How to Pick the Best pair of Basketball Shoes

Posted by: Watch Athletics

 

How to choose basketball shoes?

 

As a basketball player, whether pro or casual, is important that you have good shoes meant for playing basketball; not just any pair of sneakers but real basketball shoes. There are a lot of reasons for this which include protection, better game-play, comfort and generally improved performance. There are of course a lot of shoe companies with different marketing campaigns which makes it a lot of options to choose from. While all these companies are claiming that their shoe is the best for you, you need to know that there is no perfect pair of shoes to make you a good basketball player. Being a great basketball player is all about practice, talent, and hard work. The right pair of shoes, however, will offer protection to your legs, allow easy traction on the court. This article will be discussing how to choose basketball shoes.

 

1. Measure your foot

 

We all have an idea of what our shoe sizes are, but no matter what the size is, when buying new basketball shoes, make sure you measure your feet. Foot size change over time so it is important to know the size of your feet at that particular time. Measure the length and width of both feet so as to make an accurate choice of shoe size.

 

2. Know the basic types of basketball shoes – Highs, Mid, and Lows

 

There are three basic types of basketball shoes; high-tops, low-tops, and mid-tops. Depending on your playing style and the one you prefer, you can make a choice. There are different advantages and disadvantages that come with each of these types of basketball shoes which are highlighted below.

 

High tops: This type of basketball shoes offers support to the ankle and makes it stable. However, they are usually heavier than the other types due to the extra material used in making them.

Mid-tops: Mid-top shoes are not as high as the high-top as they stop only at ankle level. It allows more movement than the high-tops but it still offers a considerable amount of support to the ankle. The mid-top shoes make a good choice for beginners or all-around players.

Low-Tops: Besides the fact that this type of basketball shoes do not offer ankle support, they are the lightest of the three types of basketball shoes. They are also the most suitable for fast players.

 

3. Know your style of play

 

 There are different types of players and the different types of shoes as each of them suit different types of players are highlighted below;

 

Power player: Being a power player requires a lot of physical contact and activity as well as jumping a lot. All these activities require a lot of stability and cushioning in the shoes to be worn. Hence, the high-tops or mid-top would be ideal for this kind of player.

Speedster: Speedster are fast players and there is nothing they need other than lightweight shoes which of course are the low-top shoes.

All round player: These players are able to do just about anything on the court. You find them everywhere and they only need a little bit of stability, cushioning and lightness, so mid-top shoes are suitable for them.

 

4. Try them on first

 

After you have found out your size, the type of shoe that suits you, the one thing you should not forget to do is to try the shoes on. Walk around in them, jump up on them and do some movements with them to get a feel of the shoes. If the shoes feel a tiny bit of uncomfortable in the store, it will only get worse when you get on the court.

 

Tips to remember when trying on basketball shoes

 

Wear the socks you would wear during a normal game so you can feel the shoe just the way it would feel during a game.

Try on shoes in the evening. The feet expand slightly when the body is engaged physically and in the evenings. This would be the best time to try the shoes on as you would have finished your workouts.

Between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, there should be a distance the length of the finger’s width. This is to make allowance for any kind of smugness or tightness you may feel with the shoe.

 

5. Check out more than one store

 

Before you start shopping around, make sure you try the shoe and note your desired brand and size. Then search around and compare prices across different shoe stores. One of your best bet is to get online. Do your due diligence and proper research before making a choice.

 

Picking the right basketball shoes should take into cognizance all of these factors. You should also make sure you are picking a pair of shoes for the right reasons such as the ones listed above. The right reason, of course, may mean picking a plain looking pair of basketball shoes over a stylish one. Pay attention to your comfort over anything else.



Latest News
©2024 WATCHATHLETICS.COM. All rights reserved.