NBA basketball shoe industry is snake oil. Change my mind.

[hiphopanonymous]

Ok I actually will try to have an open mind about this but after years of playing and trying about a dozen different types of shoes over the years I came to a conclusion: The whole industry is snake oil. And "new shoes" don't implement new technology to improve player performance even slightly. A good fitting shoe with good tread can / does, but a good fitting shoe with good tread I'd argue has been made since the 1970's with the Dr. J era adidas. The Canvas All-Stars/Chuck Taylors of eras prior sucked ass though and will rip your feet up. But the Adidas generation and onward that followed (the real stuff not the knock offs they sell on amazon today) were made of thickly padded leather and a solid nose that wouldn't delaminate and the rubber contact area was very grippy. From those shoes forwards I've not really noticed a performance difference in shoes.

I was watching a video the other day about a guy showing off some new players shoe line and he started talking about some "new technology" in it and there was some clear rubber where you could "see" the technology through it (some sort of cushioned part or whatever). I feel like it's BS, for non athletes to talk about. The guy obviously is showcasing the shoe more for his knowledge on fashion as he will only ever walk in the shoe. In fact, the brands of elite players is often poorly put together and all the extra pieces stitched on rip apart if you play on them for any length of time unlike say, a pair of those old adidas which were made for extended use. My recommendation for anyone who wants a good basketball shoe to last more than a year is try pairs on that fit the best, and look for the least excessive patterns and stitching - the simpler the better. Solid unstitched toe, good sole with rubber that elevates up the shoe for lateral traction (foam is a no go up the side), thick padding. There's nothing innovative about designer NBA player shoes other than their ability to market them for outrageous prices.

[FultzNationRISE]

https://dkofva0t6jnyn.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/styles/amp_blog_image_large/public/consumer/blog/csm-blog/breaking-news-blog-1138x658-1.jpg

[hiphopanonymous]

https://dkofva0t6jnyn.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/styles/amp_blog_image_large/public/consumer/blog/csm-blog/breaking-news-blog-1138x658-1.jpg
Well of course a person with as cynical an attitude as you thinks it's obvious, you think everything is snake oil by default whether you've tested it out or not.

[Bronbron23]

Ok I actually will try to have an open mind about this but after years of playing and trying about a dozen different types of shoes over the years I came to a conclusion: The whole industry is snake oil. And "new shoes" don't implement new technology to improve player performance even slightly. A good fitting shoe with good tread can / does, but a good fitting shoe with good tread I'd argue has been made since the 1970's with the Dr. J era adidas. The Canvas All-Stars/Chuck Taylors of eras prior sucked ass though and will rip your feet up. But the Adidas generation and onward that followed (the real stuff not the knock offs they sell on amazon today) were made of thickly padded leather and a solid nose that wouldn't delaminate and the rubber contact area was very grippy. From those shoes forwards I've not really noticed a performance difference in shoes.

I was watching a video the other day about a guy showing off some new players shoe line and he started talking about some "new technology" in it and there was some clear rubber where you could "see" the technology through it (some sort of cushioned part or whatever). I feel like it's BS, for non athletes to talk about. The guy obviously is showcasing the shoe more for his knowledge on fashion as he will only ever walk in the shoe. In fact, the brands of elite players is often poorly put together and all the extra pieces stitched on rip apart if you play on them for any length of time unlike say, a pair of those old adidas which were made for extended use. My recommendation for anyone who wants a good basketball shoe to last more than a year is try pairs on that fit the best, and look for the least excessive patterns and stitching - the simpler the better. Solid unstitched toe, good sole with rubber that elevates up the shoe for lateral traction (foam is a no go up the side), thick padding. There's nothing innovative about designer NBA player shoes other than their ability to market them for outrageous prices.

products in general get worse because major shareholders of companies refuse to take losses so alot of the times companies have to cut corners to make profit.

I've been buying j's since the late 90's. The retro's that the re release now are garbage compared to the originals.

[FKAri]

They do put some R&D into designing them but it's 90% cosmetic. Basketball shoes have been overpriced garbage since the 80s.

[theaussieguy]

Yeah most ball shoes look like something out of transformers. So cringe. The last shoe I liked were the Adidas crazy light 3.

[hiphopanonymous]

Yeah most ball shoes look like something out of transformers. So cringe. The last shoe I liked were the Adidas crazy light 3.

Last more modern shoe I liked was these and I played with them for years:

https://weartesters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Nike-Lunar-Hyperdunk-2012-Low-Strata-Grey-Midnight-Fog-1.jpg

Solid nose and simple construction that wouldn't delaminate, decent grip - and didn't look like a transformer :oldlol:

After that I bought for daily use but experimented playing in solid rubber toe adidas (not the poorly constructed type often available though) and as weird as it may look to some to play in I kind of prefer them. They have rubber -not foam- for nearly an inch up the side of the shoe and the lateral ability to grab if my foot is off canter is superior to most modern shoes. I don't know why more modern shoes don't have a high rubber contact spot (like rock Climbing shoes) instead they always put slippery foam on that spot. I also don't know why modern shoes always go with a more pointed style toe - a big reason I liked the adidas style was the rounder toe. Maybe it's because my feet are wide but it really feels better to do pivoting off the toes and other footwork with a rounder profile. Most modern basketball shoes come to a point like a running shoe toe for some reason.

