7 Giorgio Armani panelled low-top sneakers GREY in 2023

Among all the basketball shoes that we tried, we think that the Nike LeBron 20 is the one that should stand the proudest. This shoe just did all things right for us, from its heel support and overall stability down to its immense durability. It was quite effective in neutralizing impact as well! There was no asking for more because this shoe had us awesomely satiated.

The heel counter was quite effective in keeping our feet in place. When assessed in the lab, we ended up giving it a score of 4 out of 5 for firmness because it easily resisted the manual twists and squeezes that we did on it.

This shoe’s torsional rigidity is one thing that we were truly thankful for. Because of it, we never had to worry about rolling our feet. After manual lab assessments, the base of the shoe got a perfect 5 for rigidity.

The durability of this shoe was ultimately tested by subjecting it to the Dremel test. After a period of high-pressure drilling, our device barely left a dent on the upper. On the court, the upper of the LeBron 20 indeed protects from many forms of physical trauma.

The plushness of the heel is also worth noting. Our HA durometer gave it a softness score of 25.2 when the average is as high as 27.9. While not MUCH softer than the average basketball shoe, we did experience it as plushness! Thanks to that, the pain was effectively kept at bay even if our games dragged because of overtime.

If you are a narrow-footer, we highly recommend that you try something else. When measured using a caliper, we saw that the widest part of the toe box was 102.2 mm wide. It’s more spacious than the 99.9 mm offered by a typical trainer.

Our experience and lab assessments tell us that the KD 15 from Nike rises above all other basketball shoes in terms of outdoor playability. We found that this shoe is above average when it comes to durability, perfectly suitable for outdoor usage. Besides outdoor-worthiness, this Nike shoe was also a bomb because of its amazingly consistent bite and plush cushioning.

We confidently used this shoe outdoors because we felt the power of its abrasion-resistant rubber sole. Our laboratory assessments revealed that the rubber is slightly thicker (4.1 mm) than average (3.9 mm). Our findings on the HC durometer were even more remarkable. It showed that the rubber material possessed a higher level of hardness (83.0) in contrast to the typical number (80.3). The harder the rubber, the longer it lasts in our experience.

When it comes to traction, this shoe is an awe-inspiring beast. Aside from being consistent on both indoor and outdoor courts, we were amazed by how resistant it was to dust. The sole gripped the floors so well, even if we did not wipe it much.

The third thing that gives the KD 15 the edge over other lace-ups is the cradle-like plushness of its heel. In the lab, we found that the midsole at the heel is softer than average. Specifically, the HA durometer showed 24.5 for the KD 15, while the average is currently 27.9. 

One thing that made us a bit concerned is the non-uniform breathability of the upper. After pumping smoke into the shoe, we saw that it rose only through the tongue and not so much through the toebox where ventilation is most needed. When worn, the forefoot indeed felt warmer than the rest of the shoe.

We consider the Zion 2 not only as a noteworthy shoe but also as one that prioritizes court feel. Hands down, the amount of ground feedback that the Jordan Zion 2 delivered was truly one of the books. Finer footwork and faster sprints were made a lot easier because of such court feel. This basketball shoe also boasted superb breathability that we confirmed in our lab test. Finally, the grip was something that we can talk about with so much glee.

Using a caliper, we discovered that the heel and forefoot are 1.9 mm and 2.7 mm thinner than average. The insole is also 1 mm thinner than usual. This setup brought our feet closer to the ground, allowing us to feel more feedback from it. Hence, we felt more in control even of our fine movements.

To ascertain breathability in the lab, we did a smoke test. After pumping smoke into the shoe, we saw just how fast the smoke rose through most of the upper. Indeed, the mesh material in the forefoot and the perforations in the tongue area allowed the smoke to easily escape. No wonder we felt air literally blowing against our feet during our test games!

The Zion 2 could bite, and it bit the hardwood so well. We did not have any reason to complain. We did stepbacks, quick direction changes, and even twists to trick our opponents. The outsole and the pattern engraved in it never failed to give us the amount of grip that our moves required.

It’s just unfortunate that the Zion 2 sacrificed a lot of plushness so that it can deliver a more pronounced court feel. The thinner midsole was not really reliable when it comes to compression. We do not recommend this shoe to ballers, especially the bigger ones, who might actually need a well-cushioned ride.

We declare the Adidas Dame 8 as the best shoe for foot containment because it has cradle-like cushioning, an amazingly wide base, and a twist-resistant platform. All these features work together to hold the foot securely in place. Not once did we feel unstable or wobbly even as we moved quite aggressively during the most intense parts of our games.

Lab results showed us that the heel area is not only thicker than average but also softer. With a stack height of 30.5 mm as per our caliper, the heel cushioning is 2.3 mm thicker than that of the typical hoop shoe. The durometer made it clear that the heel cushion is 34% softer than average. Our feet sank a little into the cushion until they were cupped by the material, which helped hold our feet in place.

