodile silhouette, which has appeared on the side of its clogs since the first pair sold in 2002. In August 2026, Crocs turned that crocodile into a full mascot named Niles, according to its press release.
18. UGG: The UGG Wordmark
UGG uses a simple, bold wordmark in capital letters. The brand began in California in 1978 selling sheepskin boots and is now owned by Deckers Brands.
19. Timberland: The Tree
Timberland’s logo is a tree, matching its outdoor and work boot image. The Timberland name dates back to 1973, when the company named its waterproof boot.
20. Dr. Martens: AirWair
Dr. Martens is known for its yellow heel loop with the words “AirWair With Bouncing Soles” and its yellow stitching. Both have been part of the brand since its first boot, the 1460, launched in 1960.
21. Clarks: The Clarks Wordmark
Clarks uses a script-style wordmark. The brand was founded in 1825 by brothers Cyrus and James Clark in Somerset, England, and is famous for its Desert Boot.
22. Red Wing Shoes: The Red Wing
Red Wing Shoes uses a red wing as its logo. The company was founded in 1905 in Red Wing, Minnesota, and named after the town. Its work and heritage boots are still made partly in the US.
23. Hush Puppies: The Basset Hound
Hush Puppies has used a basset hound as its logo since 1958. The friendly, droopy-eared dog matches the brand’s soft, comfortable casual shoes.
24. Sperry: The Sperry Wordmark
Sperry uses a simple “Sperry” wordmark. Founder Paul Sperry created the first boat shoe in 1935, cutting grooves into the sole after watching his dog run on ice without slipping.
25. TOMS: The TOMS Flag
TOMS uses a blue and white striped box with the TOMS name inside, a design that resembles a flag. Blake Mycoskie founded the brand in 2006 with a “One for One” model, giving away a pair for every pair sold. In 2019, TOMS replaced that model by giving a share of its profits to charity.
What Are the Most Famous Luxury and Designer Shoe Logos?
26. Lacoste: The Crocodile
Lacoste uses a green crocodile, which comes from founder Rene Lacoste’s nickname as a tennis player. The logo first appeared in 1933. Lacoste is better known for polo shirts, but it also sells a large range of sneakers.
27. Gucci: The Interlocking GG
Gucci’s logo is two interlocking “G” letters, the initials of founder Guccio Gucci. The double G is printed on everything from loafers to sneakers.
28. Tory Burch: The Double T
Tory Burch uses two “T” shapes stacked to form a decorative medallion. Tory Burch founded the brand in 2004, and the Double T appears on her ballet flats, sandals, and sneakers.
Which Shoe Brand Has Which Symbol? A Logo Identifier
If you see a symbol but cannot name the brand, use this table:
| Symbol on the Shoe | Brand |
|---|---|
| Check mark | Nike |
| Three stripes | Adidas |
| Five stripes | K-Swiss |
| Leaping cat | Puma |
| Large “N” | New Balance |
| Crossing curved stripes | ASICS or Onitsuka Tiger |
| Player jumping in mid-air | Jordan |
| Star | Converse, Golden Goose |
| Crocodile | Lacoste, Crocs |
| Tree | Timberland |
| Wing | Red Wing Shoes |
| Basset hound | Hush Puppies |
| Bird in flight | Mizuno |
| Interlocking “UA” | Under Armour |
| Yellow heel loop | Dr. Martens |
What shoe brand has a wings logo? Red Wing Shoes is the best-known shoe brand with a wing logo. The famous “winged shoe” symbol, the Wingfoot, belongs to Goodyear, a tire company, not a shoe brand.
What shoe brand has a star logo? Converse is the most famous shoe brand with a star logo, used on its All Star sneakers since the 1930s. Italian brand Golden Goose also uses a star on the side of its sneakers.
What Makes a Good Shoe Logo?
A shoe logo has to work in places most logos never go: stitched into leather, molded into rubber, and printed on a tiny tongue label. The strongest shoe logos share four traits:
- Simple: the Swoosh and three stripes can be drawn from memory.
- Scalable: they stay clear at tiny sizes on tags and huge sizes on billboards.
- Works without words: a symbol alone, like Puma’s cat, becomes a badge customers want to show off.
- Fits the product: side stripes and shapes, like Adidas’ stripes or the Nike Swoosh, double as part of the shoe’s design.
This is why logos are such a big part of a brand’s value. A recognizable logo builds brand reputation and lets customers spot a brand without reading a word.
Bottom Line
The most famous shoe logos are also the simplest: a check mark, three stripes, a cat, a letter. For me, the Swoosh is the clearest lesson in branding, because a $35 student design became one of the most valuable marks in the world through decades of consistent use. To see how big these brands are by sales, read our ranking of the top 10 shoe brands in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nike’s Swoosh is widely seen as the most recognized shoe logo in the world. It appears on shoes, clothing, and ads in almost every country, and Nike often uses it on its own with no brand name at all.
Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, designed the Nike Swoosh in 1971. Nike co-founder Phil Knight paid her $35 for the design and later gave her Nike stock in thanks.
No major athletic shoe brand uses a lion as its main logo. A lion usually belongs to a smaller or regional label, so check the tongue label or insole to find the brand name.
Timberland is the shoe brand with a tree logo. Its tree logo appears on boots, shoes, and clothing, and matches the brand’s outdoor image. The Timberland name has been used since 1973.
Stripes started as a practical feature: side panels helped support the foot. Brands like Adidas, ASICS, and K-Swiss turned those panels into their logos, so the shoe itself became a form of advertising.
No, but the brands are. Adidas and Puma were founded by brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler after they split their family shoe company. Each brand later created its own logo, and both are still based in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
