It comes without saying that to fully harness your potential in a competitive match, you have to use the right shoes for the right sport. Regaining basketball, there are a lot of purpose design shoes available for purchase on the market these kinds of days. That being said, the attractiveness of such products to most basketballers is not as strong as it used to be. In fact, there are some people nowadays opt to play basketball using their running shoes. So what experts have to say about playing basketball in running shoes? Is it actually a good idea after all?
Want to learn if wearing running shoes in basketball matches is safe for your body? If that is so, you come to the right place. Down below, you would be introduced to everything you must keep in mind about the usage of running shoes in basketball including the current trend. Sure, itâs possible for you to play basketball with a pair of running shoes. Nonetheless, playing basketball in running shoes for an extended period of times carries a couple of issues you must consider. Take a close look at the following information to get a feel of the situation.
Basketball Shoes Vs. Running Shoes: Notable Characteristics Of Their Design
Overall, itâs pretty hard to comprehend the rationality of playing basketball shoes in running shoes if you are unable to grasp all key features. Here is a quick summary of various aspects of the shoes that you should know.
The average basketball players constantly sprint, jump and change direction on the court which means they require plenty of support. As a result, most basketball shoes tend to place emphasis on stability, flexibility and balance. After taking all of that into account, the shoes seem tall, stiff and somewhat bulky. At first glance, the ankle of conventional basketball shoes is fairly high as well. Such characteristics make sure that the risk of an ankle roll while performing drastic movements is minimal compared to usual.
Essential Qualities Of Basketball Shoes:
- Foot support
- Strong tread
- Shock absorption
- Ankle stability
- Movement flexibility
About the running shoes, there are 2 main styles: road running shoes and trail running shoes. Road running shoes often utilize thin material in the structure so they are rather light. Shoes in the category offer good cushion but beyond that, they have nothing that comes in handy for basketball players. On the other hand, modern-day trail running shoes have reinforced constructions to tackle wet, muddy, cover in obstacles trails. Normally, trail running shoes offer more feet support than their road running counterparts but remain inferior to actual basketball shoes.
Essential Qualities Of Running Shoes:
- Good cushioned sole
- Reasonable bulk
- A high level of comfort
The Interchangeably Of The Shoes
Itâs undeniable that people design basketball shoes and running shoes for different purposes so to protect your well-being, you must use proper footwear. Of course, if you simply play for fun, running shoes could work in particular settings. However, in competitive matches, itâs natural for you to come up with explosive movements in one moment which demand a sufficient level of support. In the case you fail to secure enough support for your feet, you might go down with serious injuries right after a couple of rebounds.
So what would happen if you decide to wear running shoes in a basketball court? Well, after a while, the continuous use of inadequate footwear shall lead to troublesome issues in the hip, leg, lower back and obviously, feet. Technically, the longer you play basketball in running shoes, the more severe such health issues get. Therefore, if you want to keep playing your favorite sport, itâs strongly recommended that you acquire quality basketball shoes.
Conclusion: Never consider playing basketball in running shoes unless you only mess around with friends.
Current Trend In The NBA
It would be a mistake to talk about basketball related subjects without mentioning the NBA. Being the hottest basketball league with dozens of millions of viewers, you should be able to see the latest trends in the sport by watching NBA games. So basketballers in the league still stick to basketball shoes? Just how many people are playing in the NBA without relying on specialized basketball footwear? Finally, is there any high-profile development in the overall design of basketball shoes lately?
Base on a recent survey, the majority of NBA basketball players put on high-topped basketball shoes in their matches. That being said, the number of basketballers that employ non-basketball footwear is increasing steadily. Most of such players go with multipurpose footwear but some also don sneaker, casual shoes and of course, running shoes. Thabo Sefolosha, the shooting guard of Utah Jazz, is known for his usage of Nike Air Max 90 which is essentially a pair of running shoes. All things considered, itâs true that multiple NBA players like wearing non-basketball shoes.
Regarding the development of basketball shoes, manufacturers have pumped into the market too many products with numerous colors and stories. Hence, people no longer care about the improvement of basketball shoes these kinds of days as there is insufficient “newness”. A model that hit the market 3, 4 times in a couple of years with only minor tweaks often loses its allure. On the other hand, the market for running shoes is gathering steam across the boards nowadays and needless to say, many customers are basketball players.
Getting A Good Pair Of Basketball Shoes: Tips And Tricks
With the issues about playing basketball in running shoes settled, letâs see how you could get yourself quality basketball shoes without wasting your money. Different people have different opinions about ideal shoes but the majority of basketballers agree that certain features require your attention. There are numerous models on the market nowadays and if you get one on a whim, you might end up with a big disappointment later. Fortunately, in order to make a wise investment, all you need to do is to follow the instructions down below.
Exam And Inspect Ankle Protection
In a sport like basketball, you have to take every precaution to prevent ankle roll from taking place as it often led to serious injuries. Because of that, the first thing you need to do while checking out basketball shoes is to assess ankle protection. Avoid models that look like they could fail to keep your ankle in place during quick movements on the court. In order to determine if a particular pair of shoes possesses sufficient ankle protection, you should look over the material, traction, lace and so on. For your safety, donât skip over any detail here.
Take You Position Into Account
There are products that mostly suit the need of every position but if you want to optimize your performance, you need to know some rules. In case you donât know, there are 4 groups of basketball players on the court
- Slasher (Strong Forward And Shooting Guard): Players in the group tend to be best athletes on the court which means they move around all the time. In order to be successful as a Slasher, you need shoes that provide you with top-level ankle protection, excellent traction and superb lateral support
- Finesse (Shooting Guard And Point Guard): Basketballers that belong to the category hold the ball and often get it up court. Generally speaking, such players might drive the ball but in most of the case, they stay right on the perimeter. Considering their style, a high level of cushioning is necessary to accommodate the constant movement.
- Power (Power Forward And Strong Forward): Big, fast and powerful, Power basketball players are known for their ability muscle through opponents while heading to the basket. That is why in order to avoid potential injuries, basketballers that go with the Power play have to treat ankle protection as the top criterion.
- Post (Strong Forward And Center): Since Post players take care of dunks, blocks and rebound using their impressive height, they need to secure shoes that offer the most support possible.
Think About The Right Size
People that are new to the sport often make the mistake of choosing the wrong shoe size for their feet. Some bring home small shoes that restrict movements while others go too big which obviously lead straight to rolled ankle. So to get the right size, you need to carefully measure your feet, add 1/4 to 1/2 inch to the total and look up the conversion chart.
Look Over The Traction Performance
The last thing you ever want to do on a basketball court is to put on shoes with poor traction. You would end up slipping all over the place if your shoes fail to get a grip of the surfaces. To ascertain how good a model performs when it comes to traction, you should check out the tread pattern thoroughly. Moreover, get a feel of the material while are at it to ensure that the tread would not degrade quickly.
Go With A Reputable Brand
There are a lot of manufacturers of basketball shoes nowadays but some stand out from the rest due to the commendable quality of their products. Therefore, if you have to buy a pair of basketball here, prioritize models from Nike, Adidas, Air Jordan and Reebok.