https://assets.adidas.com/images/w_600,f_auto,q_auto/4e894c2b76dd4c8e9013aafc016047af_9366/Superstar_Shoes_White_FV3284_01_standard.jpg

Either way the differences between the top shoe and the second shoe are virtually moot to a good player. Both are constructed with good fundamentals in simplicity (less can fall apart) and grip. It's the NBA shoes designed by high profile players that really seem to just fall apart despite costing the most. I feel like those are snake oil.

http://nikelebron.net/ajaxxx/lebron18-mbappe.jpg

That's just more stuff to delaminate and not last more than a year from what I've experienced - they're bulky too. And this is personal preference not performance based but... ugly.

[iamgine]

Snake oil in what sense? IIRC most modern basketball shoes are lighter, more breathable than 80s or 90s shoes with better cushioning.

[SATAN]

https://sneakerbardetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Balance-OMN1-Basketball-Shoe-1.jpg
https://sneakernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/kawhi-leonard-new-balance-omn1s-clippers-1.jpg

[HylianNightmare]

Adidas with boost I'd the best thing I've played in the the 15+ years I've been hooping

[90sgoat]

Modern low cut basketball shoes seem like they are shit to play in and mostly designed to be wearable as fashion. That's why they are low cut, easier to wear casually.

Basketball shoes in the 90s were actually designed to be played in. They were wide, high cut and had a thick durable sole. They were made to cut, quick change of movement, not to sprint in a straight line.

I had these:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/20/16/be/2016be3ae82d610bef25e7a060d6a365.jpg

Someone stole them.

It's not only a problem with basketball shoes, running shoes are shit today as well.

I bought a pair of $150 nike running shoes and I instantly developed double sided plantar fascitiis because of the bouncy sole and the too slender sole, which is that way to look good.

[iamgine]

80s and 90s shoes were bulky and heavy with no breathability compared to today. A lot of the cushioning were pretty bad too.

[90sgoat]

80s and 90s shoes were bulky and heavy with no breathability compared to today. A lot of the cushioning were pretty bad too.

And yet they didn't stop AI, MJ, Kobe, Carter, Penny, Grant Hill or any other explosive guard from playing in them.

[GoalooUS01]

NBA -- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Memphis Grizzlies:

The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing their best basketball of the season. Even when they lost to the Pelicans, they didn’t throw in the towel at any point in the game. Considering the two team’s recent performances, the Minnesota Timberwolves seems look like a playoff team and they will win this game against the Memphis Grizzlie.

[Spain_]

Most capitalist endevor is snake oil comrade

[iamgine]

And yet they didn't stop AI, MJ, Kobe, Carter, Penny, Grant Hill or any other explosive guard from playing in them.

Neither did Chuck Taylors stopping Wilt. Yet it doesn't change the fact.

[hateraid]

Yes and no. There is value in spending more on a good pair. But the low end shoes of today way out perform the best shoes of the 90's. If you want to blame extravagant prices on shoes blame resellers. They're the reason for high prices and the creation of fakes.

[Manny98]

OP mad because he can't afford the new LeBrons :oldlol:

[FultzNationRISE]

OP mad because he can't afford the new LeBrons :oldlol:

:roll:


https://media.giphy.com/media/15BuyagtKucHm/giphy.gif

[hiphopanonymous]

OP mad because he can't afford the new LeBrons :oldlol:
I tried one of his shoes once too, the uppers around the achilles area came unstitched within 3 weeks.

http://blog.kickz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/7.jpg

Which goes back to what I said about too many failure points.

[hiphopanonymous]

:roll:


https://media.giphy.com/media/15BuyagtKucHm/giphy.gif
You don't even play basketball, the only reason you're on this board is because you're allowed to say what you want about anything you want and not get banned too often.

[AlternativeAcc.]

You don't even play basketball, the only reason you're on this board is because you're allowed to say what you want about anything you want and not get banned too often.

:roll:

The rec league water boy is big mad.

[hiphopanonymous]

:roll:

The rec league water boy is big mad.
Safe bet you don't play either :oldlol:

[FultzNationRISE]

:roll:

The rec league water boy is big mad.

https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1501255/thumbs/o-JOE-570.jpg?1

You dont even play basketball, you could never understand the physical demands and the supreme athleticism required to dominate your peers in competition.

[Lebron23]

Basketball Shoes are much cheaper today due to the pandemic. My 3 new shoes LeBron Witness 4, Adidas Pro Next 2019 and Kobe Zoom

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6451/IsNI4z.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/889/hHvXaA.jpg


https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/450x600q90/923/eSuVZG.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4098/69t4hS.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6610/0xTV8R.jpgp

[Lebron23]

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1964/jJsfUl.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/3034/BJk8a3.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7472/JWP2zc.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/848/qU4cyi.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1997/aFdNVy.jpg

My Kobe is a replica shoes. My new outdoor shoes

[Lebron23]

Time to buy some new socks