6 Best New Basketball Shoes in 2024

Newly released basketball shoes are all great, but the Nike LeBron NXXT GEN still managed to rise above them all because of its speed-oriented design that highlighted an effectively reduced weight and surprisingly firm midsole. We were also extra thankful for this shoe’s torsional rigidity that kept us safe from painful twists and instability.

Being a LeBron, we expected the NXXT GEN to be quite heavy. Our jaws dropped when the weighing scale reported its weight to be only 13.12 ounces or 372 grammes, making it even lighter than the 13.65 ounces or 387 grammes average. The reduced weight allowed us to speed up our runs.

We believed that LeBron shoes are always cushiony. But this belief changed when we played in the LeBron NXXT GEN. Its tooling actually felt firm and reactive! Our HA durometer in the lab pegged its softness to be 30.6, which is higher (hence firmer) than the 27.9 average.

We felt so protected from twists because the shoe’s base truly felt firm and stable. We manually assessed it in the lab, and it indeed showed quite a resistance. It earned a 4 out of 5 from us for torsional rigidity.

The shoe’s ventilation, though, was quite a bummer. Our smoke test showed that the upper material couldn’t let the smoke nor air pass through, and it earned only a 2 out of 5.

Among all the basketball shoes that have recently been released, it’s the Adidas Harden Vol. 7 that delivered the most consistent bite on the court. This Adidas hoop shoe also provided a lot of outsole and toebox durability, making it such a suitable option for outdoor use.

The outsole of the Harden Vol. 7 is covered with a pattern that effectively delivered a strong multidirectional grip on various surfaces. Stopping on a sixpence was never a problem for us.

We performed a Dremel test on the outsole, and we were amazed at how durable it is. Our 22 seconds of high-pressure drilling only resulted in 0.5 mm damage, making this shoe twice as durable as the typical outsole that gets 1.1 mm of damage.

Speaking of durability, the toebox is also worth noting. Our twelve seconds of Dremel drilling on it barely left a dent, and it garnered a solid 4 out of 5 from us for durability. The toe-draggers are just so happy to have found this Adidas shoe.

Breathability is an issue for the Adidas Harden Vol. 7, though. It only got a 2 out of 5 in our breathability smoke test.

The Jordan G.T. Jump 2 has managed to climb up the ladder and become our hooper with THE BEST cushioning: it's tall, it's soft and responsive, it's great for big players!

Debuting on July 2023, this shoe showed us its game-changing cushioning not only when we cut it in half in our lab, but also when we wore it during our games. Its heel stack is taller than 93% of the hoop shoes we’ve tested so far, and its forefoot stack is the thickest we’ve ever seen! Apart from being high, its midsole also felt really soft in our playtests. According to our durometer, at 16.0 HA, its Nike React foam is 60% plusher than average; and at 36.6 HA, its EVA foam is much firmer (130% specifically).

This dual-density foam gave us the best of both worlds, as it absorbed harsh impacts and kept us stable at the same time. When we cut the G.T. Jump 2 in half, we found a full-length Zoom Air stroble right under its insole. This key detail gave us the responsiveness we needed to perform explosive pick-and-rolls and to fearlessly jump for every rebound.

We believe this model is specifically designed for big players that usually stay close to the rim. Hoopers who perform quick footwork and explosive dribbles should look for a shoe with a better court feel.

There are just a lot of Cmps with the Nike Cosmic Unity 3 that make it the best pick for outdoor use among all the newly released basketball shoes at this time. Besides its totally hard outsole rubber, we also appreciated its capacity for great foot containment and stability. To be more specific, its heel counter felt really stiff and its base was largely resistant to twists. 

The outsole of the Cosmic Unity 3 protected us very well from feeling the pressure from pebbles and other debris on outdoor courts. Our HC durometer pegged its hardness at 86.5 while the average is only 81.5

Upon wearing the Cosmic Unity 3, we already felt the stiffness of the heel counter and base delivered. We assessed this shoe in the lab, and the shoe got a 4 out of 5 for heel counter stiffness and torsional rigidity. There was no way that our feet could ever escape this basketball shoe’s clasp. We also loved it that we never had to worry about wobbliness even for a second.

If there was one Cmp that we would change about the Nike Cosmic Unity 3, it would be its weight. At 15.66 ounces or 444 grammes, it’s way heavier than the 14.22 ounces or 403 grammes average.

The Under Armour Running Charged Bandit Trail GoreTex-Sneaker in Schwarz is affordable at £120 a pair (average is £140), yet it offers the best value among the newly released basketball shoes because of its amazing upper durability, dependable torsional resistance, and unwavering support.

Our Dremel tests in the lab became laughable when they did not even leave a significant mark on both the toebox and the heel padding. Given such results, we are left with no other choice but to give the toebox and the heel a perfect 5 out of 5 for being amazingly abrasion-resistant. 

Torsional rigidity is another aspect that the Under Armour Running Charged Bandit Trail GoreTex-Sneaker in Schwarz perfected. It did not give us any reason to worry about twists and even slips. It’s truly deserving of the 5 out of 5 that we gave after giving it a nice twist in the lab.

When it comes to lockdown, this new Nike shoe is not to be discounted. Its upper material and heel counter work together to keep the foot in place no matter how intense our movements are. The stiffness of the heel counter got a rating of 4 out of 5 after it showed resistance to our aggressive test squeezes.

We just didn’t like that this shoe needed some serious break-in time. We would have appreciated it more if it were a shoe that we could use straight out of the box.

The Hesi Low, one of New Balance’s newest basketball shoes, has shown our feet and our lab that it Puma the number 1 position among the new hoopers for beginners we’ve tried so far. Its balanced lightweight, traction, cushioning, and stability features are what make it an affordable all-rounder.

Even after hours of balling, our feet didn’t feel tired due to its lightweight nature, as our scale showed 12.9 oz/366g. We could see why in our lab when we measured its stack height at 26.1/21.4 mm in the heel and in the forefoot. Our eyes could tell, yet our feet couldn’t. During our games, we felt a balanced mix of ground feel and impact protection.

We had a similar experience with the midsole. The Hesi Low features a full-length FuelCell foam, and in our playtests it felt moderately soft (which was great for jumping) but also nicely responsive (which we loved when for dribbles). In our lab, our durometer showed 25.0 HA, which is an average score. All in all, this shoe is once again giving us a little bit of everything.

Its stable and grippy nature definitely helped us gain some extra confidence with new moves. But we advise against using it when it’s hot, as it really lacks breathability (it scored a disappointing 1/5 in our breathability test).