The Top 16 Sneaker Legends in NCAA Basketball History

Ranking the 16 most important sneaker icons in NCAA March Madness history.

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The 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has officially tipped off, and so begins the best weekend on the sports calendar. Brackets will be busted, nets cut down, and only a select few will make their mark in hoops history.

Additionally, some players will join an even more elite list of sneaker legends to make their way out of March. It is not an easy fraternity to join. It requires equal parts performance, style, and swag. Below is the FanNation Kicks' list of the top 16 sneaker legends in college basketball history.

March Madness Sneaker Legends

Ranking the 16 biggest sneaker icons of college basketball.

16. Zion Williamson

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Player: Duke Blue Devils power forward Zion Williamson.

Shoe: Williamson infamously busted out of the Nike PG 2.5 during a regular season game. The eventual top draft pick finished the season in Kyrie Irving's Nike shoes.

How to Buy: Now with the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson is on his third sneaker with Jordan Brand. Fans can buy the Jordan Zion 3 on the Nike website.

15. Lonzo Ball

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Player: UCLA Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball.

Shoe: It is hard to explain the level of excitement surrounding Ball during his freshman season at UCLA. He was a walking highlight reel that wore the adidas Harden Vol. 1 during his final games in college. 

How to Buy: James Harden's first signature shoe is on sneaker resale websites. However, online shoppers can find the adidas Harden Vol. 8 on the adidas website.

14. James Harden

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Player: Arizona State Sun Devils shooting guard James Harden.

Shoe: Harden wore the Nike LeBron 6 throughout his last season in college (also check out Daniel Hackett's Nike Kobe 3s).

How to Buy: Harden wore Nike in college and pros before eventually signing with adidas. However, fans can find LeBron James' retro shoes on the Nike website.

13. Stephen Curry

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Player: Davidson Wildcats point guard Stephen Curry.

Shoe: Curry wore the Nike Hyperdunk during his final season at Davidson.

How to Buy: Like Harden, Curry started his career with Nike before signing with Under Armour. Fans can shop Curry's shoes om the Foot Locker website.

12. Mateen Cleaves

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Player: Michigan State Spartans point guard Mateen Cleaves.

Shoe: Reebok Question Mid in a player-exclusive colorway.

How to Buy: Cleaves led Michigan State to a title in the Reebok Question Mid. Fans can find the shoes in similar colorways on the Reebok website.

11. Patrick Ewing

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Player: Georgetown Hoyas center Patrick Ewing.

Shoe: Ewing wore the Nike Legend and the Nike Terminator High during his final season with the Georgetown Hoyas.

How to Buy: Fans can purchase the Nike Terminator High in adult sizes on the Nike website.

10. Michael Jordan

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Player: North Carolina guard Michael Jordan.

Shoe: Jordan wore the Converse Pro Leather, among other models, during his collegiate career at North Carolina.

How to Buy: This is the lowest the GOAT has ever been ranked on a sneaker list. The Converse shoes are forgettable, but Jordan made them legendary thanks to his iconic game-winning shot in the Big Dance. Fans can shop for his new and retro shoes on the Nike website.

9. 2017 Kentucky Wildcats

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Player: Kentucky Wildcat guards De'Aaron Fox, Isaiah Briscoe, and Malik Monk.

Shoe: Way before there were "Mamba Programs," the 2017 Kentucky Wildcats pulled out retro sneakers Kobe Bryant's signature Nike line. It was an impressive level of sneaker knowledge flashed by the rising stars.

How to Buy: Fans can shop for Kobe Bryant's retro Nike shoes on the sneaker resale website StockX.

8. Kenyon Martin

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Player: Cincinnati Bearcats power forward Kenyon Martin.

Shoe: Martin wore the Air Jordan 12 'Playoffs,' among other models from Jordan's legendary sneaker line during his time in Cincinnati.

How to Buy: The Air Jordan 12 'Playoffs' last released in March 2022. Fans can shop Air Jordan 12 on the sneaker resale website StockX.

7. Jerry Stackhouse

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Player: North Carolina Tarheels guard Jerry Stackhouse.

Shoe: Stackhouse wore the Air Jordan 10 in the 'Orlando' colorway in the picture above but rocked a wide array of Jordans and Nikes during his time in Chapel Hill.

How to Buy: The Air Jordan 10 'Orlando' was last released in December 2018. Fans can shop Air Jordan 10s on StockX.

6. Kawhi Leonard

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Player: San Diego State Aztecs small forward Kawhi Leonard.

Shoe: Leonard wore several different retro Air Jordan models during his time in college. However, the Aztec legend wore the Air Jordan 3 'White Cement' in the picture above.

How to Buy: After starting his career with Jordan Brand, Leonard switched to New Balance (currently on his fourth signature sneaker). Fans can shop Air Jordan 3s on StockX.

5. Fab Five

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Player: The 1992 Michigan Wolverines team included Chris Weber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, and Ray Jackson.

Shoe: The legendary 'Fab Five' team wore the Nike Air Maestro, Air Huarache, Air Force Max, Air Unlimited, and Air Max 2 Uptempo throughout the 1992 season.

How to Buy: Fans of one of the most iconic teams can try their luck on sneaker resale websites. Currently, the Air Huarache is available on the Nike website.

4. DeMar DeRozan

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Player: USC Trojans forward DeMar DeRozan.

Shoe: DeRozan wore the Nike Kobe 4 in a player-exclusive colorway during his final season with the Trojans.

How to Buy: The shoes worn by DeRozan were released in extremely limited quantities in January 2009. There are some rare gems from Kobe's line available on StockX.

3. Kemba Walker

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Player: Connecticut Huskies point guard Kemba Walker.

Shoe: "Cardiac Kemba" Walker rocked various Air Jordan models at UConn. Walker wore the Air Jordan 7 'Olympics' in the picture above.

How to Buy: The Air Jordan 7 'Olympics' has been released sporadically in various designs over the years. Fans can find similar versions of the Air Jordan 7 on StockX.

2. Allen Iverson

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Player: Georgetown Hoyas guard Allen Iverson.

Shoe: Iverson wore the Air Jordan 11 'Concord' among other Nike models during his time with the Hoyas. 

How to Buy: Before his rookie season, Iverson was pitched a signature sneaker with Jordan Brand, but he would instead sign a lifetime sneaker deal with Reebok. However, fans can find Air Jordan 11s on StockX.

1. Mike Bibby

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Player: Arizona Wildcats guard Mike Bibby.

Shoe: Bibby led the Wildcats to the National Championship in the Nike Air Foamposite One.

How to Buy: The Nike Air Foamposite One 'Royal Blue' was last released in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the legendary Wildcats team. Fans can find the shoes on the sneaker resale website StockX.

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