Basketball shoes help players throughout the game and practice. They provide traction, protection, and support for the feet, ankles, and knees. Basketball shoes can help prevent injuries during twists, turns, and landings. They also absorb shock and protect the feet from impact. Good basketball shoes can enhance a player’s performance. They can help players move more quickly and confidently on the court. Some characteristics of basketball shoes that make them comfortable are flexibility, ankle support, lacing, cushioning, and stability. Including having multiple styles of the shoe, brands and quality. Nike, Adidas and Jordan’s are the most known brands that sell Basketball shoes. Nike has 254 players wearing their shoes, Adidas has 42 players and Jordan has 29 players.
Nike KD 16 is a popular shoe in 2023 for the NBA, which is designed by Ben Nethongkome and was released in 2023. They only come in men sizes and retails for $150. This shoe features a forefoot Zoom Air unit and an Air Strobel. The shoe has a plush and comfortable cushion inside the shoe. However, players may need to go up half a size because the fit is snug and tight. The KD 16 has a bit of changes from the KD 15, for those with medium to narrow feet this is a perfect fit for.
Kevin Durant, a forward for the Phoenix Suns, wears the Nike KD 16. These shoes are his 16th signature basketball shoe. Durant’s signature shoes have always sold well because of his success in the NBA. He was drafted second overall in 2007, and now is ranked number thirteen. Kevin Durant’s signature shoes were and in order are Nike Zoom KDI (2008), Nike Zoom KD2 (2009), Nike Zoom KD3 (2010), Nike Zoom KD 4 (2011), Nike KD5 (2012), Nike KD6 (2013), Nike KD7 (2014), Nike KD 8 (2015), Nike KD 9 (2016), Nike KD 10 (2017), Nike KD11 (2018), Nike KD 12 (2019), Nike KD 13 (2020), Nike KD 14 (2021), and Nike KD 15 (2022). These are all of the shoes he wore throughout his seasons and games.
Jordan Tatum 1 is another shoe found in the NBA this year. This basketball shoe is the lightest performance shoe in the ‘Jordan’ Brands performance line this season. The shoe is made with a mesh knit upper that is strong yet lightweight and a padded collar for ankle support. The pros for this shoe is that it has effective stability and lockdown, high energy return, a nice grip , uber bouncy forefoot, and accommodates narrow to wide feet. Although, the cons show that they aren’t the best pick for outdoor use, not a ton of lushness and ventilation isn’t so good. They sell for $120 in adult sizes and contain almost no rubber to shave off unnecessary weight on the hardwood.
The launch of Jayson Tatum’s signature sneakers went well, with Tatum taking home the 2023 NBA All-Star Game MVP award in the shoes before going on a deep playoff run in the model. Jayson Tatum plays for the Boston Celtics, he plays small forward and power forward and shoots right. Tatum was drafted in 2017 as the third pick in the first round. He helped Team USA win gold at the 2020 Olympics. He is expected to join Lebron James on a star-studded roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Lastly, Adidas Harden Vol.7 is a basketball shoe that was released in March 2023. It is the seventh signature shoe from James Harden. The shoe features a hybrid boost and Lightstrike Midsole that provides lightweight energy and a traction pattern that supports explosive on court moves. The positives are that they are comfortable and supportive in the heel area, amazing traction on dustless courts, heel to toe transition, delivers off the court style and effectively ensures control, energy return and confidence. The negatives are the lack of ventilation, the shoe is on the heavy side, the best for outdoors, and has an old school aesthetic.
James Harden debuted seven signature sneakers by last summer but the Adidas Harden did not release until past march. James Harden is a basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is considered to be one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA History. In 2009, the Oklahoma city Thunder drafted Harden this overall in the NBA draft. He has appeared in over 1,00 NBA games and started in 786. He has been selected for the ALL- Star team ten times. He was the 2018 NBA most valuable player. He has led the United States to gold medals at the 2012 Olympic games and the 2014 FIBA wrld Cup. He joined the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash, and Shell Energy Stadium in 2019.
