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How do basketball shoes help
How do basketball shoes help
What creates a high-performing basketball shoe?
Research on the Topic
The first shoe made for basketball was the Converse All Star, introduced in 1917. While no longer worn on competitive courts, they are an off-court fashion staple to this day. Since then, advancements in biomechanics and injury research have led to the creation of more robust footwear. Today, shoes are designed with two primary functions in mind: to allow athletes to maximize performance, and to reduce injury risk. Basketball all-stars possess a combination of speed, agility, power, and endurance. With NBA and WNBA players being significantly taller and more muscular than the general population, their shoes are critical to performance since they can produce sheer forces of 3-4 times their body weight when changing direction (based on athletes in our lab), not to mention impact forces up to 9 times their body weight when landing from a layup. Zion Williamson has shown us that this sheer force can be used to juke an opponent or break a shoe and injure a knee.![]()
You may not be playing in the pros, but you can still pick the best basketball shoe for you by considering your position, playing style, and injury history.
Performance
Depending on your position, basketball shoes should allow you to move quickly so you can make a jump shot over a defender, pivot powerfully, and provide a foundation of support for boxing out your opponent to get rebounds. A key determinant of shooting accuracy in high-level performers (NCAA, NBA, etc.) is the ability to jump powerfully (reaching a high jump height quickly) (Struzik, 2014). Powerful movements allow you to avoid defenders and let the feedforward mechanisms that determine the mechanics of your jump shot to take over. The ability to move powerfully also contributes to agility performance (such as time to complete a triangle drill), which is a key predictor of overall game performance, as measured by the Performance Index Rating.
Traction, weight, and stiffness are a few of the design elements used to tune the performance of a basketball shoe.
While a common solution to improve player performance is to reduce shoe weight, too minimal of a shoe can result in decreased economy (it takes more energy to move at a given pace) or increased injury risk. A study released in March, 2021 showed that athletes could change direction in lateral cutting maneuvers with less ankle work with TPU-reinforced uppers. With our first Agility & Speed study, we demonstrated that more attention should be provided to the upper when designing a high-performance basketball shoe; with wrapping fit configurations, time to complete a movement decreased by 3-7% which could make the difference between a buzzer-beater 3-pointer versus a blocked shot. Taken together, these studies show that reinforcing the upper and providing a performance fit can substantially improve athlete performance.
Injury
Of course, to make these types of glory shots, an athlete needs to be in the game. Alas, ankle sprains, knee ligament tears, and metatarsal fractures are common non-contact basketball injuries.
An estimated 48- percent of injuries in basketball occur without contact to another player; this happens when the player’s body moves in a way that causes injury (e.g. an ACL tear from a landing or cut). There is no surefire way to prevent injury, but footwear brands add a variety of technologies to shoes in an attempt to reduce injury risk. Most knee injuries stem from cutting movements where the foot is placed firmly under high forces, while more proximal (closer to the head) limbs and joints move forcefully in another direction, causing bending or twisting at the knee joint beyond the capacity of the ligaments.
The primary method of sprain comes from a sudden inversion (bottom of the foot turns inward) coupled with internal rotation (rotating the toes toward the midline) and plantarflexion (pointing the toes down) (Panagiotakis, 2017). This movement pattern often results when a player suddenly changes direction to evade an opponent, is knocked around while landing from a jump, or lands on an irregular surface (often on top of another player’s foot).
While players need to be nimble enough to change direction powerfully, mid-cut shoe collars can provide a bit more stability and proprioception to help prevent ankle sprains for those at a high risk. Lastly, metatarsal fractures occur at relatively high rates in basketball players, which is often attributed to the long feet of players creating a large moment (rotational force) at the metatarsal phalangeal joint.
There are multiple solutions that address these three common areas of injury. The use of softer midsole materials aims to improve how softly a player can land, mid-cut shoe collars are used to improve ankle stability, and specific outsole patterns with tacky traction coupled with robust uppers are used to keep the foot firmly planted on the midsole (Lam, 2019). For players with a history of stress fracture, stiffer midsoles can increase ankle joint motion and reduce motion at the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP – the ball of your big toe) joint, which can reduce plantar forces (Taylor, 2019).
On the other hand, if you suffer from ankle instability, a mid-cut, less stiff shoe could take some stress off that joint (but don’t forget, your ankle control and strength work is critical too). Aside from shoes alone, ankle braces can reduce these ankle injuries prophylactically. In addition, evidence suggests that better proprioception – an athlete’s ability to sense their joints’ position in space – is associated with reduced injury risk and can be enhanced by techniques that provide tactile feedback, such as taping.
How do your shoes affect your performance in playing basketball?
sport
4 years ago
by Nigel Simpkins
Now that there is a deeper understanding of the human anatomy and how it functions, basketball shoes have been modified over and over again over the years. Basketball shoes designers believe that their recent and different designs help the player perform better.
There are a lot of people who underestimate the power of designing basketball shoes, and don’t even believe in the fact that specialized designs as such help in performing better; however, the NBA begs to differ. There are certain shoes with some designs that are banned by the NBA because the board believes designs like that give unfair advantage to the players. However, shoes that are not banned usually have the typical characteristics that make the player feel comfortable while playing, such as, flexibility, ankle support, lacing, cushioning, and stability.
