B/R Kicks Madness 2017: Elite Eight

We've already seen our inaugural B/R Kicks Madness tourney shrink from a pool of 64 sneakers all the way down to 16. Now it's time to cut that in half again. Welcome to the Elite Eight, ladies and gentlemen. 

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Three Stripes Region

The Three Stripes Region’s Elite Eight contest pitted two culture-shifting sneakers against one another. In one corner you had Pharrell’s NMD "Human Race," a shoe that challenged the marketplace thanks to a lighthearted design and frenetic colorways.

In the other corner was the Adidas Ultra Boost "Triple Black." No sneaker has done more for the brand’s image in terms of vanity and performance. Adding a rare "Triple Black" colorway into the equation drove sneakerheads to the moon.

It wasn’t an easy selection, but based on the fact the Ultra Boost continues to serve as Adidas’ foundational product, the decision was clear. The "Triple Black" Ultra Boost not only sold out and kept reseller prices sky-high, it also continued to prove this model isn’t going anywhere. Like Nike's Air Max 1, the Ultra Boost has changed the direction of Adidas as a company.

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Swoosh Region

Seeding and placement aside, the two best Nike sneakers of 2016-17 were the Nike Air Presto x Acronym and the Nike Special Field Air Force One.

Both shoes upped the ante for Nike at a time when Adidas was outside, knocking on the front door. You could have gone either way with this matchup. The Nike Air Presto x Acronym provided guidance and hope to an oversaturated world of collaborations, while the Nike SF-1 took a bedrock shoe and flipped it on its head.

In a battle for supremacy, it was the Air Presto x Acronym that placed the golden crown upon its head and moved on to the Final Four. Two colorways—both of them bold and expressive—put this Air Presto on people’s "sneaker grail" list. While the Nike SF-1 must be applauded for its persona, the Air Presto x Acronym single-handedly righted the ship in 2016.

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Jumpman Region

Was there any doubt the Air Jordan I "Bred" would make it to the Elite Eight? The shoe kept sneakerheads running for the hills, frantically disbursing cash to land a pair when it dropped in 2016.

On the other hand, the Air Jordan III "True Blue" didn’t sell out or create pandemonium. But its classic look pushed it deep into the Jumpman Region. With each passing day, the "True Blue" III gets better.

Its run was glorious; however, the "True Blue" III couldn’t handle the full-court press of the Air Jordan I "Bred." Simply put, MJ’s first shoe was way too consequential of a release not to make it to the Final Four.

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Mega Mix

Perhaps the most interesting of the regionals, the Mega Mix Region, did not disappoint. Here we saw the Reebok Question, forcing its way all the way to the Elite Eight as a No. 5 seed, challenge the Kith x Asics "Salmon Toe."

Both sneakers deserve a lot of praise. In a bracket full of random outlier choices, moving forward wasn’t easy. The question now—no pun intended—was if Allen Iverson’s famous sneaker could actually make it to the Final Four. Painstakingly, its momentum was stopped against the Kith x Asics "Salmon Toe."

Quality was the deciding factor here. Kith’s creative engine helped push the Asics line deeper than one could have expected. The Reebok Question just didn’t have enough power to overcome a premium shoe that could also double down as a runner.

On to the Final Four!