With the NBA Finals starting this week we thought it would be a great time to take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to basketball shoes.
Whether you’re playing a pickup game, an intramural game, or playing for the school team, it’s always important to make sure you have the proper equipment. Depending on the sport you play this includes everything from the shoes to the pads, all the way up to the helmets. Just because basketball may require less in terms of equipment, when compared to other sports, that doesn’t mean that the equipment isn’t just as important.
Running around and playing basketball in the wrong shoes can lead to serious injuries. These injuries can prevent you from doing everyday activities and impede your movement while on the basketball court.
And while it’s not important to have the most expensive, or the latest, basketball shoe, it is important to make sure you have something that will support your ankles and your feet while on the court.
Questions About Basketball Shoes
Can You Wear Basketball Shoes for Volleyball?
Sometimes it’s hard to know whether something is marketing fluff or if there truly is a difference in a product.
While basketball shoes and volleyball shoes are created differently, they can be used interchangeably in a pinch. Both types of shoes are designed for forward and lateral movement, which is unlike running shoes that are made specifically for moving forward. Volleyball shoes tend to be a bit more on the lighter side and have a midsole specifically designed for the movement experienced in volleyball.
The midsole in basketball shoes is design for cushioning, more like a running shoe, because of the impact of running up and down the court.
The short answer is, yes, you can wear basketball shoes when playing volleyball and you could technically wear volleyball shoes when playing basketball, but do you really want to?
A lot of the hype behind basketball shoes comes from the fact that basketball is more of a mainstream sport, and the shoes are a huge market.
You don’t see people fighting for limited edition volleyball shoes.
Wearing the basketball shoes that you currently own to play volleyball will not put you at a disadvantage while playing volleyball. There’s no reason to rush out and spend more money on another pair of shoes if you already have a pair that will work. However, if you don’t play basketball and are only going to be playing volleyball, we would suggest looking for a pair of volleyball specific shoes.
Why Do Basketball Players Wipe the Bottoms of Their Shoes?
If you’ve ever watched a basketball game, then you’ve probably noticed the players lifting their feet behind them and using the palm of their hands to wipe the bottom of the shoes. If you’ve never played the sport on a gym floor, then you might not realize why they are doing that so often.
Indoor courts tend to get dusty over the course of a game, even if it’s been cleaned thoroughly. The dust will then begin to accumulate on the bottom of your shoes, which will lead to your shoes become more slippery.
By using your palm to wipe the bottom of your shoes, you can clear out some of that dust and gain back the traction that you lost. This can help players with their mobility and ability to make quick cuts along the floor without the risk of slipping.
How Do You Break in a New Pair of Basketball Shoes?
You’d think that the best way to break in a new pair of basketball shoes would be to just throw them on and start playing, and while that will eventually break them in, your game could suffer while the shoes are still stiff and could cause blisters.
If you’re really looking for the best way to break in your basketball shoes, you’ll want to start out by doing light activities while wearing them. 10-15 minutes of light activity for a few days while wearing the shoes is a great place to start.
After about 3 days of wearing them 10-15 minutes at a time, adding 10 minutes each day. This will get you up to about 30 minutes of wear time by the 3rd day. At this point you’ll want to up that time by about an hour, so you’ll be wearing them for about an hour and a half each day.
At this point you can start adding more motion and more aggressive movement to help fully break them in.
You’ll want to start breaking your new basketball shoes in at least 2-3 weeks before your first real game, so make sure you plan ahead. There’s nothing worse that coming off your very first game of the season with painful blisters.
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the shoes might be even more popular than the game itself. There are countless sneakerheads out there that collect basketball shoes without ever stepping foot on the court. But those of us that love being out there and playing the game know that you need to have the right shoes and the right fit to help elevate your game to the next level.
