The 25 Greatest Sneaker Moments in Big East Tournament History

Image via Complex Original

Sneakers: Nike Dunk High
Year: 1986

The stars of the 1986 championship game were Syracuse's Pearl Washington and St. John's Walter Berry, but it was Mark Jackson - also named to the All-Tournament team - who actually had to check Pearl. St. John's took their first (and only) lead in the final seconds to win the Big East title and the No. 1 seed for the NCAA tourney. Oh, nice shoes.

Sneakers: Nike Command Force
Year: 1992

White men can't jump, but Alonzo Mourning sure could. His Hoyas lost to 'Cuse in the '92 final, but at least they looked good. Word to Sidney Deane and Billy Ho.

Sneakers: Nike Air Max Uptempo
Year: 1996

Sugar Ray took advantage of UCONN's Nike deal heavy in the mid-'90s, breaking out the Air Max Uptempo among many others in '96.

Sneakers: adidas Crazy 8 "Louisville"
Year: 2011

The adidas Crazy 8 made a big comeback in 2011 with the March Madness Pack of colorways inspired by adidas sponsored schools. Peyton Siva led Louisville against Kemba and the Huskies but couldn't quite get the W in the title game. His Louisville adidas Crazy 8s, though, were top dawgs that year.

Sneakers: Jordan Melo M5
Year: 2009

He may have flamed out in the NBA, but Syracuse's Jonny Flynn was one of the most thrilling players in college basketball, taking MVP honors in the 2009 Big East tourney. #NEVERFORGET

Sneakers: Nike Air Garnett III
Year: 1999

Don't hate on big-boned point guards. Khalid El-Amin was UCONN's answer to Mateen Cleaves, and he took MVP honors in '98 in UCONN's first of two straight Big East championships.

Sneakers: Reebok Kamikaze
Year: 1995

In 1995, you probably only saw the Reebok Kamikaze in black and white or Sonics colors, aside from the Eastbay catalog. Then Felipe Lopez laced them up for St. John's at the end of the season. Now we just need a retro. Reebok what's good?

Sneakers: Reebok Answer V
Year: 2001

Yep, Boston College was in the Big East, and Troy Bell was the truth. He made his Iversons work in 2001, as his BC squad crushed Pitt in the Big East final and he walked away with the MVP.

Sneakers: Nike Delta Force
Year: 1987

Sherm took over for Pearl Washington as a sophomore in 1986-87 and kept the Orange rolling. Don't talk to him about takedowns.

Sneakers: Nike Air Strong
Year: 1992

Kerry Kittles was that dude with the long socks, but just because the socks stood out, doesn't mean he wasn't rockin' heat on his feet. The Nike Air 2 Strong is a classic, even if 'Nova got knocked out of the tourney early that year.

Sneakers: Nike Alpha Force
Year: 1988

Now that's more like it. Rony Seikaly stepped up from the no-support Dunk Lows to the Charles Barkley endorsed Alpha Forces and his Orangemen trounced 'Nova to capture the '88 Big East title.

Sneakers: Nike Air Max Uptempo 2
Year: 1995

Sugar Ray was no stranger to college basketball fans and if you were into sneakers in the mid-'90s, you knew Allen was destined to be a lifelong sneakerhead.

Sneakers: Nike Air Force 1993
Year: 1994

In 1994, Donyell Marshall dropped a record 42 points (and grabbed 18 boards) on St John's but lost in the next round to Providence.

Sneakers: Air Jordan XII
Year: 2009

Kemba didn't only wear hybrids - he might have been best-known for what he did later in the 6-17-23, but he laid the groundwork in classics like the XIIs.

Sneakers: Nike Air Force STS
Year: 1990

The ultimate tough guy in the ultimate tough guy shoe. The Air Force STS wasn't as prevalent in the Big East in '90 as the Dunk was in '86, but it was close.

Sneakers: Nike LeBron 6
Year: 2009

Just because LeBron didn't go to college didn't mean college superstars couldn't wear his shoe. Yes, superstars. 'Cuse became the lowest-seeded team to win the Big East in 2006, and Flynn was a big part of the reason why.

Sneakers: Nike Air Penny II
Year: 1997

Rip's got an entire storage unit full of Jordans these days, but starting out at UCONN he was kitted out in Nike's finest. Pennys made sense for the Coatesville swingman in '97, even though they took the one-point L to Pitt in the first round of the Big East.

Sneakers: Jordan Melo M6 "Future Sole"
Year: 2010

Future Sole provided aspiring designers the chance to work with Jordan Brand designers and the result was the Future Sole Jordan Melo M6. These special makeup Syracuse editions went hard.

Sneakers: adidas Crazy Light
Year: 2012

New jacks, swing. Cincy and Louisville were relative newcomers to the Big East in 2012, but that didn't stop them from meeting in the tournament final. Lousiville ended up taking down the higher-ranked Bearcats, but adidas was winning no matter what.

Sneakers: Nike Dunk Low
Year: 1986

A center in lows? Rony Seikaly's Dunks are more appropriate for his current role as a big-time club DJ, but he made them work in the paint, too.

Sneakers: Nike Dynasty
Year: 1983

Before the Terminator and before the NCAA title, Patrick Ewing and his G'town teammates terrorized the Big East in Dynasties. Back-to-back Big East titles (and MVPs) in '84 and '85 made the name fit.

Sneakers: Jordan 6-17-23
Year: 2011

The 6-17-23 may have been in question when it first dropped but when Kemba led UCONN to the Big East title and grabbed MVP honors, sneakerheads paid attention.

Sneakers: Jordan Dub Zero
Year: 2006

Gerry McNamara was straight-up unstoppable in 2006. You couldn't tell him nothin' - including not to wear Jordan hybrids.

Sneakers: Air Jordan XI "Concords"
Year: 1996

Allen Iverson's college days were recently the inspiration for a tribute pack from Reebok but sneakerheads know what AI did in those Concords back at Georgetown.

Sneakers: Nike Air Force 1
Year: 1985

Chris Mullin is arguably the best shooter to ever play in the Big East. He not only lit up opponents, he also put the Air Force 1 with colored accents for a lot of the OGs.