If you play a lot of outdoor basketball you are probably familiar with this problem: Most basketball shoes are designed for indoor use and won’t last very long on rugged outdoor courts.
So, unless you want to buy a new pair every month, it is important to find shoes that can take the beating of playing on blacktop.
How do you recognize good outdoor basketball shoes?
- The outsole is made from hard and durable rubber
- The traction grooves are wide and deep
- They shouldn’t cost a fortune because they won’t last forever
- The upper material needs to be tough and resilient
Unfortunately, big basketball shoe brands release very few (or none) dedicated outdoor basketball shoes these days. So if you can’t afford to customize your favorite Nike ID sneaker with a durable XDR outdoor rubber sole, you need to find regular basketball shoes that also work well outdoors
In reality, this means you need to watch dozens of shoe reviews and hope that the reviewer mentions if this particular shoe works outdoors. Check any Youtube video about a basketball shoe and there is a good chance that someone asked this question in the comments!
To help you avoid wasting so much time watching sneaker videos I have checked out 973 reviews of 205 of the most popular basketball shoes and recorded the opinion of the reviewers about traction, cushion, material, support, fit and also outdoor usage.
Users of thehoopsgeek.com can also leave their own outdoor rating for their shoes. You can check out the complete list of shoes here.
Below you can find a list of affordable basketball ranked by combined user and expert outdoor ratings (minimum 5 ratings):
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100% Outdoor Rating based on 6 reviews
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The Nike Fly By Mid 3 definitely punches above its weight class.
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Players who are budget conscious or who're looking for a pair to beat up.
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100% Outdoor Rating based on 2 reviews
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Great shoe for traction and outdoor use
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Players that are looking for a shoe to beat up outdoors
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100% Outdoor Rating based on 6 reviews
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A very affordable Nike budget model with good overall performance
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A good choice for outdoor courts
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94% Outdoor Rating based on 9 reviews
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J. Cole's first signature sneaker is a solid performer and fun to play in.
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Great for guards or big guys that need a supportive shoe.
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88% Outdoor Rating based on 4 reviews
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The New Balance TWO WXY is a very good all-around performer.
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Great for players of any position who look for court feel and ankle support.
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84% Outdoor Rating based on 16 reviews
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The Nike Giannis Immortality is one of the better signature budget models available.
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Best for price-conscious players looking for a shoe that feels quick.
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84% Outdoor Rating based on 35 reviews
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Damian Lillard's 7th signature shoe is a significant upgrade over last years model.
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A perfectly balanced shoe that fits any position or player.
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81% Outdoor Rating based on 18 reviews
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Zion's first signature shoe is a solid all-around performer.
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A very versatile shoe that will work for most players.
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80% Outdoor Rating based on 10 reviews
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James Harden's 5th signature shoe is a disappointing basketball shoe
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Only recommended for players who hoop outdoors and need a responsive shoe.
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80% Outdoor Rating based on 5 reviews
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Kawhi's first official signature shoe is a solid performer.
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Best for bigger players who need a very supportive and rigid shoe.
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The Best Outdoor Basketball Shoes
Performance Rating:
The Nike Fly By Mid 3 definitely punches above its weight class.
Pros:
The cushion feels surprisingly good.
Cons:
Materials look and feel cheap.
May not be wide-foot friendly.
What do the experts think?
Nike's latest entry in the Fly By Mid lineup feels like one of the best bang for your buck models on the market.
The traction does everything that players need it to do. It performs well on clean and dusty courts, and it only needs minimal wiping.
Cushioning is also a pleasant surprise considering the price of the shoe. It feels low to the ground and gives plenty of impact protection. The only con is that it isn't the most responsive.
The materials are the one part of the shoe that reflects the price. They feel and look cheap. In terms of performance, they hold up nicely.
When it comes to support and lockdown, the shoe does what you need it to do.
The Nike Fly By Mid 3 may have the lowest price tag in Nike's basketball shoe lineup, but it is far from being Nike's lowest performer.
Performance Rating:
Great shoe for traction and outdoor use
Pros:
Traction for the price is great
Stability and support are solid
Cons:
Not the best impact protection
What do the experts think?
The Nike Air Max Impact 3 provides great traction at a budget price, and reviewers agree that it bites hard on all surfaces.
The cushioning is firm, but the Air Max unit feels more stable than similar setups in Nike's lineup.