Flexibility
If your main goal is to find basketball shoes that make you feel flexible enough to jump and move around then your main focus should be on the soles. You need to check the soles yourself; wear the shoes, walk around with them, and see what they feel like when you jump. Flexibility in your soles means jumping and moving around faster, which is what you want in a basketball game.
Ankle Support
We’re all familiar with how sometimes players get their ankles broken because of basketball, which is why shoes that give ankle support are important.
Of course these shoes won’t completely protect you if you’re not careful, but they will give you the support needed not to break your ankle.
Lacing
Due to rapid movements during the game, shoelaces can easily get united. Which is why there are basketball shoes that are specifically designed without laces to avoid this problem once and for all. Untied laces could lead to a poor game and serious injuries, which a devoted basketball player might want to avoid. Unexposed laces give you just that.
The right size
Making sure that the shoes are the right size is one of the most important factors when it comes to playing basketball. If the fit isn’t right, the players movements will not as comfortable and as natural as they should be. Which is why it’s important to wear basketball shoes that fit and make you feel comfortable while running in the court.
Cushioning
The right amount of cushioning in basketball shoes is mainly there for the player’s comfort, otherwise uncomfortable player leads to poor scores.
The trick about cushioning is to make the player feel comfortable, and remain a lightweight on the player’s muscles at the same time.
Stability
Well-designed basketball shoes offer stability to the players, which can protect them from injuries and slipping on the glossy floors of the court. Stability also makes the players grow confident of their shoes, since they know their shoes have a good grip.
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Features of basketball shoes for the hall and for the street
SneakerSneaker
It is indisputable that in basketball sneakers are considered the main piece of equipment. It is on their quality that the course of the game depends, the ability of the athlete to make the necessary movements. Therefore, when buying shoes for this sport, you must adhere to certain criteria. First of all, you need to find out one important question - are sneakers bought for playing on the street or in the hall? Because there is a certain difference in whether shoes are used on parquet or on asphalt.
The Nike Jordan is a great basketball shoe option with many benefits and benefits.
Features of basketball shoes
It is worth noting right away that basketball shoes have distinctive features when compared with shoes for other sports. In these sneakers, everything is just for playing basketball:
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If you pay attention to the sole of these sneakers and compare it with other models, you can see that it is more rigid. Plus, it's thicker. On almost all models, the herringbone tread provides the player with reliable grip on the surface.
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Basketball shoes are usually heavy.
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These shoes have air cushioning in the heel and toe area, which helps basketball players jump smoothly and easily when necessary.
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All basketball shoes have high lacing to help protect players' ankles from injury.
Purpose of shoes
We already know how basketball shoes differ from all others.
But, before deciding on a model, you need to find out for what purposes they will be used:
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If you need sneakers for indoor play, then it is better to look for shoes with a soft and well-flexible sole. This will ensure a good grip on the floor, which is very important in this game. Accordingly, for playing on the street, the outsole needs to be stronger and more durable. It will not only provide the necessary grip on asphalt or ground, but will also last longer than shoes with soft soles.
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In addition, shoes are selected depending on the position of the player on the basketball court. It will be more convenient for the centers to stand in the game with the help of sneakers with a large sole. For younger players, lighter and sleeker sneakers are more suitable. They are easy to maneuver and move faster.
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There are no principles regarding the material from which sneakers are made.
It all depends on the individual preferences of the athletes. At present, more sneakers are made from synthetic materials. They are not only light, comfortable, but also cheap. Most often, indoor sneakers are made of suede, which is not used in the production of street basketball shoes.
Outdoor Basketball Shoes
There are different types of outdoor surfaces. Perhaps the most gentle is the gum, which has many modifications. Asphalt follows, baby. Such a coating, like “sandpaper”, grinds off the sole of sneakers. And no matter how strong it is, it is asphalt and crumbs that will prevail sooner or later. The bad news is that manufacturers don't make special shoes for our street. Many will be surprised now, because in the name of a particular model you can see the corresponding inscriptions. For example, "Outdoor" and "XDR". It is believed that most of these versions of models are more resistant to wear. But most often they are intended for the streets of manufacturers, and not for ours.
But what to do? Don't play in the summer? Of course not, play. You just need to choose your pair wisely.
Due to the hard street surface, there are two main criteria that game models must meet:
Ventilation can be added to this number, but this is not so critical.
Playing on the pavement, the player loads his own knees more than usual, which is why the cushioning in street shoes should be at the highest level.
The main goal of manufacturers when releasing sneakers is a high gaming performance and attractive design. Those modern models of sports shoes that have a mesh or woven upper and a thin soft sole on the street will not live long. An excellent option for playing basketball on the street are Nike Jordan sneakers, which not only have a perfect design, but also excellent wear resistance.
In addition, you should pay attention to the models from the Adidas brand, whose products also appealed to many professional basketball players.
