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 1141 reviews of 238 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 7 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 7 reviews
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Great shoe for traction and outdoor use
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Good choice for players that are looking for a shoe to beat up outdoors
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90% Outdoor Rating based on 5 reviews
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The Li-Ning Ice Blood V2 offers top-tier traction and solid responsiveness.
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Lighter, shifty guards will enjoy the Ice Blood V2.
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90% Outdoor Rating based on 5 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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88% Outdoor Rating based on 17 reviews
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One of the best Harden models to date
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Great shoe for fans of the full-length Boost setup
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87% Outdoor Rating based on 35 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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83% Outdoor Rating based on 6 reviews
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Nike's Precision 6 offers solid support and traction for its price range.
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Excellent shoe for budget-conscious players.
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81% Outdoor Rating based on 8 reviews
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The Nike LeBron Witness 6 has taken a step back from the LeBron Witness 5 in terms of performance.
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Players that really like the aesthetic or players that are looking for a shoe that can hold up outdoors.
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78% Outdoor Rating based on 9 reviews
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The Wade 808 2 offers fantastic traction and a versatile drop-in midsole.
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Players who are fans of the Kobe 9 traction and cushioning setup
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78% Outdoor Rating based on 9 reviews
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The Jordan One Take 3 delivers quality performance for the Westbrook budget line.
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Anyone looking for a price-conscious shoe without sacrificing anything performance-wise.
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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:
The Li-Ning Ice Blood V2 offers top-tier traction and solid responsiveness.
Pros:
Impressive traction for the price
Support and lockdown keep you secure
What do the experts think?
The Li-Ning Ice Blood V2s most consistent and praised feature is the traction, especially considering the shoe's price.
The cushioning is responsive but low to the ground. There's also not much impact protection.
Reviewers agree that they felt locked down and well-contained laterally during play. There were no issues with heel containment either.
The fit and materials are comfortable. The shoe feels soft around the foot.
D'Angelo Russell's second signature shoe is an excellent pick in the budget shoe market. There aren't many options that offer similar performance for the price.
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:
One of the best Harden models to date
Pros:
The traction is better than last year
Full-length Boost midsole is plush
Cons:
Materials don't feel premium
What do the experts think?
The Adidas Harden Vol. 6 is a much-needed improvement compared to Vol. 5.
Reviewers agree that the traction performs very well, and is minimally affected by dusty conditions.
Adidas's Boost foam makes a return on this year's iteration, and the shoe feels responsive. The court feel on the shoe is also fantastic.
The materials start out stiff, but they quickly become foot-conforming and comfortable.
The fit is also much more forgiving than previous Harden models. Most reviewers had no issues with the sizing.
When it comes to the support and lockdown, the materials and fit combine to keep your feet secure no matter what movements you're making.
Adidas returns to their roots with the full-length Boost, similar to the Harden Vol. 1, and they've revitalized the Harden lineup with the release of the Harden Vol. 6.
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:
Nike's Precision 6 offers solid support and traction for its price range.
Pros:
Support and lockdown are solid
Cons:
Not a lot of impact protection
Can pick up dust fairly quickly
What do the experts think?
Nike's latest entry in the Precision lineup, the Precision 6, provides grippy traction that performs well, especially considering the price point.
Because the shoe is a budget model, the cushioning lacks any tech. It's responsive, but there is little impact protection.
The materials are nothing special, but they feel comfortable and don't hinder performance.
Support is where the shoe excels. Reviewers report the support and lockdown exceeded their expectations, despite being a budget shoe.
Overall, the Nike Precision 6 is a shoe all players on a budget should consider picking up. It offers plenty of performance outside of cushioning.
Performance Rating:
The Nike LeBron Witness 6 has taken a step back from the LeBron Witness 5 in terms of performance.
Pros:
The shoe fits really well
Materials perform well for a budget model
Cons:
Traction has little to no bite
Lack of lateral stability
What do the experts think?
The latest entry in LeBron's budget line is a great-looking sneaker but an underperforming performance model.
The performance of the traction varied from non-existent to good for different reviewers.
Reviewers agreed that the cushion was not good. One reviewer even mentioned that the lack of cushion caused slight pain in their forefoot.
For the price, the materials perform well. They feel thin but get the job done when playing.
Lateral containment was not an issue thanks to the shark fin heel counter, but the shoe lacks any sort of stability. There is no outrigger and the cushion isn't stable enough underfoot to provide support.
Overall, reviewers agree that they cannot recommend the Nike LeBron Witness 6 for performance use, but they do agree that it is well designed for casual wear.
Performance Rating:
The Wade 808 2 offers fantastic traction and a versatile drop-in midsole.
Pros:
Traction grips courts hard
Comfortable drop-in midsole
Cons:
Cushioning on hard impact can be better
What do the experts think?
The traction of the Wade 808 2 is grippy and reminiscent of the Kobe 9 traction. The rubber is also hard enough to take outdoors.
Li-Ning's drop-in midsole is comfortable, and it feels bouncy. The only downside is the impact protection on hard landings.
Reviewers describe the materials on the shoe as minimal and breathable.
Despite not having an outrigger, the shoe has plenty of lateral containment and stability.
Overall, the Li-Ning Wade 808 2 is a versatile shoe with enough traction and cushioning for most players.
Performance Rating:
The Jordan One Take 3 delivers quality performance for the Westbrook budget line.
Pros:
The traction is nice and grippy
Lightweight and responsive feeling shoe
What do the experts think?
The traction performs much better than expected for a budget model. It bites nicely on clean courts and handles dust well on dirtier courts. Minimal wiping gets the job done.
Reviewers were also pleasantly surprised by the cushioning in this model. The forefoot Zoom unit makes the shoe fun to play in.
Although the materials feel like plastic, they do not hamper the shoe's performance at all.
The shoe also has no issues with support and lockdown. It provides solid lateral containment while still feeling stable.
The Jordan One Take 3 is a perfect example of a budget model done right.
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!