Like 2015, the top seeded teams for each region are broken out to three Nike teams (Virginia, North Carolina, and Oregon) and one Adidas (Kansas).
Under Armour’s highest seeded team is Utah at #3 in the Midwest region. Hawaii is ranked #13 in the South, but the lowest seeded UA team is S.F. Austin at #14 in the East. But the Lumberjacks have represented UA in the tournament since 2014.
Parity seems to be the theme with the 2016 selections from the basketball conferences.
The power conferences checked in with 7 bids each with all the mid majors represented by their respective conference tournament winners. The American and Atlantic 10 had three teams. The Big East wasn’t as big as other conferences with five selections. The Missouri Valley and SEC had two teams each.
Well, well, well. Will you look at that. There’s another player in the game. Don’t get me wrong, Nike still dominates the field of 64 with 40 teams (62%), and Adidas has a respectable 22% of the field with 14 teams. So what about that remaining 16%? Ten March Madness dancers wore Under Armour shoes. That’s double the number of teams from last year.
Let’s take a look at the trends of 2016 where Nike lost 8 points, Adidas went up 3, and UA pulling in 10.
The ten UA teams are Texas Tech, Seton Hall, Utah, Cincinnati, Maryland, South Dakota St., Temple, Notre Dame, S.F. Austin, and my personal favorite, Hawaii. Hawaii’s game shoe of choice belong to the Curry line, both 1 and 2. Though if I had a say, the whole team would wear the lucky Curry 2 Suit & Tie.
All it takes is 4.7 seconds to go from Air Jordan XX9s to Kyrie 2s for the win. Tarheel Marcus Paige’s hit a miracle double pump three to tie the game with his Air Jordans cavorting in the air.
Then as the clock ticked down with 4.7 seconds, Wildcats’ Kris Jenkins launched the game winner with less than a second. Truth be told, I couldn’t identify Jenkins’ kicks in that 4.7 seconds. After watching several replays, I thought Kris could be wearing the LeBron 13, but my final guess is the Kyrie 2. Even now, I’m not completely sure but pretty confident that the 6-6 forward was wearing a shoe designed for guards. Well, Kris stroked that jumper just like a guard.
Check out the unbelievable ending yourself.
Either way, Nike was the ultimate kicks winner in the 2016 edition of March Madness. Looking back to 1999, the kicks title looks like this:
That’s 15 championships for Nike in the past 18 years, coming out to a 83% winning percentage.
Today’s the day that Nike gets another NCAA men’s basketball championship added to its resume. It don’t take no genius to know that Nike has 2016 all wrapped up with North Carolina and Villanova. It was essentially Nike’s game after the Elite 8. During that time, Adidas was represented by Kansas and Under Armour by Notre Dame. The other six elitists (Virginia, Syracuse, Oregon, Oklahoma, Villanova, and North Carolina) wore Nikes.
Which team will have the better kicks showing in today’s finals? Will it be North Carolina and their Jordans or ‘Nova and their various signature lines?
From the kicks I’ve seen during the 2016 tournament, I personally think Nike’s best is the Kobe X.
From Under Armour, their best showing has to be the Currys (worn by Hawaii).
Adidas had several teams decked out in crazy D Rose Boost 6 shoes. Here’s a conservative colorway worn by Bakersfield big man Aly Ahmed.
Whoa, what happened to the 2016 Kicks Analysis parts 1-5? Starting at the sixth installment? Well, I have some catching up to do after a #palms16 vacation. So in the meantime, let’s fast forward.
The 2016 Final Four was an all Nike affair. Oklahoma was primarily decked out in Kobe Bryant’s signature line in the form of the X (Buddy Hield) and the 11, possibly the newest Lower Merion colorway. Villanova players wore a variety of Nikes like the Kobe X Elite high top, the Hyperrev 2016, Kyrie 2, and a LeBron XIII.
The East-Midwest matchup featured the North Carolina Tarheels and the surprising Orangemen of Syracuse. No surprise that Carolina wore Jordans although a variety of models including the CP3 line worn by Brice Johnson. Surprisingly, last year’s Jordan XX9 low top was a popular pick.
I did not see retros like in years past, but old player signature lines were apparent. Buddy’s Kobe X, Malachi Richardson in KD7s, and Carolina favoring Jordan 29 instead of the latest Jordan 30.
So the analysis is easy – Nike wins again with all Final Four teams swooshing.
The Adidas collaboration with Stella McCartney resulted in interesting kicks for women. But sadly, the Pure Boost X just didn’t work out. Featuring Boost, Primeknit, and the odd-looking free floating arch, the lacing and $170-price tag was its undoing.
The only positive from this (returned) purchase is that now I know Adidas offers free two-way shipping via ShopRunner.
See more images of the Stella McCartney Pure Boost X on Flickr.
That’s the question I need to research more. Nike’s Air Max 360 cushioning is a known quantity having worn several shoes with this tech in the past, but Adida’s Ultra Boost is surely making a name for itself, especially with regards to comfort and cushioning. I kinda like the supportive stiffness of the Air Max 360 bubble, but the plush ride of the Ultra Boost would be nice too.
Now, Adidas has the Ultra Boost ST which gives credit to my hunch that the Boost isn’t necessarily good for flat footers. With the stability enhancements for the Ultra Boost ST, maybe it’s time to try them out. I have two reservations buying Adidas – fit and find.
For some reason, the fit of Adidas shoes varies greatly (for me). Half size up, one size up, too tight, too loose – I really want to try on an Adidas model before purchasing since my experience is inconsistent and mixed. That leads to the second problem of finding high-end Adidas shoes. The Ultra Boost line can’t easily be found in Hawaii. Finding online is possible but at a cost. Shipping to Hawaii typically is not free, and returns (if they don’t fit well) could incur additional charges. None of these hassles plague Nike.com. Make a purchase as a Nike+ member and shipping is free both ways. Because there’s no fuss, I’m more willing to try out a shoe. If it don’t fit, I just need to drop the box off at UPS and back it goes.
Price is a factor, but I’m willing to dish out for shoes if need be. But I’m also willing to wear off color ways at a significant discount. Due to the popularity of the Ultra Boost, you really can’t find them on discount.
So what will it be, Nike Air Max 360 or Adidas Ultra Boost?
How do middle school kids learn if Kanye West can actually run for President of the United States in 2020? You use Kanye’s Yeezy line of kicks as props to draw students into the lessons of primary elections, caucuses, and the Electoral College.
Well played, Ray.
I’m still on the hunt for a pair of Adidas featuring the highly touted Boost cushioning system. Seemingly every pair of Adidas is now Boost-powered but at a premium price. The Adidas Response Boost Techfit has been showing up a Ross for some time now, but this shoe is extremely narrow, especially in the toe box. I tried on a size 11 and even at 2 sizes larger, my feet still felt like they were being squeezed. But really, this is a good thing. Otherwise I would have walked out with this black, white, and core heather colorway (at half the cost).
The Response Boost Techfit features Boost in the forefoot and heel area.
I love that olive green sole with the splash of red for accent.
That core heather reminds me of Nike’s latest tech fleece collection.
Them olive soles!!!!
If I could, these are three kicks I’d get for this summer season:
Classics in black.
Ultraaaaaaa….
For a pop of color.
Long story short, I passed on these Adidas Response running shoes I found at Ross. I was surprised to see Adidas decked out with their Boost technology already discounted. The shoe was comfortable in the heel and midfoot but tight in the toebox. Even after going a half size up, my toes still felt crammed in the otherwise wide-looking toebox. Also, there were only a few laces holes making a snug fit hard to achieve. Nice neutral colors though.