The caliper showed us that the forefoot and heel are 119 mm and 99.1 mm wide respectively, making these areas 7.3 mm and 8.5 mm wider than average. Given this setup, we never had to worry about our feet slipping off the footbed; there was just so much surface area to accommodate splays and sudden side-to-side maneuvers.

We also manually twisted the Dame 8 as part of our lab assessments. Because of the shoe's resistance when we did torsional twists, we gave it a 4 out of 5 for rigidity. Given this much stiffness, worrying about ankle rolls quickly became a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, those players whose feet sweat easily cannot enjoy what the Adidas Dame 8 has to offer. Based on our experience, it’s not the most well-ventilated shoe out there. We had to wear thinner socks just to make the warmth a bit bearable.

The office-accessories shoe-care storage Keepall’s weight (12.3 oz or 348g) is below the average (13.7 oz or 387g), so it helped us be more agile and to persist longer during our games. Its outsole is actually harder than average, making it more resistant to abrasion. The above-average hardness even makes it a worthy outdoor shoe. This shoe is also a beast when it comes to heel support because of its stiff counter. Given all these benefits, we hail the Zoom Freak 4 as the best lightweight shoe in our inventory.

We learned in the lab that while the outsole is not any thicker than average (4.0 mm vs 3.9 mm average), the rubber compound is actually harder. Our HC durometer pegged the Freak 4’s sole hardness at 84.5 when the average is 80.3.

The heel counter got a score of 4 out of 5 for firmness. We gave this rating after it showed considerable resistance when we squeezed and twisted it manually in the lab. Our feet loved this heel support!

Our digital force gauge showed that the Zoom Freak 4 needed 54.0N to bend at 90 degrees, this makes it more resistant than the typical shoe which would need only 41.9N. Players who need shoes that do so well with natural foot flexions might not be too happy with this pick.

After several lab tests and actual on-court usage, we are convinced that the Nike Air Force 1 06 LE Rainbow Silver Womens Lifestyle Shoes 318275-101 is the best basketball shoe for nimble players. This shoe just gripped hard on any surface that we used it on–hardwood, concrete, and even the tiled floors of our changing rooms!  The rear area was also a master at clasping our heels, making sure they stayed in place even as our movements got a little too swift and aggressive. What made this shoe even more of a breeze to use was the airiness of the upper. 

If we were to rank all the shoes that we’ve played in, the Luka 1 from Jordan is going to be up there in terms of traction. The bite on this was just impressive. We got the anchorage that we needed when we sprinted as fast as we could toward the basket.

On the court, heel slippage never crossed our minds, thanks to how secure the heel counter felt. In the lab, we were left with no other choice but to give the heel counter a perfect 5 for stiffness. It remained firm even after we pulled, pushed, and squeezed at levels beyond the normal on-court pressures.

Smoke was pumped into the shoe to see through which parts of the upper it was going to escape. This process was our test for breathability, and we found that the tongue and the mesh forefoot served as this shoe’s ventilators. Our feet and socks remained dry even after several hours of fast play and training.

After measuring the width of both the heel and forefoot parts of the footbed, we found that the Nike Air Force 1 06 LE Rainbow Silver Womens Lifestyle Shoes 318275-101 does not deviate much from the average. The forefoot is 97.1 mm wide (average is 97.5 mm) while the heel is 79.2 mm (average is 77.0). Given these measurements, we do not think this shoe suits players with unusually wide feet.

We got the Air Max Impact 4 for $90 (the average price for Nike shoes is $134), and it surely delivered a lot more than we paid for and offered the best value for money among all basketball shoes. The most notable for us was the durability of its outsole, which made this shoe very effective for outdoor use. We also appreciated how bouncy the cushioning system was without ever sacrificing impact protection.

We measured the hardness of the outsole using an HC durometer, and we learned that the outsole of the Air Max Impact 4 is considerably harder than the average, 87.5 vs. 80.3. This explained why the shoe works wonders outdoors.

The midsole was subjected to caliper assessments in the lab. We found that the cushion right under the heel is quite thick (33.3 mm vs 29.0 mm average). We also loved that it compressed quite well whenever needed, effectively keeping our feet free from pain. When measured using an HA durometer, the midsole foam is also softer (25.5) than average (27.9). 

Aside from pampering our feet with its comfortable softness, it also gave us a lot of energy return. As a result, we were quite explosive as we ran past our opponents, and our jumps during rebounds and dunks were aptly energized as well.

It’s just too sad that this shoe is not really the most accommodating of wide-footers. Its actual width of 101.1 mm isn’t really more spacious than the 99.9 mm average.