The 15 Greatest College Basketball Team Sneakers of All Time

Image via Complex Original

It's official, 68 teams prepare for battle as March Madness kicks off tonight. Although the games today don't bring as much hype as the ones you're skipping class or work for Thursday, the team aspect is imperative to move forward in the brackets. As long as uniforms have been around so has the concept of trying to have all five players on the floor blend. We decided to look back at college hoops history and break down the best of the best when it came to the kicks that promoted that team spirit. Click on the gallery to check out The 15 Greatest College Basketball Team Sneakers of All Time.

RELATED: Sneaker Report - What the 20 Best College Freshmen are Wearing This Season

15. Nike Air Modify Force

Year released: 1996  

Memorable schools: Standford, UNC, Wake Forest 

In the early '90s, the midfoot strap was a must for most basketball kicks, giving the players the support needed to grind out 40 minutes on the court. In 1996 Nike took it even deeper with its Fitwrap Technology, allowing you to remove the straps if needed and also grab them in nearly any color to match up with your teams colors. There was also a shoe called the "College Force," but the Modify Force (and the Air Max equipped Adjust Force) saw more top-tier NCAA action.

14. Nike Air Force III

Year released: 1988

Notable schools: Arizona, Syracuse, UNLV 

No doubt AF1s are better known than the Air Force IIIs, but the IIIs spread through the NCAA ranks like wildfire. Rough and rugged, the hightops were seen on the feet of many an elite big man in the late '80s — and on Arizona's Eugene Edgerson over a decade later. The AF1 III remains an under-the-radar silo on and off the court today.

13. Nike Air Zoom Huarache 64

Year released: 2006

Notable schools: George Mason, Washington, Florida

The Zoom Huarache 64s were made with Tournament madness in mind. Released in a handful of colorways for Nike schools, they were featured all over the court in 2006 and 2007 — even NBA players like Rashad McCants and Chris Paul got player edition connects (although no one's were better than then-Laker Smush Parker's). Just like other Huarache models they were all about extreme comfort, stability, and great use of color schemes all throughout the kicks. 

12. adidas TS Pro Model NCAA Edition

Year released: 2008

Notable schools: Memphis, Kansas, UCLA  

The "Believe in We" TS Pro Model series dropped just in time for teams to stunt on the court for 2008 March Madness, with adidas catering to its big-name schools. Shelltoes have always been in the college game, so the team editions made perfect sense. And it worked out great for adi, since it helped them secure then-Memphis PG Derrick Rose to a deal after he took off for the League. 

adidas Torsion Bank Shot 

Year released: 1991

Notable schools: Duke, Indiana,

Best known on the feet of Christian Laettner during his run with the Dukies, the Bank Shot were the first adidas to feature the Torsion system. The two-tone scheme and large branding was major with adidas in the early '90s and sneakers run the Torsion bar from the heel to forefoot. The underrated model saw a retro release in the spring of 2009. 

10. Nike Huarache 2K4

Year released: 2004

Notable schools: Duke, Michigan State, UConn

Chopping one of Tinker's finest sneakers up with a new take, the Huarache 2K4s were more than respectable even competing with a classic. The Huarache 2K4 combined lightweight materials with ultimate stability — and Zoom Air, of course — and dropping them in almost every major college teams school colors wasn't a bad move either.

9. Converse Accelerator RSI High

Year released: 1992 

Notable schools: UNC, Kentucky

People were so caught up with what Michigan was rocking in the early '90s that people overlooked what was on the feet of some UNC players — who, if you don't remember, actually won the tournament. The Converse Accelerator featured the REACT Juice cushioning system made famous by Larry Johnson during his transformation to Grandmama. Not only was the shoe perfect for stability, support, and speed but the stealth mode kicks were just right on the fashion tip. Too bad more people didn't want to be like Eric Montross.

8. Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star 

Year released: 1917 

Notable schools: All of them

There wouldn't even be a team sneaker without the original basketball kicks. Any team that made a push at cutting down the nets over the past decade has at some point rocked Converse Chuck Taylors. 

7. Nike Zoom Huarache 2K5

Year released: 2005

Notable schools: Kentucky, Michigan State, UConn

The successor to Kobe Bryant's well-received Huarache 2K4s, the 2K5s took things up a bit with even more comfort and more colors. The Zoom Air unit was perfect for speedy players to burn opponents and get off the floor with ease, and the design wore school colors perfectly. 

6. Nike Shox Stunner

Year released: 2002

Notable schools: Stanford, UConn 

One of the many Nike Shox that dropped in a slew of colorways, the Shox Stunner was designed with March Madness in mind. The Stunner took details from numerous Nike classics including the zipper from the Ndestrukt, strap from the Air Forces, and the sock design from the Jordan VIIs to create one of the first true hybrids.  

5. Reebok Question

Year released: 2000

Notable schools: Michigan State, UCLA, Utah State

AI scorched legends in the Question back in '96 and shaped the brands culture in the process, so it a no-brainer for Reebok re-release the model. Sometimes messing with a classic too soon is a bad move, but Reebok didn't miss when they decided to drop them in a select few colorways for its college teams — one of whom, Michigan State, copped the hardware. AI would have approved. 

4. Air Jordan Team One

Year released: 1997 

Notable schools: UNC, Cincinnati, St. Johns

Aimed at the high school and college ranks, the Team One was one of the most popular non-signature series Jordans to drop. The shoe dropped in various colorways and were priced around $100, making them easier to grab than the typical $150 Js. Jordan Brand re-released them in 2000, but not as many people jumped at the opportunity.

3. adidas Crazy 8

Year released: 2011 

Notable schools: Louisville, Kansas, UCLA

You might remember these as Kobe Bryant's first signature shoe with the Three Stripes. Since KB8 left the company, so did the name. The design remained the same however, and was a favorite amongst adidas NCAA programs during March Madness in 2011.

2. Nike Hyperdunk

Year released: 2008

Notable schools: Kentucky, Oregon, Syracuse

The Hyperdunks took Nike's basketball performance game to another level. They trimmed all the fat and gave players a sneaker that was going to let your foot breathe, keep your ankle from rolling, and the minimal use of materials allowed the team-colored accents to pop on the court.

1. Nike Dunk

Year released: 1985

Notable schools: Kentucky, Michigan, Syracuse

Be True To Your School. The Nike Dunk was the first official Nike shoe created specifically for the nation's elite collegiate squads (shoes like the Air Force 1 and the Dynasty just paved the way). The Swoosh hooked up multiple schools with their own colorways, creating one of the best sneakers of all time both on and off the court.