The top players of Basketball sport are among the highest-paid sportspersons and that leaves no doubt that it indeed is one of the most popular sports in the world. Many young people are interested in playing basketball, hoping to represent their school, state, or country. Like other sports, the performance of the player depends to a large extent on his equipment.

For a basketball player, the only equipment he has is his shoes. Since basketball shoes like other specialized sports shoes are significantly more expensive than other sneakers, many aspiring basketball players would like to find out the advantages of wearing basketball shoes so that they can make the right decision.

The basketball players have to sprint, jump, and cut while playing basketball. So they require specially-made shoes especially for cutting. When the basketball player is cutting, a lot of force is applied to the sidewalls of the shoes. Normal sneaker shoes will usually not be able to withstand the pressure, and they will split at their seams within a few weeks. In contrast, the basketball shoes are specially designed to withstand the pressure while cutting, so that they can be used for at least a few months, even if the user is playing basketball daily.

Due to the sprinting at a high speed and jumping, more force is likely to be applied to the ankle and feet. This increases the possibility of ankle and foot injuries. Hence basketball shoes are available in different cuts that the player can choose. The shoes with a high cut provide maximum support to the ankle, feet while playing, reducing injuries. However, these high cut shoes are heavier and also more expensive compared to other shoes. Low cut shoes provide less support to the feet, yet are light in weight and inexpensive. Some players may prefer to wear lighter shoes since it makes it easier for them to run. A majority of basketball players, both professionals, and beginners are wearing medium or mid-cut shoes that offer some ankle support. These shoes are not very heavy and reasonably priced. It is also important to check the cushioning and support for the feet. Since the player is jumping frequently, it is important to cushion the feet, to reduce the injuries. Hence, these shoes have bigger heels.

Since the performance of a player depends to some extent on his ability to jump high, some of the basketball shoes have springs in their sole, so that the player can jump higher while playing the game.

Since the basketball player is sprinting across the basketball court at a very high speed, he is likely to trip and fall resulting in injuries if he wears the standard sports shoes. The basketball shoes have a better grip so that the player will not trip easily.

However, a player will benefit from purchasing the more expensive basketball shoes, only if he chooses the right shoe size which will fit the feet properly. Hence, depending on how often a person will play basketball, he can choose to purchase the suitable shoes, after considering the advantages of wearing basketball shoes listed above.