Tips for Selecting Lightweight Basketball Shoes

Basketball shoes are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes that you can wear today. The reason for the high level of comfort that basketball shoes provide is that the brands that design and produce them don’t usually skimp on features that will make the shoes feel better on the feet.

While basketball shoes are very comfortable, the downside to wearing them is that they can feel quite heavy compared to other types of sports shoes. However, there are some basketball shoes that are lighter than others, and if you want to wear those shoes, you need to learn how to find them. Here are some tips for selecting lightweight basketball shoes.

Know Which Upper Materials are Lightweight

The first thing you need to know in choosing basketball shoes is their upper. The upper of basketball shoes are often made from different materials, like suede, synthetic leather, genuine leather, nylon, mesh, textile, etc. There are materials that are rigid and can provide more support to the ankles, while there are also some materials that are soft and flexible, which can then allow your feet to have freedom of movement on the basketball court.

While the rigid materials are effective in offering support for the feet and lower legs, they can feel heavy on the feet. So, in order for basketball shoes to feel lighter, they would need to have lightweight materials like nylon, mesh, and textile on their upper. Of course, basketball shoes made primarily of lighter materials on the upper wouldn’t be considered proper basketball shoes, as they also need a little bit of rigidity for ankle and midfoot support. So, you should also try to find basketball shoes that are balanced when it comes to having support and being lightweight.

Check the Materials Used on the Midsole

Next, you should check the materials used on the midsole to make sure that the said part of the basketball shoes is lightweight. Even if the upper is made of lighter materials, it wouldn’t really feel light if the midsole was very heavy. Heavy midsoles can often feel clunky on your feet, as the balance of the shoes can be awkward, which can then impede your movement on the basketball court. So, the midsole should also be made from lightweight materials.

EVA, or ethylene vinyl acetate, is arguably one of the lightest midsole materials used today. Besides being lightweight, EVA is also fairly durable and long-lasting, which is why most sports shoes have this material for their midsoles. Many brands today have their own version of EVA, with some making the material denser while others are making it softer. 

There will also be brands that add carbon fiber shank plates on top of the midsole, which is supposed to add support for the soles of the foot to avoid overextensions. The carbon fiber shank plates are also fairly light, so they don’t add much weight to the midsoles. Pick a pair of basketball shoes that have lightweight midsoles but are packed with plenty of features for support and comfort.

Read About the Shoes

In order for you to know more about the materials used on a basketball shoe’s upper, midsoles, and outsoles, you would need to read every piece of information about the shoes online through the brand’s website or through an online sporting goods store. The information you will get from the said websites would typically be sufficient for you to know the weight of the shoes, as they will tell you every material used on the shoes, and they will also state the actual weight of the shoes, although the weight may vary per size.

If you can’t check out different basketball shoes in person at sporting goods stores, reading about them online would be the second-best choice for you to know the weight of the basketball shoes. Reading about every detail of basketball shoes would also allow you to know if there are features on the shoes that can help you boost your performance on the court.

Check Out Reviews

Some basketball shoes, despite being described as lightweight by brands and sporting goods stores, can still feel heavy on your feet because of the uneven weight distribution on several areas of the upper or midsole. There are basketball shoes that can still feel “clunky” even if they are lightweight, and these clunky shoes can feel very uncomfortable to wear and move around on the basketball court. 

Brands and sporting goods stores don’t really provide the cons or drawbacks of different basketball shoes, so you won’t really know if the shoes have weaknesses that may prevent you from performing at your best on the court. The only way for you to know about a pair of basketball shoes’ downsides is to read or watch reviews on review websites, blogs, and video streaming platforms.

Through reviews, you will be able to know more about the pros and cons of each basketball shoe, and you may also know about the hidden features of the shoes that are not talked about on their brands’ websites or in sporting goods stores. Reviews are also a faster way for you to get every piece of info about basketball shoes, so if you don’t have a lot of free time currently, you can just read or watch reviews online.

Lightweight basketball shoes are easy to find nowadays, and you just need to know what to look for. We hope that the tips we have provided above will help you have a much easier and more convenient time finding the best lightweight basketball shoes for you.