Like other budget shoes, the materials aren't the best quality, but they don't hinder performance.
For support and lockdown, the shoe provides solid lateral stability and containment. The firm cushioning helps to keep your foot secure.
Overall, the Nike Air Max Impact 3 is a decent offering at an affordable price point.
Performance Rating:
A very affordable Nike budget model with good overall performance
Pros:
The traction pattern is durable and performs
Supportive upper materials
Cons:
Materials feel and look cheap
What do the experts think?
The Renew Elevate is one of Nikes cheapest budget models, does it show in its performance?
The traction pattern works well on outdoor courts and clean indoor courts. On dirty courts, you will need to wipe off the dust from time to time.
The cushioning setup is divisive: one reviewer thought the Renew foam was soft and bouncy while another thought that it was too firm and didn't provide enough impact protection.
The Mesh materials look and feel cheap but provide enough support and feel comfortable on-foot.
Overall, for only $80 you get a decent performer, comparable to the KD Trey 5 VIII, but a little more supportive and with lower material quality.
Performance Rating:
J. Cole's first signature sneaker is a solid performer and fun to play in.
Pros:
Great traction indoors and outdoors
Cons:
Minimal impact protection
What do the experts think?
How does the first collaboration between Puma and hip hop legend J.Cole perform on the hardwood?
The traction on this shoe was one of the highlights and it worked well indoors and outdoors. The rubber should be durable enough for outdoor use.
The cushion lacked impact protection and wasn't super comfortable, but provided a responsive setup with a nice court feel.
The materials performed well and are pretty nice considering the affordable price tag.
The fit was good and provided a locked-in feeling without being uncomfortable. They ran a little long in the toe area.
Another strong point of the shoe is the support. Reviewers had no issues with lateral containment or stability.
For $120 the RS Dreamer is a really good performer and fun to play in.
Performance Rating:
The New Balance TWO WXY is a very good all-around performer.
Cons:
Impact protection could be better
What do the experts think?
The traction on the New Balance TWO WXY is one of the best aspects of the shoe and has an awesome bite. The durability is okay for outdoor use.
The cushion setup features Fuel Cell foam and is very low to the ground here. You get good court feel and responsiveness with okay impact protection.
The materials are mostly thin knits and textiles that are comfortable and perform well.
These fit a little long and pretty narrow, so it is recommended to try them on before buying. They do come in wide sizes.
The support and lockdown are great and have you covered on explosive moves and crossovers.
Overall the New Balance TWO WXY is a great performer in pretty much every area and comes in at a fair $140 price tag.
Performance Rating:
The Nike Giannis Immortality is one of the better signature budget models available.
Pros:
Responsive and lightweight on foot.
Cons:
Materials could perform better.
What do the experts think?
Most reviewers felt that the traction on the Nike Giannis Immortality performed great. The rubber compound and the deep grooves on the pattern gripped nicely on indoor courts and didn't pick up too much dust on dirtier courts.
The full-length Phylon cushion consistently surprised reviewers. The Phylon is firm but not as firm as the cushion found in other budget models. It has a slight amount of impact protection as well.
Materials feel nice on foot, but the performance was inconsistent among reviewers.
Reviewers also found the support and lockdown to be a bit inconsistent. The Immortality is lacking in heel padding, and the forefoot containment can be spotty at times.
At the end of the day, the Nike Giannis Immortality is a budget-friendly model that performs quite well when taking the price into consideration.
Performance Rating:
Damian Lillard's 7th signature shoe is a significant upgrade over last years model.
Pros:
Solid traction indoors and outdoors
Cons:
Not the most premium materials
What do the experts think?
The traction on the Dame 7 performs well - significantly better than the 6. Good news if you play outdoors a lot: the outsole is made of very durable rubber and performs well on the blacktop.
The Lightstrike foam cushion setup is also an upgrade over the 6 and is a good balance of impact protection, court feel, and responsiveness.
The materials are of decent quality, well ventilated, and get the job done performance-wise.
The support offers good lateral stability and containment but the low cut doesn't provide any additional ankle support.
Overall, the Dame 7 is a great all-around performer - especially for the price!
Performance Rating:
Zion's first signature shoe is a solid all-around performer.
Pros:
Large outrigger & very supportive
Cons:
Materials feel a little cheap in hand
Padding on the tongue is a little lacking
What do the experts think?
