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The Michigan State Spartans may not be as widely renowned as their maize and blue neighbors, but they've been doing their thing for decades. From Magic Johnson to Mateen Cleaves to Draymond Green — the Spartans just keep on re-upping and re-loading. At 24-6 this year, they're right in the thick of things once again.
And their shoe game isn't half bad either. From adidas to Nikes to Batas to Cons to Reeboks and back to Nikes, the Spartan elite have been laced with elite footwear since Day One. Check the gallery for The 20 Greatest Sneakers in Michigan State Basketball History.
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20. Nike Shox Limitless
When: 2003
Who: Kelvin Torbert
One of the many Nike Shox that dropped in a slew of colorways, allowing it to easily be an unofficial team shoe. The Limitless features the SHOX technology and Zoom Air in the forefoot, helping players cut and react on the floor with ease.
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19. Nike Air Signature Player
When: 2001
Who: Adam Ballinger
The Truth, Paul Pierce went with the Signature Players in Boston proving you can make due with the mid-level exception — price of the kicks, not his contract. The shoes had an Air Max unit in the heel and a swoopy Foamposite design (courtesy of Aaron Cooper), were priced comparitively moderately and ran lighter than other Foams, for the ultimate win-win.
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18. Nike Zoom Soldier IV
When: 2011
Who: Kalin Lucas
When LeBron and Nike teamed up for his Zoom Soldier line it was the perfect sneaker for college players, dropping in numerous colorways to play into the team concept. Battle tested by Bron himself, the nod from a current great was enough to get these on the feet of one of the Big Ten's most lethal guards.
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17. Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low 2011
When: 2012
Who: Derrick Nix
Just the other night Nix broke out the ultimate lightweight Nike performance kick for the Big Ten battle in Hoosier country. Pushing things even further since the Hyper line was introduced in 2009, Nike trimmed all the fat and still kept the Hyperfuse Low functionally dope to rock on and off the court. Just ask Jeremy Lin.
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16. Reebok Answer II
When: 1998
Who: Mateen Cleaves
Iverson's third Reebok kick and second in The Answer series is one of the hardest shoes to find from AI's line. Nicknamed the Answer Lite, the sneaker used Reebok's DMX technology but the tech was covered on the bottom, unlike on the first Answers. They dropped in white/black, black/white, white/gold, and white/camo — the camo joints were only for AI.
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15. Nike Zoom Huarache 2K5
When: 2005
Who: Shannon Brown
Long before he became one of Kobe Bryant's teammates in Los Angeles, Shannon Brown was trying to fill Mamba's shoes. The Spartans got laced with their own green-trimmed version of the Nike Zoom Huarache 2K5, the space-age successor to Kobe's successful Huarache 2K4.
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14. adidas Superstar
When: 1973
Who: William Glover
Originals — for years the OG Superstars were more than just a staple to pair with jeans and a fitted. The shelltoe kicks have been around since '69, and were a top-tier performance kick for nearly a decade. They just don't make them like these anymore.
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13. Converse Star Tech
Who: Scott Skiles
When: 1986
Before he was setting NBA assist records and throwing bows with Shaq in O-Town, Skiles was one of the dopest little dudes in college ball, dropping dimes in his Cons. The Star Tech preceded the Weapon in the Converse b-ball line, and was the shoe of choice for elite college programs and League ballers alike.
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12. Air Jordan IX "25th Anniversary"
When: 2011
Who: Kalin Lucas
Twenty-five years after Nike and Jordan took over, Jordan Brand decided to pay homage with a few all-white editions to pay homage to the milestone. Kalin Lucas sat on his pair for a minute, breaking them out last spring as Michigan State made its 25th tournament appearance — we see what you did there.
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11. Reebok Answer III
When: 2000
Who: Charlie Bell
A name not as major as Cleaves, but Charlie Bell was every bit as important to the Spartans's 2000 title run. With the majority of the squad picking the team-issue Questions, Bell went with AI's then-state-of-the-art fourth 'Bok sneaker which featured the DMX cushioning system so Bell could play close to the floor and at a pace up and down the court no one could match.
