7 Best Basketball Shoes (2024)

We totally enjoyed wearing the LeBron NXXT GEN in our games because it was surprisingly light for a LeBron shoe. It also delivered a good amount of bounce and was quite flexible. All these benefits convinced us that this is indeed the best pick of its time.

At only 13.12 ounces or 372 grams, this LeBron shoe is even lighter than the average hoop shoe, which weighs 14.22 ounces or 403 grams. The reduced weight allowed us to run faster and jump higher as we battled for points on the court.

The Zoom Air unit in the forefoot did what it was supposed to do. Each step felt 100% fueled as we ran past opponents and attempted to score. We have to say, the Nike LeBron NXXT GEN gave us some of the most efficient runs ever.

The flexibility of this Nike shoe was also on point. It was able to follow our movements, even the most peculiarly angled ones. In the lab, we saw why this was so. This shoe only needed 32.4N of force to bend at 90 degrees. This figure is much lower than the 40.9N that a typical shoe would need.

It’s just too bad that the NXXT GEN is not really for players with wide feet. The toebox at the big toe is particularly cinched, measuring only 74.9 mm when the average is 76.8 mm.

When it comes to having an amazing bite on the court, nothing comes close to the Under Armour Curry 10. Aside from great traction, we also appreciated this shoe for its outstanding breathability and lightweight structure.

During our playtests, stopping on a dime was never a problem. Even if this shoe doesn’t really have a real outsole, it is still able to provide multidirectional coverage, and boy was the bite strong and dependable!

Comfort was not put at the backseat, either, because this shoe just had the perfect breathability. We did our usual breathability tests in the lab, and we’ve seen that both smoke and light didn’t have issues going through the upper material. Getting a perfect 5 from us has never been that easy.

Compared to the 14.22 oz or 403g average, this shoe comes in really light at 12.63 oz or 538g. We were able to run faster and jump higher because of this lightness.

It’s just too regretful that this shoe isn’t really for those with wide feet. At its widest, the our caliper showed that the toebox is only 97.5 mm wide. The average goes as high as 101.0 mm.

When it comes to cushioning, the LeBron 20 stands out because it offered an effective blend of impact protection and ground feel, which is further enhanced by its 4.4 mm drop. In addition, this shoe also delivered protection from twists through its pretty firm and stable base.

Using a caliper, we learned that the midsole is slightly thinner than average, especially around the heel. The heel stack is only 27.0 mm high when the average could go as high as 30.0. This setup brought our feet closer to the ground, effectively enhancing court feel.

Despite being thinner, the midsole still proved to be slightly softer. Our HA durometer in the lab gave it a rating of 25.5 when the average is 26.6. On the court, this much softness gave us just the right amount of impact protection.

Another benefit that’s worth mentioning is the LeBron 20’s torsional rigidity. Not once did we have to worry about painful twists because of how firm the base felt. We did manual twists on the shoe back in the lab, and hands down, it’s a perfect 5 when it comes to torsional resistance.

It’s just a bummer that there was not much breathability. This shoe only got a 2 out of 5 in our smoke test since the upper was seen to be relatively impermeable.

We declare the Jordan Zion 2 as the best shoe for foot containment because it has a perfectly effective heel counter, an amazingly secure structure, and a twist-resistant base. 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 counter is flawlessly able to hold its own in the face of pressure. No amount of manual squeezing could make it give up its shape and secure clasp on the rearfoot. It very well deserves the 5 out of 5 for stiffness that it got from us.

Our jaws dropped when we saw that this shoe needed 67.2N of force to be bent at 90 degrees. A typical basketball shoe would only require 40.9N to bend at the same angle. The rigidity of its overall makeup reduced the chance of slipping to zero.

We also manually twisted the Jordan Zion 2 as part of our lab assessments. Because of the shoe's resistance when we did torsional twists, we gave it a 5 out of 5 for torsional rigidity. Given this much stiffness, worrying about ankle rolls quickly became a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, those players who want something light won’t be happy with the Zion 2. At 15.2 ounces or 431 grams, this shoe is indeed heavier than the 14.22 ounces or 403 grams average.

The Nike Zoom Freak 4’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.

Our experience and lab assessments tell us that the Cosmic Unity 3 from Nike is above all other basketball shoes in outdoor playability. We found that this shoe is above average when it comes to its outsole hardness, making it perfectly suitable for outdoor usage. Besides outdoor-worthiness, this Nike shoe was also a bomb because of its amazingly consistent bite and impressively durable upper.

We confidently used this shoe outdoors because we felt the unrelenting firmness of its rubber sole. Our findings on the HC durometer showed that the rubber material possessed a higher level of hardness (86.5) in contrast to the typical number (81.5). The harder the rubber, the longer it lasts in our experience.

When it comes to traction, the Nike Cosmic Unity 3 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 Cosmic Unity 3 the edge over other shoes was the amazing durability of its toebox. In the lab, we performed the standard Dremel test. We saw that 12 seconds of high-pressure drilling barely left a mark on the material, pushing us to give it a perfect 5 for durability.

One thing that made us a bit concerned was its weight. It is indeed heavier than average (14.22 oz or 403g) at 15.66 oz or 444g.

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.