At Duke, Zion Williamson once destroyed a shoe in-game when his foot ripped through the upper material. The Zion 1 comes with one of the most extreme lateral outriggers ever in a basketball shoe to prevent another accident like this.
The traction pattern is very sticky on clean courts, but is a little bit of a dust magnet and needs consistent wiping on dirty courts.
The cushioning is well-balanced with a soft foam midsole, Air Strobel, and forefoot Zoom unit. It's not overly bouncy but provides impact protection and feels very smooth when transitioning from heel to toe.
The materials are thin, soft, and get the job done but they definitely don't look or feel premium.
Overall, the Zion 1 is a solid and affordable first signature sneaker that works for all player types.
Performance Rating:
James Harden's 5th signature shoe is a disappointing basketball shoe
What do the experts think?
The bite of the Harden Vol. 5 is poor and doesn't grip well on dusty or even clean courts. Outdoors, the traction performs a little better and doesn't wear down too quickly.
The combination of Boost and Lightstrike provides a responsive cushion setup with good court feel. However, reviewers complained about the rigid midsole that didn't flex well.
The materials feel very plasticky and hard which is disappointing in a $130 signature sneaker.
The support is good laterally, but reviewers had a lot of issues with heel slippage despite the thick Achilles pillows.
Overall the Harden Vol. 5 is disappointing and wasn't recommended by any of the reviewers.
Performance Rating:
Kawhi's first official signature shoe is a solid performer.
Cons:
Could have more premium materials
What do the experts think?
Kawhi Leonard's first real signature shoe provides good traction on indoor and outdoor courts, but you will need to wipe regularly on dusty courts.
The FuelCell cushion setup is very similar to the OMN1S, but with caging in the heel. Overall this setup is very responsive and bouncy with a lot of court feel, but the heel is a little firm.
The materials are decent, but considering the premium price, they could have been better. Reviewers found them to be stiff even after breaking them in.
The support is the highlight of the shoe - it's top tier! You won't be sliding on the footbed or experience any lateral instabilities thanks to the sturdy materials and good fit.
Overall, the Kawhi is a solid first signature shoe that works especially well for bigger players who value stability and durability.
How do you find good outdoor shoes?
Before you start to search for your next pair of outdoor basketball shoes, you should be clear about what you are actually looking for. What differentiates a great outdoor sneaker from a regular indoor performer? Let’s find out!
Durability of the rubber
The rubber of the outsole suffers the most from playing on rougher outdoor courts. If your shoes feature a soft rubber compound you will probably end up with a completely slick outsole, or even worse, holes in your shoes, pretty fast! Overall, there are two things you want to look for when it comes to outsoles:
Solid and dense rubber:
You can either go with regular shoe models that come with a firmer rubber compound out of the box like the Adidas D Rose or the Nike Lebron Soldier line. Or you look for shoes that are specifically made for outdoor use. Especially Chinese brands produce a lot of outdoor models like the Anta KT Outdoor Low as indoor courts are much harder to find there compared to the US.
If you can afford to spend a little more on your outdoor shoes, you can also customize your favorite Nike Sneaker with an XDR (extra durable rubber) outsole using NikeID.
Wide traction pattern:
A very narrow traction pattern will attract a lot of dirt and rubble and lose grip quickly. Make sure to get a traction pattern with wide and deep grooves that will last a lot longer on dirty blacktop.
Durability of the upper material
The upper material usually suffers less from outdoor play as it shouldn’t be in contact with the surface of the court all that often. But if you tend to toe-drag a lot, or if other players are stepping on your feet all the time you might want to look into more durable upper materials like fuse or mesh.
Cushion
Indoor courts are much easier on the joints than less-forgiving outdoor courts. Especially, if you have recurring knee problems, you shoud look for shoes with more comfortable cushioning that reduce the stress you put on your joints. If you are a younger and lighter player, additional cushioning is probably not as important, but firm shoes can still lead to sore legs after a day of playing outdoors.
Price
Inevitably, shoes that you use outdoors will have a shorter lifespan than shoes that are only used on pristine hardwood courts. Therefore, it might make sense to look for cheaper shoes that you can replace more often. Playing in $200 Air Jordan outdoors could become expensive really quickly!
Gr8 advice
Don’t forget honorable mentions like. The Kobe protro’s , Q4 sports enforcer
& Jordan jump man quick 23 (quick 6).
I really got to say, I’m impressed by your blog. Keep up the good work!