Best Basketball Shoes Recommended by Reddit

Reddit, for many of us, has become the defacto source for news, entertainment, and information. Long before the advent and popularity of other social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, Reddit was there with its simple user-interface and design.

And with over 430 million monthly active users, Reddit’s base of information continues to grow and its wealth of information has helped millions to better their lives every day.

And with the NBA subreddit being one of the most popular subreddits on the platform, there is always a wealth of information, news, and rumors being posted that can keep even the most ardent fan entertained for days.

But, perhaps, what Reddit is really best known for are its user recommendations. Ranging from the best backpacks for going back to school, to the best restaurants in town, to the best airlines to fly, Reddit users are known for their vocal opinions.

So, without further ado, here are the best basketball shoes recommended by Reddit. Taken from multiple posts asking what the best basketball shoes are, below is a compilation of all of the recommendations with the Redditor’s reasoning behind the recommendation.

Redditor	Recommendation	Reasoning
samwilkicky	Nike Men’s KD Trey 5 VII Basketball Shoe	If you’re a light guard you might want to consider KD Trey 5 VII. The traction is phenomenal, minimal dust pick up, react cushion is good too.
Barneybetty	Giannis Immortality	Giannis Immortality. Super light. Super affordable
Hefty_Bowl	Jordan Why Not Zer0.4	It’s the most explosive and locked in shoe I’ve ever felt. The cushion is really low to the ground while still retaining crazy bounce. Between the zoom and the great fit and support I can’t remember a faster or more fun shoe.
Hefty_Bowl	Nike Kyrie 4	It’s really fluid and well rounded(pun intended). I wouldn’t say it made me feel crazy fast, but I really felt like I was crazy smooth and always in control. It’s just a flowing experience.
lillithfair98	Nike Zoom Drives	My favorite shoes of all time. Wish I had bought 10 pairs back on the day, I literally wore them until they fell apart. Incredible traction, fit, support, cushioning and durability.
lillithfair98	DRose 7	The best shoe I’ve ever played in in the past 5 years, bar none. Best traction I’ve ever had, and although the boost was a bit mushy at times and the fit was a little sloppy, I appreciate the comfort and impact protection.
lillithfair98	Curry 2	Second best traction I’ve ever had. Incredible fit. The cushioning wasn’t much to write home about and it bottomed out relatively quickly though, but when it was fresh? chef’s kiss
deathmultipliesby13	Jordan Melo M11	I LOVE this shoe. I have four of these. The Jordan Brand line around the Jordan 28 and 29 was when JB was on fire with Flight Plate and Unlocked Zoom. The M11 is like the 29 but beefed up with leather instead of a woven upper. I like the support of leather more, plus it conforms to your feet and feels nice. Go check the reviews—this shoe was a lost basketball performance masterpiece. Unlocked Zoom in the forefoot felt great and a cored out heel worked perfectly for me. Also, the shoe only weighed 12 oz—I am a fan of shoes around this era that are lighter than modern day shoes.
deathmultipliesby13	Kobe 6	I played in the original and have the Protro but haven’t played in it yet, though I suspect I’ll like the Protro more (more on that on shoe 3). These shoes felt broken in at first wear with its mesh upper. And once your put some games in it, it molded to your feet with the heat-molded insole. That plus the torch tongue that really locked your feet in, I felt real sleek and agile with this shoe. This shoe is awesome.
deathmultipliesby13	Kobe 5 Protro	I got a couple of these but only played with these for a couple months before the pandemic hit. Also a great fit like the first two, but the skinwire doesn’t feel as nicely as the leather and mesh of the first two, even if the fit is as superb. The beefed up traction from the original fixed the only flaw of the OG. I am also a huge fan of the cushioning used here: instead of a tiny forefoot met zoom bag, nike replaced it with an articulated zoom unit that covers the whole forefoot. Some people don’t like the lack of heel zoom but I’m a big fan of the Cushlon midsole. It is much more comfortable than the old pylon. This is why I suspect I’ll like the Protro 6 more than the OG 6 as the Protro 6s make the same cushioning change. Schwollos review noted that one of the Protros (4 or 5) were heavier but couldn’t say why. I’m confident the shoes are heavier because of the denser Cushlon midsole. I remember being astonished at how light the original 4-6 were, so I instantly noticed the weight but I think I like the trade off of a little more weight for the Cushlon midsole.
Ironhorse75	Kobe	No weaknesses, excels at everything. Would gladly load up on this shoe if Nike let me but every release has to be limited ?‍♂️I’ll be taking L’s all year most likely.
Ironhorse75	Jordan 34	If they had better materials these would have been unreal. Every time I lace them up it still gets me excited like it’s the first time.
Ironhorse75	Why Not 1 Chaos	Amazing courtfeel for a flz setup. Amazing lockdown. Killer traction. It’s not being mentioned 3 times for no reason. Needed more colors.
hritt7	KD 9 Elite	worked great for my narrow feat, awesome performer and I loved the setup.
jjdacuber	Harden vol. 3	This shoe is a friggin beast. If you’re looking for a new pair of bball shoes don’t look any further and just get these. Perfect cushion, very low to the ground, amazing traction and above all else the fit and comfort is just incredible.
jjdacuber	Converse All Star Pro BB evo	This shoe is also really good, feels so light and minimal I love it. Only nitpicks are there is a slight heel slip and the insole lining is kinda rough, but they both don’t really hinder performance. Didn’t really have a problem with the traction
jjdacuber	Kobe 1 protro	What I love about these is how sturdy they are, makes me feel sturdy as well. Great all round shoe with no weaknesses, unless weight/slight bulkyness is a problem for you, but I didn’t mind it
normtown	Adidas Dame 4	Excellent implementation of bounce. Good, low to the ground court feel. This is the best single-bootie construction other than maybe the Crazy Explosive 2017 PK. Wide stable base, with very little tendency to roll over.
normtown	Adidas Crazy Explosive 2017 Primeknit	Many of the same qualities of the above. Better traction than the Dame 4, but the Dames just feel better on my feet.