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We don’t have basketball teams at JSTOR, but thanks to a free collection from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, we do have images of a bunch of cool signed basketball sneakers. And thanks to our creative director, we also have a semblance of a March Madness bracket. We’re gonna be honest. Only one of us actually watches the NCAA basketball tournaments. And only one other actually knows what a March Madness bracket is; this was her idea.

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You probably know how this goes. You can vote for your picks on Twitter, starting with today’s Sweet Sixteen. We’ll narrow it down from there and update this bracket based on your votes. Check back on Thursday for the shoe champion of JSTOR Daily.

 

The Sneaker Bracket

 

Left column: Red and black Air Jordan I high top sneakers; Converse shoes worn and signed by Karl Malone; design for a JSTOR sneaker; Nike sneakers worn by Big Boi of Outkast; cotton canvas high top Ked sneakers; 16th century British shoe; Shaq Attaq sneaker worn by Shaq; hand-painted Nike Air Force 1s painted over with an image of Barack Obama. Right Column: Nike sneaker worn and signed by George Gervin; Air Jordan I shoes worn and autographed by Michael Jordan; Converse sneakers worn by Julius “Dr. J” Erving and inscribed to Doc Stanley; Pair of white and black Run-D.M.C. Superstar 80s sneakers made by Adidas; Greek terracotta foot from ca. 600–480 BCE; Pair of blue sneakers worn by Wellington Webb while campaigning; Black platform ankle boots worn by Bootsy Collins; Wool, linen and silk British shoe from ca. 1750.