Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver | 7 jordan AV3922101 WHITE BLUE Artificial Leather Cotton Rubber in 2023

Dimitrije Curcic
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7 jordan AV3922101 WHITE BLUE Artificial Leather Cotton Rubber in 2023
Supreme x Air Jordan 1 Varsity Red. Why trust us

Given the popularity of the NBA and its roster of star athletes, basketball is a sport more readily associated with men than women. Hence, it comes as no surprise that shoes and other apparel created for this sport have the male anatomy in mind.

In this article, we take a look at the most suitable shoes for men that we have verified on our series of tests. They are the ones that truly made a mark after we scrutinized more than 200 shoes from big sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour.

Of course, this does not mean that there are no women’s basketball shoes. Female fans are as real as their male counterparts, and their needs deserve unique attention. We have a separate page for the best If Jordans are your thing.

Best men's basketball shoes overall

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

The LeBron 20 definitely looks much more toned down, so it is visually different from the previous Nike LeBrons; yet, players note that its performance is as big as ever. It serves the need of not only players who want a lot of impact protection but also athletes who want to be agile on the court. It's already a bonus that this shoe has the looks for aground-the-court action.

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Sneakers alte Air Jordan 1
  • Great traction
  • Tremendous impact protection
  • Pronounced court feel
  • Dependable bounciness
  • Comfortable upper
  • Incredible foot containment
  • Nike Air Jordan 36 FirstI LightI 27.5cm

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Air Jordan 1 Retro High 129
  • Has to be broken in
Full review of Jordan caught the attention of everyone that day not only for his box score but for his

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Unisex
Any color
800total orange/vivid purple/green strike/hot punch (DJ5423800)
nike lebron 20 light silver hyper royal 51d3 60
nike lebron 20 white metallic gold black university red 0acd 60
nike men s lebron xx asw blue lightning coconut milk dv1191 400 10 5 blue lightning coconut milk 3168 60
nike lebron 20 gym red burgundy crush black university red b35c 60
nike lebron 20 xx men s basketball shoe black black university red dj5423 001 9 black black university red 1750 60
Black (DJ5423003)
901 olive/brown-white (DV1193901)
More colors

Best men's basketball shoes for outdoor courts

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

The releases from the KD line are hits, and the Keke Palmer brought the drama to the premiere of Jordan Peele s Nope is not an exemption. This basketball shoe energizes every step without forgetting to protect the feet from impact upon aggressive strikes and hard landings. Dust is also not going to be a problem, and the grip is indeed consistent even on unkempt floors. Its collar is not as high, but the curved structure of the heel locks in the foot extra securely. It's apparent that a lot of careful thought was poured into the design process of this Nike offer.

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Consistent grip on different surfaces
  • Dust-resistant outsole
  • Air Jordan 4 'Oreo' Official Images
  • Bouncy midsole
  • Secure heel counter
  • Well-ventilated upper
  • Feels light
  • Nike Jordan Utility Pack woven jumpsuit in black

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Not for wide-footers
  • Lacks flexiblity
Full review of Keke Palmer brought the drama to the premiere of Jordan Peele s Nope

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Men
Women
Any color
Multicolor/Multicolor (DO9825902)
900 multi-colour/multi-colour (DO9825900)
nike kd 15 metallic gold university red orewood brown midnight navy e92e 60
Wolf Grey/Wolf Grey/White (DO9826001)
nike kd 15 white 8a84 60
nike kd 15 black beach smoke grey a130 60
Multicolor-multicolor (DV1682900)
nike kd 15 light orewood brown metallic gold sundial b3e0 60
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Men's basketball shoes with the best court feel

Jordan Zion 2
91
Superb!

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

Zion Williamson is a really big and powerful player, and his second signature shoe is built for players like him. Its design and overall structure contain so much force and high levels of aggression on the court. It's all about powerful cuts, forceful offenses, and determined sprints to the basket. It's as if the Jordan Zion 2 is saying: "give it your all or not play at all!"

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Jordan Adg 4 Me
  • Tremendous support
  • Air jordan 5 retro q54 quai 54 2021
  • Reliable energy return
  • True-to-size fit
  • Breathable
  • Good for bigger men
  • Nike Jordan Utility Pack woven jumpsuit in black
  • Casual style

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Dust-prone outsole
  • Another Shot at Buying the Bred Air Jordan 11 Low
  • Poler Jordan PSG
Full review of Jordan Zion 2

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Men
Women
Any color
Black/Metallic Gold (DQ7688001)
Black (DO9073410)
Red (DO9073600)
Black (DO9161060)
White (DO9161107)
170white/metallic gold (DQ7688170)
Green (DO9161367)
Brown (DO8990217)
More colors

Men's basketball shoes with the best lockdown

Adidas Dame 8
90
Superb!

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

The Adidas Dame 8 is another shoe from the Damian Lillard series that delivers on aspects that matter. It is supportive, bouncy, light, and offers a decent amount of court feel. However, it has serious issues with traction on dusty courts, which some players may consider as a deal-breaker.