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10. Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4
When: 2004
Who: Maurice Ager
Chopping one of Tinker's finest sneakers up up with a new take, the Huarache 2K4s were more than respectable even competing with a classic. Kobe's first almost-signature Nike was damn near perfect performance wise combining lightweight materials with ultimate stability to the ankles allowing Kobe to go hard all-82 — make that 104 in a title year.
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9. Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 "Carrier Classic"
When: 2011
Who: Keith Appling
To kick off the 2011 college season, MSU and UNC played one of the most historical games paying tribute to our veterans and they did it on a boat — word to Lonely Island. Nike laced both squads up with unique camo uniforms and matching player-edition kicks including these high-tech Hyperdunk 2011s.
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8. Air Jordan XI "Cool Grey"
When: 2011
Who: Draymond Green
The "Cool Greys" are one of the freshest colorways of one the greatest Jordan models of all-time. Throw in the fact that they used the ice blue sole to try and prevent yellowing with the retro drops, and they're untouchable still. We're guessing Beaverton set Green up with a pair and he avoided this mayhem. Green broke out a pair shortly after the holiday release along with about every other guard from a Nike-sponsored team — we don't blame them, 11 years after the original drop they're still so clean.
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7. Nike Hyperdunk PE
When: 2010
Who: Durrell Summers
The Hyperdunks took Nike's basketball performance game to another level. The Flywire technology and Lunar Foam cushioning allowed the sneaker to have everything it needed in lightness and stability without compromising a thing. Just ask the 2008 Olympic squad.
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6. Converse Run 'n Slam
When: 1994
Who: Eric Snow
Eric Snow has always been low-key one of the most consistent and reliable guards since his days at MSU and especially holding down AI in Philly. During the Spartans Converse era, "the Star" took things to a new level of design shortly after signing Larry Johnson. One of the kicks they put out was the Run' 'n Slam which took advantage of the forefoot strap hype and were featured on the feet of explosive Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson (no relation).
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5. Nike Flightposite II
When: 2000
Who: Jason Richardson
It didn't take a dunk contest title for people to know that Saginaw native Jason Richardson was mad at the rim. Anytime he was airborne within the key, you knew someone was catching feelings and getting posterized. In 2000 Richardson donned the Flightposite IIs, which were best known on the feet of KG. The sneakers offered maximum support and stability allowing players to cut, set, and take off.
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4. Nike Blazer
When: 1978
Who: Magic Johnson
One of the first basketball designs out of Beaverton, the Nike Blazer has been around since '73. Before it was one of your favorite casual kicks or something to skate in, it was a one of the original warrior sneakers on the feet of Earvin Johnson and other players at the collegiate and pro level. And that money green suede — so sweet.
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3. Nike Shox BB4
When: 2001
Who: Jason Richardson
Around Y2K Nike had a design that was supposed to change the game, and the Shox BB4 did just that being rocked by hundreds of college and pro players when they dropped. It took 16 years for Nike to perfect the craft, but the final product was known for having great responsiveness and players like Jason Richardson and Vince Carter got sprung in them. Look out below.
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2. Wilson Bata "John Wooden"
When: 1979
Who: Magic Johnson
You may not be up on these (if you don't know, ask Bobbito), but when the Bata John Woodens dropped, they were actually ahead of their time. A huge sneaker in Europe, the Bata made its way onto Magic's feet during his two-year stay at MSU and 30 years later he still can speak on them with fond memory.
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1. Reebok Question
When: 2000
Who: Mateen Cleaves
in '96 Reebok signed a player that would change the company's history, Allen Iverson. In '96 his first model, The Question, dropped, and a few years later Reebok decided to re-release them to the schools they were sponsoring. In 2000, Mateen Cleaves and other Spartans rocked their forest-green-toed Questions on their way to the national championship. The shoe was made famous for its honeycomb-styled visible Hexalite cushioning, which Reebok abandoned on the Answer models.