Indoor Basketball Shoes
In order to figure out what kind of indoor basketball shoes should be, you can simply look at which of them are in the top five and track what qualities they have:
- The
Nike Lebron 10 is the most popular shoe among players because it's incredibly cool to jump and land in. In these sneakers it will be equally good, both for the massive center and for the fast “kids”. Unfortunately, they were not without a fly in the ointment. Too many complain about the rapid failure of their airbag.
- The
Nike KD 5 Elite is considered to be one of the best low-cut shoes in the game. They are wear-resistant, which is their main positive side. Of the minuses, excessive rigidity and reduced ventilation stand out.
- The
Nike Air Jordan is a classic shell with a modern twist. Athletes love this model not only for comfort and excellent cushioning, but also for the ability to use them on street asphalt.
- The
Air Jordan XX8 is the perfect match for indoor play. They are very easy to play. At the same time, this pair has excellent adhesion to parquet.
- The
Nike Zoom Kobe 5 is completely devoid of flaws. This is a perfectly balanced gaming model. They are the standards for many athletes. In these sneakers it is comfortable to run, change direction, make feints. You can take the first step incredibly quickly in them, which is especially valuable in basketball.
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How are basketball shoes different from the rest?
11:45, January 7, 2020
Fashion
Experienced basketball players know that to achieve victory it is not enough to be a goal-oriented and persistent player. Undoubtedly, long-term training always gives its positive results.
But one of the most important components of victory is the right sports shoes. This helps not only to achieve maximum efficiency and comfort in the game, but also to avoid injuries that often accompany basketball players. After all, this game consists mainly of sudden movements, running, jumping. The player must be able not only to move well and quickly, but also to brake quickly in shoes. With constant stress on the feet, basketball players need sneakers that are somewhat different from everyone else and have some important qualities.
Choosing the right shoes for basketball
Basketball shoes need to have perfect ankle support in the first place, so most professional players prefer to play in high shoes. These shoes help keep the player stable during lateral movements. In addition, in high-top sneakers, the ankle is reliably protected when jumping. A large selection of both men's and women's sneakers is presented in the online store
For each sport, shoes must have certain qualities.
For basketball shoes, three main criteria are important - the quality of the sole, the material from which they are made and the degree of fixation of the ankle.
Outsole
One of the best basketball shoes is the Nike Air Jordan. Their presence in the player is already the first step to victory.
The sole of the basketball shoe is divided into two types. The first is intended for playing indoors, on a smooth surface. It is soft and designed for playing on the artificial turf of the stadium. For street play, it is better to choose sneakers with a stiffer sole. When buying sneakers, pay attention to the area of the sole. The quality of the game depends on this. Good braking and traction with the coating is provided by sneakers with large soles.
An important element is the protector on the sole. It affects the stability of the player and the ability to easily brake on turns and stops. The most popular and in demand are sneakers with a Herringbone tread.
Material
Basketball pros say it's best to play in a combination shoe that's made from leather and has mesh inserts. Leather material has long established itself as the most stable and reliable. And thanks to the mesh, the player's foot is provided with flexibility and ventilation. Recently, basketball shoes made of modern synthetic materials have become popular. They are not only light and durable, but also comfortable.
Ankle protection and support
There are three types of basketball shoes, depending on the design of the shoe. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- High-top sneakers are most often used by players because they provide reliable ankle protection. In addition, in such sneakers, the player is as stable as possible. Air Jordans is exactly the model of high sneakers that appealed not only to professionals, but also to beginners. It is best to buy Air Jordan sneakers in a specialized store. This guarantees the purchase of truly original shoes.
- The mid-height shoe is preferred by players who care about speed in basketball and at the same time are concerned about avoiding ankle injuries. In such sneakers, the player feels less movement restriction than in high-tops. The manufacturer warns that this type of shoe is not recommended for players with little experience. Such negligence can lead to traumatic situations. Medium height sneakers are suitable for speed basketball lovers.
- Low sneakers are used in the game less often than those listed above. Their top is just at the level of the ankle, which cannot protect it during the game. Undoubtedly, due to their lightness and convenience, such sneakers give a basketball player a chance to reveal all their hidden talents. But, if you choose between security and quality of the game, then many tend to ensure security. Low running shoes are the choice of fast and agile athletes.
In ordinary running shoes, the manufacturer pays little attention to the fixation of the foot.
Sports shoes for basketball should securely fix the foot. This helps the lower leg to remain stationary while playing, braking, accelerating or changing direction quickly.
A quality basketball shoe should be lightweight and have excellent cushioning. Ease is provided thanks to production from special modern materials. Depreciation manufacturers think through to the smallest particles. The heel part in sports shoes for basketball is high, its width is increased. This reliably protects the player from falls during sudden movements.
Clasp
The clasp at first glance seems to be an unimportant detail. But when buying sports shoes, you should especially pay attention to it. During the fitting of sneakers, the foot must be securely fixed with a fastener. In this case, there should not be a feeling of discomfort and the presence of free space in the shoes. You can get fewer injuries if you choose sneakers with the right fastening. Professional basketball players prefer laced shoes.
