Late Eighties Men's Sneakers

Nike Air Delta Force hightops. At the end of the eighties, Nike had reached the top of the sneaker world thanks to its basketball shoes. Just about every young guy then wore hightops: Nikes, then Reeboks (which used to be no. 1). Reebok Pumps came out about 1989, but its BB4600s were on the feet of every other strapping young man. But also Adidas, Avia, Puma, Pony, British Knights, L.A. Gear, and other brands. Some of these brands are defunct or rarely seen anymore, some are bigger than ever. Reebok, and certainly L.A. Gear, were more for looks while Nike emphasized performance.

The slogan was "Get off in BKs." Many did, I'm sure.
By "hottest" do they mean the pair that causes the
most buildup of heat and moisture?

Even in 1990, hightops were what all the guys were wearing. Mostly BKs and a couple pairs of L.A. Gears.