If you love playing outdoor basketball with your friends or local team, then you need to get your hands on the best outdoor basketball shoes. The best shoes will help improve your gameplay and keep your feet safe during games. Here we identify the best 6 shoes for outdoor courts and review our favorite three.
Considerations When Buying Outdoor Basketball Shoes
All basketball shoes come with lace up systems to secure your feet into the shoe. You will very rarely (if ever) find a strap down on a basketball shoe. This is because you will be running and leaping in your shoes during gameplay and you need to make sure that your shoe is tight on your foot for safe movements.
Before you walk onto the court take two minutes to tie your shoes correctly. Don’t just make a bow at the top, instead start at the bottom of the laces. Pull each row tight right up to the top and then tie a double bow to secure them. Your shoe should be very snug when it is tied correctly.
Incorrectly tied shoes will lead to trips, falls and rolled ankles. So make sure that you spend just a few minutes ensuring your feet are protected. Your gameplay will be greatly improved.
Top 6 Outdoor Basketball Shoes Table
| Picture | Name | Features | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Nike Hyperdunk Basketball Shoe | Rubber sole, mesh upper, lunarlon midsole | $$$$ | 4.6 |
| 2. Nike Men's Prime Hype DF | Rubber sole, mesh upper, Phylon midsole | $$ | 4.5 |
| 3. adidas Performance Men's Amplify | Rubber sole, breathable upper, adiprene footbed | $$$ | 4.4 |
| 4. Adidas Performance Men's Isolation 2 | Synthetic sole, perforated upper, EVA midsole | $ | 4.4. |
| 5. Nike Men's The Overplay VIII | Rubber sole, Phylon midsole | $$ | 4.3 |
| 6. Under Armour Men's UA ClutchFit Drive 2 | Rubber sole | $$$$ | 4.2 |
Buying Information
When it comes to choosing the right basketball shoes for your next match you’ll want to consider a few key points when you compare shoes:
- Breathability. Mesh uppers are by far the most breathable and still offer great foot security. Some shoes also sport perforated uppers which are also very breathable and have the benefit of increased support – but mesh uppers are usually your best choice.
- Sticky Soles. Rubber soles are a must have for any fast-paced small area sport. When it comes to basketball you need to be able to rely on your shoes to give you all the traction you need to run, stop and jump during gameplay.
- Midsole Support. There are many different types of midsole support and it seems each shoe has its own system. They all greatly differ but the important thing is that they give your feet great support.
Top 3 Best Outdoor Basketball Shoes Reviews
1. Nike Hyperdunk
They don’t call it the hyperdunk for nothing! These brilliantly made shoes are the best outdoor basketball shoes on the market, the have superior traction with their highly sticky rubber sole which is also non-marking.
The design features a modern color scheme of bright neon colours that are very striking on the court. We absolutely loved the overall style of these shoes, the neon colors are well positioned to perfectly balance the dark black fabric.
The mesh upper is very strong and durable, and it provides great air circulation to your feet during gameplay. The ankle support in these shoes is next to none and was one of the highest of all the makes we tested. Our ankles felt very secure even when landing from tough dunks.
It’s clear that these shoes have been very well designed and that’s why they are one of the most popular basketball shoes in the market.
2. Nike Prime Hype
Again we see a great shoe from Nike. The Prime Hype has many of the same features of the more successful and popular Hyperdunk yet it brings a few key differences to the table. Firstly the appearance if slightly more colorful with much more neon coloring being used on the upper of the shoe.
Personally we love the extra color and really wish this design was on the Hyperdunk too. The midsole support system is different from the Hyperdunk and has a dual density foam midsole, made up of a firm phylon core.
The phylon core offers rigidity and increased foot support, whilst the soft foam around it gives your feet a great deal of comfort during play. Unlike a hard EVA midsole, the phylon core is softer and more pliable.
The mesh upper again provides great air flow to our feet during gameplay and we never had sweaty socks after any of our big matches. The rubber sole has great traction on the court and it was very easy for us to stop mid stride without falling over.
The phylon core also helps with absorbing some of the shock from stop-start manoeuvres, and even improved our ratio of successful dunks.
3. adidas Amplify
Adidas bring a great playing shoe into our top three picks for the best outdoor basketball shoes, with their Performance Mens Amplify. We loved everything about this shoe from its classic black and white design to the stability and improved agility during play.
Let’s start by saying that this shoe does not have a full mesh upper, instead you’ll find a perforated synthetic upper. These tend to be harder wearing and longer lasting than mesh uppers due to the thicker fabric. Although most soles wear out around the same time that mesh uppers do, so this isn’t a major selling point.
But if you prefer a sturdier upper, than these shoes will be perfect for you. Some players dislike how flexible the mesh uppers can be and prefer a more traditional upper. Again we see a lace up design, which is very common in basketball shoes. Laces provide full foot support and security. It’s important to tie shoes every match so your feet have the most support possible.
The rubber sole on these shoes provides great traction on all outdoor courts and the slightly higher ankle padding provides increased ankle support to reduce rolled injuries.
Overall all of the shoes on our list are great choices for the best outdoor basketball shoes.