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Good traction on clean courts
  • Air Jordan 1 Low Sneakers Schwarz
  • Forefoot responsiveness
  • Secure lockdown
  • Air Jordan 1 Mid SE 'Turf Orange' DD6834 802
  • Side-to-side stability
  • Wide-foot friendly
  • Okay for outdoor courts

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Dust magnet
  • Nike Jordan Zion Flight Dri Fit Basketball Crew Socks 2 Pairs White Black 8-11
Full review of Adidas Dame 8

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Unisex
Any color
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe white vivid red core black 7 us men white vivid red core black c7bb 60
Matama Purglo Versen (GY0383)
Core Black/Core Black/Core Black (GZ4626)
adidas men s dame 8 mic chinese new year basketball shoes gw1816 us footwear size system adult men numeric medium numeric 8 point 5 black orange black orange a8ca 60
Toqgri Griuno Mencla (GY0379)
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe white black grey 10 us men white black grey c3e2 60
Black/White/Grey (GY6461)
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe energy aqua core black team shock pink 5 us men energy aqua core black team shock pink 1fbe 60
More colors

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver | Best lightweight basketball shoes for men

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

The Nike Air Jordan 1 Low SE Spades Gr is a worthy follow-up to the Freak 3s because of the noticeable improvement that it brings. It brings out the best in players who do a lot of rebounds and fast runs to the basket because of the high levels of energy that it returns with every step. It's pretty safe to say that this basketball shoe from Nike is worth every penny spent on it.

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Noticeable upgrades
  • Air Jordan 13 Low 'Bred' Beauty Shots
  • Dust-resistant outsole
  • Smooth steps
  • Air jordan 1 low gs vintage grey white sail kid youth women shoe 553560-053
  • Dependable impact protection
  • Jump-improving bounce
  • Reliably supportive structure
  • True-to-size fit

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Not ideal for outdoors (but OK)
  • Not for bigger players and wide footers
  • Cheap-feeling materials
Full review of Nike Air Jordan 1 Low SE Spades Gr

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Unisex
Any color
Ironstone/Cobblestone/Sail/Orange Trance (DJ6149003)
White (DJ6149100)
Wolf Grey/Wolf Grey/White (DO9679001)
White/White/Black (DO9679100)
Black/Black/White (DO9679002)
Midnight Navy/Midnight Navy/White (DO9679400)
600 university red/white (DO9679600)
nike zoom freak 4 game royal game royal white 2e6b 60
More colors

Best value men's basketball shoes

Russell Westbrook Air Jordan 30.5 PE Hybrid?

The Nike Air Max Impact 4 managed to go beyond the already high standards set by the Air Max Impact 3 performance-wise. Traction, cushioning, support, and comfort - the Air Max Impact 4 surely delivers on aspects that matter, making it a perfect value-for-money option for an entry-level player.

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Pros

  • Traction is consistently good
  • Responsive cushioning
  • Decent impact protection
  • Fat Joe in the Air Jordan 3 UNC
  • Jordan drawstring-fastening track pants
  • Great for outdoor use
  • Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver

Joe Johnson turning the corner in the Jordan Prime 5 Black Varsity Red-Metallic Silver Cons

  • Dwyane Wades Jordan Fly Wade 2
  • Not for wide-footers
Full review of Nike Air Max Impact 4

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Men
Women
Any color
nike air max impact 4 white 8228 60
nike air max impact 4 basketball shoes black off noir anthracite 2b90 60
Black (DM1124006)
Black Mtlc Gold Star Anthracite White (DM1124003)
Ashen Slate Citron Tint Football Grey (DM1124400)
Black White Bright Crimson Wolf Grey (DM1124002)
nike air max impact 4 basketball shoes black anthracite racer blue white 66d2 60
White (DM1124100)
Blue (DM1124401)

Comparison of the 7 best basketball shoes for men

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CoreScore
Users rating
Experts
Best price
Ranking
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# of colorways

How we test basketball shoes

It is important to keep our reviews as free from bias as possible. Here’s what we do to stay objective:

  • We buy the shoes using our own money. No sponsorships. No X-deals. We are as much consumers of these shoes as you are.
  • We test the shoes in actual games; not just mere footwork tests/training. We are a group of testers here, so our experiences are diverse. You’d know who reviewed that because we keep our author bios open.
  • We do more testing inside our lab and this includes breaking the shoes into pieces. We measure some parameters of the shoes, while we score the others, depending on the feature. For example, we rate the longitudinal and torsional flex (flexing of the shoe using our bare hands and own strength) from 1 to 5, with 5 being the stiffest. Finding the resistance of the shoes to bending, on the other hand, necessitates our digital force gauge, which mechanically records a value or measurement.
Author
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic

Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 years. Like Manu Ginobili, he’s a left-hander whose moves led him to a better career-shooting percentage than the Argentine himself. After playing professionally for 10 years, Dimitrije moved to coaching for two seasons before he became a basketball statistician for StatScore, and FanSided contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Dimitrije loves to tell hoop stories through numbers and graphics and has been featured on Fansided, FiveThirtyEight, Eurohoops, and TalkBasket among the others.