Hurts and Barkley Wear Retro Cleats With Eagles Throwback Uniforms

Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley wore retro cleats with the Philadelphia Eagles' throwback uniforms.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley wore basketball-inspired football cleats. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Basketball fans will always entertain the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. However, there is no argument over which football team has the best throwback uniforms in the NFL.

The Philadelphia Eagles stepped onto the turf at Lincoln Financial Field for their Week 8 game against the New York Giants wearing the iconic Kelly Green alternate uniforms. Some players went the extra mile by coordinating their cleats to perfectly match the vintage aesthetic.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley remain in perfect harmony on and off the field, but they take slightly different approaches to their footwear, which only leads to more debates between Jordan and James.

Jalen Hurts: Air Jordan 1

Name a more iconic throwback uniform... we'll wait pic.twitter.com/rfYblsd8Rx

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 26, 2025

Not only is Hurts a Jordan Brand athlete, but he is the most popular player on the Jumpman roster in the NFL. Since signing with Jordan Brand in 2023, Hurts has starred in multiple marketing campaigns and is the face of the new Jordan Trunner shoes.

On the field, Hurts regularly wears retro Air Jordan cleats. The silhouettes have been redesigned for the gridiron, and the All-Pro quarterback often wears the Air Jordan 11 in player-exclusive colorways. However, Hurts went full retro with his cleats today.

Hurts wore the Air Jordan 1 High in a classic black and white colorway. It is far from the mismatched cleats he wore last year that earned a fine from the NFL (Jordan Brand paid it), but it is a perfect option for the throwback uniforms.

Saquon Barkley: Nike LeBron 4

.@saquon 😤 pic.twitter.com/bSoyMDDDKS

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 26, 2025

Meanwhile, Barkley has become the unofficial torchbearer of the Nike LeBron football cleat line. Over the past few seasons, Nike has tasked the All-Pro running back with debuting new colorways of the Nike LeBron 4.

In fact, Barkley wore Nike LeBron cleats last year during his legendary reverse hurdle against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even James commented on the highlight play, "Must be the shoes!"

Once again, Barkley understood the assignment for today's game. The veteran running back rocked a pair of player-exclusive Nike LeBron 4 cleats in Kelly Green to complete the retro look. Unlike the Air Jordan 1, the LeBron 4 has had a much more limited release online.

Winner: Fans

See ya, @saquon 👋 pic.twitter.com/9bjActkYiR

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 26, 2025

Just as there can be no true winner in GOAT debates, it is impossible to pick between Hurts' retro Air Jordans and Barkley's new Nike LeBron cleats. The only winners are Eagles fans and sneakerheads.

Fans can expect more footwear highlights from this dynamic duo as the season rolls on. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NFL and beyond.