The Complete Guide To Olympic Sneakers

Improvements in athletic footwear have led to shoes that help athletes run faster and jump higher.

1. Andy Roddick - Tennis, United States

Image by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images

2. Jessica Ennis - Heptathlon, Great Britain

Right before the high jump.

Image by KAI PFAFFENBACH / Reuters

3. Kevin Love - Basketball, United States

Image by Jamie Squire / Getty Images

4. Ana Dulce Felix - Marathon, Portugal

Image by Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

5. Christine Sinclair - Soccer, Canada

Image by Stanley Chou / Getty Images

6. Yasuhiro Suzuki - Boxing, Japan

Image by MURAD SEZER / Reuters

7. Jose Espinoza Mena - Venezuela, Boxing

Image by MURAD SEZER / Reuters

8. Lebron James - Basketball, United States

Image by Jamie Squire / Getty Images

9. Yelena Isinbayeva - Pole Vault, Russia

Image by David J. Phillip / AP

10. Alberta Boatema Ampomah - Weightlfting, Ghana

Image by YURI CORTEZ / Getty Images

11. Justyn Warner - Running, Canada

Image by LUCY NICHOLSON / Reuters

12. Kellie Wells - Hurdles, United States

Image by DYLAN MARTINEZ / Reuters

13. Usain Bolt - Running, Jamaica

Bolt won the 100m race in these shoes, setting an Olympic record.

Image by PHIL NOBLE / Reuters

14. Lisa Norden - Triathlon, Sweden

At the end of the running portion of the triathlon, sneakers are left behind.

Image by TIM WIMBORNE / Reuters

15. Yohan Blake - Runner, Jamaica

Image by Alex Grimm / Getty Images

16. Brigitte Foster-Hylton - Hurdles, Jamaica

Image by Stu Forster / Getty Images

17. Jack Green - Hurdles, Great Britain

Two different colors.

Image by DYLAN MARTINEZ / Reuters

18. Men’s Basketball Team - Australia

Image by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / Getty Images

19. Seun Adigun - Hurdles, Nigeria

Image by Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images

20. Official - Beach Volleyball

Referees get cool shoes too.

Image by Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

21. Unidentified - Handball, Iceland

Unclear why the guy in the background is missing a shoe.

Image by MARKO DJURICA / Reuters

22. Natalya Antyukh - Hurdles, Russia

Image by Matt Slocum / AP

23. Tyson Gay - Running, United States

Gay has beat Usain Bolt in the 100m before, but he’s never won a gold medal. He turns 30 on August 9.

Image by Martin Meissner / AP

24. Robbie Grabarz - High Jump, Great Britain

Image by Alex Grimm / Getty Images

25. Jessica Ennis - Heptathlon, Great Britain

Image by David J. Phillip / AP

26. Tristan Thomas - Hurdles, Australia

Image by Michael Steele / Getty Images

27. Olumide Oyedeji - Basketball, Nigeria

The note is a get well message for teammate Tony Skinn, who was injured in an earlier game against Argentina.

Image by Charles Krupa / AP

28. Sue Bird - Basketball, United States

Image by Christian Petersen / Getty Images

29. Unidentified - Field Hockey, Netherlands

Image by SERGIO MORAES / Reuters

30. Lindsay Whalen - Basketball, United States and Yanyan Ji - Basketball, China

Image by Christian Petersen / Getty Images

31. Hanna Melnychenko - Heptathlon, Ukraine

Image by PAWEL KOPCZYNSKI / Reuters

32. Lashinda Demus - Hurdles, United States

Image by EDDIE KEOGH / Reuters

33. Nicola Spirig - Triathlon, Switzerland

She won the gold.

Image by FABRICE COFFRINI / Getty Images

34. Celine Dumerc - Basketball, France and Natalie Achonwa - Basketball, Brazil

Image by Eric Gay / AP

35. Tamara Tatham - Basketball, United States

Image by Christian Petersen / Getty Images