March Madness: Power Ranking the Best Sneakers in the Sweet Sixteen

Image via Complex Original

Sneaker: Under Armour Curry One

Highlighting your school colors through your shoelaces is a strong, strong move. Jakob Poeltl’s gunmental Under Armour Curry Ones are a strong platform to execute it on.

Sneaker: adidas D Rose 5 Boost

Not much to say about these white and space gray D Rose 5 Boosts except, cool look. Those look great for playing ball in, keep it coming.

Sneaker: adidas D Rose Englewood III

We get that players want to choose and customize their own shoes. Personal flair, and all that. But having everyone wear the right, dope sneaker—in this case, adidas’ D Rose Englewood III—gives your whole squad some real crew love vibes when they’re cutting down the nets, you know?

Sneaker: Under Armour Clutchfit Drive Low

Yes to matching Irish green shoes and socks masquerading as hi-tops. That lousy football team of theirs can only dream of having ensembles this fire.

Sneaker: adidas Crazy Light Boost

Not the best team by Bruins standards, as UCLA has needed some serious bracket luck to get this far, but Tony Parker’s tasteful use of complementary colors on his adidas Crazy Light Boosts is still a top seed in our book.

Sneaker: adidas D Lillard 1

Is it a coincidence that Terry Rozier, the Cardinals’ clutchest player of the tourney so far, is wearing a pair of D Lillards? Yes, probably. But just try it and prove it. You can’t.

Sneaker: LeBron 12

Brandon Ashley is still making his way back from last year’s season-ending ligament injury, which makes the ankle-supporting cyborg shoe that is the LeBron 12 a perfect fit. They don’t come with booster rockets in the sole, though, no matter how much we keep asking.

Sneaker: LeBron 12

To the surprise of no one, LeBron’s latest signatures are a popular choice at the tourney, which means it’s all about how you spec them out. Isaiah Cousins’s inverted red-and-white pair is a good showing.

Sneaker: Nike Kyrie 1

Why don’t more sneakers employ shark teeth, like a bunch of badass B-29s? If we had our way, Matt Jones’s Blue Devil Kyrie 1s would kick off the trend in earnest.

Sneaker: LeBron 12

Holy hell, look at the gold on Lourawls Nairn’s LeBrons. Did the Spartans have a thing for gold? Who cares, be right back, gotta hop on Nike iD real quick.

Sneaker: Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low

It only makes sense that the most dominant team in college hoops this year is rocking the freshest gear. Trey Lyles’s Kobe 9 “Beethovens” have the austere color scheme to go with their minimalist profile.

Sneaker: Air Jordan VII

Poor Mountaineers done got lapped by Kentucky last week—a score of 78-39 should qualify for a mercy killing—but we’ll remember Billy Dee Williams’ Jordan VIIs…and his awesome, awesome name.

Sneaker: Nike Kobe 9 Elite

While the idea of a wire-knit high-top sneaker might’ve irked some at first, there’s no doubting the strut the Kobes strike on the court. And black-and-white mesh uppers always get us, on or off the hardwood.

Sneaker: Air Jordan XX9 (Custom)

Repping your school on the court with custom Jordan XX9s made by Nike will never not be cool. Though, presumably the real Jordan would shit talk everyone with something about the unsurpassable legacy he left at UNC and everyone would be too scared to pick up a basketball ever again.

Sneaker: Nike Kobe 9 Elite

More Kobes, no complaining here. If only the guy they’re named after could stay on the court in them, we’d have a 100% ringing endorsement here.

Sneaker: Air Jordan XI

The Shockers got…well, you know…by Notre Dame in the round of 16, but through no fault of Fred VanVleet’s Jordan XIs, whose colorway happens to remind us of the other MJ at the same time.