We Ranked Our Favorite March Madness Sneakers Ahead of Tonight's Finals Matchup
You might not make any buzzer beaters, but you can at least look like you did.
Reviewed by Ryan BrowerSenior Gear and Commerce Editor
IT FELT LIKE this year's March Madness flew by. In fairness, it always seems to do, but 2026 felt particularly short. Maybe because we couldn't wait for the next big shot, or by extension, upset. Between Iowa's upset over number one-ranked Florida, High Point's Cinderella story, and Braylin Mullin's last-second logo three over Duke to propel UConn into the final four and ultimately, tonight's championship game, there was no shortage of jaw-dropping moments. This year's NCAA Men's Tournament was undoubtedly one for the books, and we don't want it to end just yet.
In honor of the 2026 Championship Game, and perhaps, by extension, a way to keep a piece of this year's tournament with us, we decided to round up some of our favorite sneakers that made cameos in the tournament that you can buy today. Of course, we couldn't match up colorways perfectly (that's virtually impossible with a large chunk of them featuring custom player exclusives), but we nailed the exact models. There are some certified classics on this list, and they're pretty timeless, so March Madness doesn't have to end for all of us. At least for the ones who never want the tournament to wrap up—myself included.
Best Deal
The Jordan 6 is a total classic, and they're pretty hard to get your hands on, especially in new colorways. Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg was seen rocking these a few times during the tournament in Michigan colors. We managed to find the 2024 Olympic colorway in select sizes on Amazon, but if you're looking for more sizes and colorways, you can always find them on StockX.
Jordan 11s are another cult classic, and they're rereleased pretty regularly on Nike's site. Lendeborg, who's obviously a sneaker historian of sorts, was also seen sporting 11s during the tournament. Colorways are again limited, but we did manage to find them in sail/off white/newsprint/sport royal on Finish Line. They're also on sale right now, which is virtually unheard of. The sizes are also pretty sparse, but if you see yours, you should take advantage.
We've seen the Ja 3s on a few players this year, most notably on folk hero and one of the last men standing, UConn guard Braylon Mullins. Nike has a few colorways available on its site, but members can also customize their own pair. If you want to get them in UConn colors, now's your chance. Mullins was wearing a pair of Kobe 5s during his miraculous shot against Duke, but you'll have to look to StockX and other secondary sellers for those.
Jawhawk Elmarko Jackson was seen sporting an exclusive pair of the Ant Edwards 2 in Kansas' loss to St. John's, but standard release colors are readily available on Adidas' site. Some colors are even sold and shipped by Amazon, including the one depicted here. For under $150, you can't go wrong either way.
James Harden's signature sneakers from adidas were another standout, most notably on Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. A few less flashy colors are available on Zappos (and also on sale), but if you want the exact Willy Chavarria Compton Cowboys colorways Brown rocked, you can grab them on StockX without totally breaking the bank. A few sizes are even under $200.
The BYU Cougars were a nice underdog story last year, but saw their season cut short during a first-round upset against Texas. Star freshman AJ Dybantsa was seen wearing a yellow pair of Nike GT Cut 4s in that game, which you can grab on Nike.com. He was also seen wearing a special player-edition "Spider-Man" colorway back in February, but we like the solid color options just fine.
The Nike Book 2 is one of the less flashy basketball sneakers on this list, but that's what makes Devin Booker’s shoe so appealing. They virtually double as a lifestyle shoe, and the basic design harkens back to the good 'ol days of rough-and-tumble '90s basketball. Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler was seen rocking a pair in a player-exclusive Kentucky colorway, but similarly subdued styles are available on Nike's site.
The latest Tatum 4 sneakers have been spotted a lot this season, most notably, amongst UNC players during their first-round upset loss to VCU. They, unsurprisingly, sported them in a UNC colorway, but you can get them on Nike's site in three distinct colorways. A lot of sizes are still available, too.
We had to include at least one Kobe shoe on this list, but as mentioned, a lot of them are only available on the secondary market. Fortunately, we spotted the Kobe IX Elite Low EM Protro shoes on quite a few TCU players during their first-round upset against Ohio. They're available in three distinct styles on Nike.com, one of which I may or may not have in my cart right now.
Duke Blue Devils fans will be happy about this one. Star Boozer twin, Cam Boozer, was seen wearing the Nike KD 18 “international blue” sneaker during Duke's matchup against TCU, and the exact pair is still available on Nike's site. Even better? They're almost 20 percent off and available in virtually every size known to man. You may just see these on the first overall pick next year, too, so now's a good time to get ahead of the game.
Tim Kohut is the Deals and Trends Editor for Popular Mechanics, Men’s Health, Best Products, and Runner's World. He has extensive product review and gear coverage expertise, particularly in tech, home, auto, and health. Tim was previously the Deputy Commerce Editor of The Drive and a Commerce Editor at BGR. He’s also overseen gear coverage and strategy at Popular Science, Bob Vila, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream. He has a strong affinity for cats, Batman, and early 90’s Nicolas Cage films, in that order.
Ryan Brower is the Senior Gear and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he tests the best products in outdoor gear and tech. Baseball, surfing, and camping occupied most of his time growing up.
He also trained in martial arts for 12 years and holds a third degree black belt. He has written about the outdoors for nearly two decades and was previously the Managing Editor, Content Performance at Gear Patrol. He is also a Certified Beer Server and previously covered the craft beer industry. Ryan currently lives on the water in New Jersey with his wife and their dog.
Readers Also Read
How to Master the Bulgarian Split Squat
What’s Going on With Dr. Al-Hashimi in The Pitt?
The Best Upper Body Exercises for Your Workout
The Best Beard Brushes to Keep Your Facial Hair in
