Basketball is year-round. When the weather is warm, games are played outside. When it’s cold, we retreat to the local Y. What’s great about basketball is it can become your go-to lifelong sport.
Running up and down the court gives you the cardio strength to keep up, but what’s important is staying limber. Stretching before and after you play so you don’t pull any muscles out there.
You also have to own the proper gear, specifically the right shoes. A proper basketball shoe requires ankle support. These days even the low-top models are made to protect your ankles fully.
They should also hold your heel and foot in a locked place. This will keep you from damaging any muscle or joints as you turn and make fast movements. A basketball shoe must have a significant amount of cushioning to deaden the force of running and jumping too.
Fortunately, we’ve got some excellent recommendations on basketball shoes. Check out our roundup below.
Zion Williamson’s first shoe model with Jordan came out pretty clean. Not too flashy and has several different color offerings. If you like mid-ankle support, these will work great.
Channel your ultimate Damian Lillard with these navy Dame 7’s. With a knit upper made of 20% recycled content and a daring “OPPONENT ADVISORY” quote on the front, this shoe is for the player who’s got the utmost confidence in their game.
Giannis’ latest shoe model features this unique Crimson Bliss color. We liken this to a modern version of the original LeBron South Beach colorway.
Designed with the help of NBA players Dejounte Murray and Darius Bazley, the TWO WXY has a timeless heritage feel that makes us think of prime college basketball season. These are for the type of guy who passes first, plays defense, and draws fouls—Mr. Fundementals.
Made with at least 25% recycled material by weight, the Nike Cosmic Unity looks like it something out of science fiction movie. The shoe dons a sleek silhouette and plenty of cushioning around the ankle and heel, plus they’ve got a strong lacing system to keep your foot in place.
The Cosmic Unity model may look like it’s from the future, but the Adapt BB is the future. Inspired by Nike Air Mags, the auto-lacing in this basketball shoe adheres to your foot with the push of a button (you control the lacing strength from your phone). They’ve got amazing cushioning too.
Fans of 90s basketball will appreciate this low top version of Shawn Kemp’s go-to Reeboks. Made with synthetic nubuck upper and leather accent and a strong outsole that’s ready for any pavement pounding.
adidas Donovan Mitchell D.O.N. Issue #3
Donovan Mitchell’s latest adidas shoe, the Issue #3, is our favorite model of his yet. They feature LIGHTSTRIKE technology that’s meant to contain the heel and provide support when landing down on the floor hard.
The sock material construction on the upper is what caught our eyes the most on the latest release of Steph Curry’s shoes. If you like the comfortable feel of a sock bootie, then you’ll want to ball in these.
John is the Style & Gear Editor for BroBible. You can contact him on Twitter @johnthompsoniv or via email John@brobible.com
The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we will get a percentage of the revenue from sales.