7 Best Basketball Shoes For Men in 2023

Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic on
7 Best Basketball Shoes For Men in 2023
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Given the popularity of the NBA and its roster of star athletes, basketball is a sport more readily associated with men than women. Hence, it comes as no surprise that shoes and other apparel created for this sport have the male anatomy in mind.

In this article, we take a look at the most suitable shoes for men. They are the ones that truly made a mark after testing more than 400 shoes from big sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour.

Of course, this does not affect that there are no women’s basketball shoes. Female fans are as real as their male counterparts, and their needs deserve unique attention. We have a separate page for the best basketball shoes for women.

Best men's basketball shoes overall

Nike Lebron 20
95
Superb!

What makes it the best?

The LeBron 20 definitely looks much more toned down, so it is visually different from the previous Nike LeBrons; yet, players note that its performance is as big as ever. It serves the need of not only players who want a lot of impact protection but also athletes who want to be agile on the court. It's already a bonus that this shoe has the looks for off-the-court action.

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • Amazing overall performance
  • Great traction
  • Tremendous impact protection
  • Pronounced court feel
  • Dependable bounciness
  • Comfortable upper
  • Incredible foot containment
  • Stylishly streamlined looks

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Snow Boots SOREL Youth Whitney II Short Lace NY3903 Quarry 052
  • Has to be broken in
Full review of Nike Lebron 20

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue | Today's best price

Unisex
Any color
901 olive/brown-white (DV1193901)
White/metallic gold/black/univ (DJ5423100)
nike lebron 20 orange 7bc5 60
Light silver/hyper royal-lemon chiffon-safety orange (DJ5423002)
Red (DV1193600)
nike men s lebron xx asw blue lightning coconut milk dv1191 400 10 5 blue lightning coconut milk 3168 60
Black/University Red/Universit (DJ5423001)
Violet frost/purple pulse/cany (DJ5423500)
More colors

Best men's basketball shoes for outdoor courts

Nike KD 15
94
Superb!

What makes it the best?

The releases from the KD line are hits, and the Nike KD 15 is not an exemption. This basketball shoe energizes every step without forgetting to protect the feet from impact upon aggressive strikes and hard landings. Dust is also not going to be a problem, and the grip is indeed consistent even on unkempt floors. Its collar is not as high, but the curved structure of the heel locks in the foot extra securely. It's apparent that a lot of careful thought was poured into the design process of this Nike offer.

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • cowboy styles and glitter sock boots
  • Dust-resistant outsole
  • Plush and protective foam
  • Bouncy midsole
  • Secure heel counter
  • Well-ventilated upper
  • Feels light
  • OK for outdoors

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Kim Kardashian West wearing Gianvito Rossi Lola sandals
  • Lacks flexiblity
Full review of Nike KD 15

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Men
Women
Any color
nike kd 15 wolf grey wolf grey white c77d 60
Black/royal tint-lt crimson (DC1975004)
nike kd 15 black black white 663e 60
nike kd 15 psychic purple midnight navy ghost dark marina blue 90ca 60
White/White-black-royal Tint (DC1975101)
nike mens kd15 dc1975 003 size 12 5 black university red 390d 60
Multicolor/Multicolor (DO9825902)
Black/boarder blue-sanddrift-a (DC1975001)
More colors

Men's basketball shoes with the best court feel

Jordan Zion 2
91
Superb!

What makes it the best?

Zion Williamson is a really big and powerful player, and his second signature shoe is built for players like him. Its design and overall structure contain so much force and high levels of aggression on the court. It's all about powerful cuts, forceful offenses, and determined sprints to the basket. It's as if the Jordan Zion 2 is saying: "give it your all or not play at all!"

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • Strong side-to-side grip
  • Tremendous support
  • Very pronounced court feel
  • Reliable energy return
  • True-to-size fit
  • Breathable
  • the ® Desert Boot 2 will have you turning heads
  • OK for outdoors
  • Casual style

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Dust-prone outsole
  • Lacks impact protection
  • Seriously needs breaking in
Full review of Jordan Zion 2

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Men
Women
Any color
Black/Metallic Gold (DQ7688001)
White/Volt-black-dynamic Turquoise (DO9161107)
Black (DO9071003)
Black (DO9073410)
Red (DO9073600)
Coconut Milk/Pomegranate-Midnight Navy (DV0549164)
Brown (DO8990217)
170white/metallic gold (DQ7688170)
More colors

Men's basketball shoes with the best lockdown

What makes it the best?

The x New Balance 670 sneakers is another shoe from the Damian Lillard series that delivers on aspects that matter. It is supportive, bouncy, light, and offers a decent amount of court feel. However, it has serious issues with traction on dusty courts, which some players may consider as a deal-breaker.

