March Madness is moving full speed ahead with the Sweet 16 teams determined and preparing to duke it out in the coming days to whittle the competition down to the Elite Eight.
There are several star players in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball divisions hoping to lead their team to victory — and they’re also no strangers to footwear fashion statements. Find out which sneaker styles some of the most talked about players in college basketball wear on the court.
AJ Dybansta
Left: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars dribbles the ball during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. Right: A close-up of AJ Dybansta’s player exclusive Nike sneakers worn during a game against the Houston Cougars at the Marriott Center on February 7, 2026 in Provo, Utah.
Left: Soobum Im/Getty Images. Right: Chris Gardner/Getty Images
19-year-old AJ Dybansta is a star freshman with the BYU Cougars. The six-foot-nine guard, currently leading in points per game with 25.5, signed a NIL deal with Nike in early 2024. You’ll find him competing in shoes bearing the Swoosh, including the notable Nike GT Cut 4 player exclusive pair inspired by “Spider-Man” that he wore during a February game, pictured above on the right. The shoe features a gradient red and black colorway with a web design.
Aaliyah Chavez
Zya Vann #3, Sahara Williams #6, Payton Verhulst #12, Brooklyn Stewart #21, and Aaliyah Chavez #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrate during the third quarter against the Michigan State Spartans during a second round game of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament held at Lloyd Noble Center on March 22, 2026 in Norman, Oklahoma.
Gerald Leong/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Aaliyah Chavez was announced as part of Nike’s Class of 2025 NIL athletes in the fall. When it comes to footwear, the five-foot-ten freshman guard for the Oklahoma Sooners often wears Nike Kobe sneakers. For example, during a game against the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday, she showcased a player exclusive Kobe Protro 6 in a Mexico-themed colorway which honors her heritage; the sneakers feature red coloring on one shoe and green on the other.
Cameron Boozer
Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 21, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Cameron Boozer, alongside twin Caden Boozer, is following in his father Carlos Boozer’s footsteps to play basketball at Duke. Standing six-foot-nine, the freshman starter is already ranked among the best in the NCAA; he and Caden both signed NIL deals with Jordan Brand in 2025. For Duke’s game against TCU on Saturday, he wore the Nike KD 18 “International Blue” sneaker. Fitting in with his team colors, the shoe brought a metallic shine to his look.
Flau’jae Johnson
Left and top right: Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Tigers dribbles against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a second round game of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament held at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 22, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bottom left: A close-up look at the sneakers worn by Flau’jae Johnson during a game against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on February 26, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Left and top right: Ella Hall/NCAA Photos via Getty Images. Bottom right: Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images
Flau’jae Johnson, a 22-year-old senior guard for the LSU Tigers, is a Puma ambassador, but she can still be found wearing Nike shoes. Johnson repped WNBA player Sabrina Ionescu during Sunday’s game against the Texas Tech Raiders with the Nike Sabrina 2 basketball sneaker in a deep purple colorway. She might also be found competing in the yellow and purple striped Nike Ja 3 Player Edition, which was specifically made for the LSU Tigers basketball teams and gifted by NBA star Ja Morant. In terms of her Puma sneakers, she and the German brand recently dropped a March Madness PE pack including the All Pro Nitro 2 and Majesty Flau’jae styles; the shoes feature camouflage designs tributing her late father, the rapper Camouflage.
Braden Smith
Braden Smith #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers passes the ball during the first half against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Purdue Boilmakers guard Braden Smith is now the all-time assist leader in the NCAA, a record he broke on Friday. Though Smith doesn’t have a NIL deal with Nike, he can often be found repping the brand on the court. He made quite the fashion statement during Friday’s game against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals with the Swarovski x Ja 2 LX “Black Label” sneakers. The shoes sparkled with all-over Swarovski crystal embellishment, grounding his uniform in a sense of glamour. While he isn’t known to have a deal with an athletic footwear brand, Smith does have a partnership with the comfort-focused label Hey Dude owned by Crocs, Inc.