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • Good traction on clean courts
  • Nike Air Max Pre-Day Mens Shoes
  • Forefoot responsiveness
  • Secure lockdown
  • Comfortable in-shoe feel
  • Side-to-side stability
  • Wide-foot friendly
  • Okay for outdoor courts

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Dust magnet
  • Fiddly heel lining
Full review of x New Balance 670 sneakers

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Unisex
Any color
Black/Maroon/Gold (GW1816)
Matama Purglo Versen (GY0383)
Core Black/Team Yellow/Vivid Red (HR1562)
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe white vivid red core black 7 us men white vivid red core black c7bb 60
Black/White/Grey (GY6461)
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe white black grey 10 us men white black grey c3e2 60
adidas unisex dame 8 basketball shoe signal cyan silver metallic shock cyan 11 us men signal cyan silver metallic shock cyan b941 60
Grey Three/Red/Core Black (HR1558)
More colors

Best lightweight basketball shoes for men

What makes it the best?

The Shoes are completely real comes with receipt and the original box is a worthy follow-up to the Freak 3s because of the noticeable improvement that it brings. It brings out the best in players who do a lot of rebounds and fast runs to the basket because of the high levels of energy that it returns with every step. It's pretty safe to say that this basketball shoe from Nike is worth every penny spent on it.

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • Noticeable upgrades
  • Amazing grip on indoor courts
  • Dust-resistant outsole
  • Smooth steps
  • Pretty good court feel
  • Dependable impact protection
  • Jump-improving bounce
  • Flashfilm 3.0 Running Shoes
  • True-to-size fit

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Not ideal for outdoors (but OK)
  • Not for bigger players and wide footers
  • Cheap-feeling materials
Full review of Shoes are completely real comes with receipt and the original box

Today's best price

Unisex
Any color
Wolf Grey/Wolf Grey/White (DO9679001)
White (DO9679100)
Black/Black/White (DO9679002)
nike zoom freak 4 university red white university red 6b9c 60
nike zoom freak 4 game royal game royal white 2e6b 60
nike zoom freak 4 midnight navy midnight navy white ff3f 60
nike zoom freak 4 basketball shoes white black barely volt white adult white black barely volt white ec8b 60
nike zoom freak 4 ironstone cobblestone sail orange trance 1c5c 60
More colors

Best value men's basketball shoes

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue | What makes it the best?

The Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue managed to go beyond the already high standards set by the Air Max Impact 3 performance-wise. Traction, cushioning, support, and comfort - the Air Max Impact 4 surely delivers on aspects that matter, making it a perfect value-for-money option for an entry-level player.

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Pros

  • Traction is consistently good
  • Responsive cushioning
  • Aquazzura Milla crystal-embellished metallic leather sandals
  • Mens mid-top winter lifestyle waterproof boot
  • Dependable foot containment
  • Great for outdoor use
  • Swiftwater Sandal W 203998 Orchid

Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue Cons

  • Needs to be broken in
  • Kim Kardashian West wearing Gianvito Rossi Lola sandals
Full review of Sneakers VANS Evdnt Ultimatewaf VN0A5DY78B21 Deuce Black True Blue

Today's best price

Men
Women
Any color
Black (DM1124006)
White (DM1124101)
Black Mtlc Gold Star Anthracite White (DM1124003)
Black White Bright Crimson Wolf Grey (DM1124002)
Ashen Slate Citron Tint Football Grey (DM1124400)
nike air max impact 4 basketball shoes black anthracite racer blue white 66d2 60
nike air max impact 4 basketball shoes white pure platinum black 5ac3 60
Black Anthracite Off Noir (DM1124004)
nike air max impact 4 blue 3a24 60

Comparison of the 7 best basketball shoes for men

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Best
CoreScore
Users rating
Experts
Best price
Ranking
Popularity
# of colorways

How we test basketball shoes

It is important to keep our reviews as free from bias as possible. Here’s what we do to stay objective:

  • We buy the shoes using our own money. No sponsorships. No X-deals. We are as much consumers of these shoes as you are.
  • We test the shoes in actual games; not just mere footwork tests/training.
  • We are a group of testers here, so our experiences are diverse. You’d know who reviewed that because we keep our author bios open.
  • We do our research. In addition to our own reviews, we also get the inputs of users and experts from all over the net in order to come up with a numeric CoreScore for your easy reference.
Author
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic

Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 years. Like Manu Ginobili, he’s a left-hander whose moves led him to a better career-shooting percentage than the Argentine himself. After playing professionally for 10 years, Dimitrije moved to coaching for two seasons before he became a basketball statistician for StatScore, and FanSided contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Dimitrije loves to tell hoop stories through numbers and graphics and has been featured on Fansided, FiveThirtyEight, Eurohoops, and TalkBasket among the others.