Do you want to up your game with some magical on-court footwork? Unleash your potential and support those feet with these shoes! Do you know what you need to do to further your game? A good pair of basketball shoes are not only good for your jumping skills and athleticism, but they also protect the overall health of your ankles and legs. So, picking a pair that your body type and playing style need is crucial.
Ever since I was a child, I have been playing basketball with my friends. Even though I have never been able to dedicate myself fully, basketball has helped me learn discipline, teamwork, and improve eye-hand coordination. So, it is not only enjoyable for me but also a life lesson.
One thing I noticed after some time of playing basketball is the importance of good shoes. They were at first just fancy things, but then I saw my original Air Jordans improved my verticals and athleticism. So, this is the reason why I still recommend people buy able shoes even before good basketball. In this article, we are going to tell you the best shoes in Canada, then a quick guide to choose a basketball shoe follows.
Table of Contents
The Best Basketball Shoes Canada
- Nike LeBron XIII SFG Lakers (Our Top Pick)
- Air Jordan 1 Retro
- Nike PG3
- Adidas Harden LS 2 Lace
- Nike Zoom KD12
- Adidas Men’s Pro Next 2019
- Under Armour Mens Sc 3zer0 Iv
- Adidas Mens Pro Bounce 2019
1. Nike LeBron XIII SFG Lakers
Design
The first shoes we recommend is Nike’s special LeBron XIII shoes. It is an aesthetically great shoe with a hugging design. It is by far the best design out of the eight shoes that we are going to recommend. When you wear them, they automatically hug your ankle from the first moment and give you a sense of stability.
I tried the black and white design even though I loved the white and field purple design. The color transition feels that it is incredibly sharp and wild. In the color transition sense, I loved the PG3 shoes the most as the contrast is more striking. Yet, it is still good and much better than the classical Adidas Ownthegame shoes, which, people praise for its plain design.
Unfortunately, I did not like the lace quality here as it is prone to wear out quickly.
Feel and Features
After wearing it for some time, you might forget that you have got shoes on. It is that lightweight even though it is high-top shoes. It has the best feeling and good ankle support on our list. Despite its lightweight, foam cushion material prevents injuries and impacts. However, the next one on our list, Air Jordan 1 is much better in this sense.
Bottomline
Even though the lace looks trashy, the LeBron XIII tops our list for a reason: That is the feel, excellent traction, and its lightweight.
Pros
- Quite lightweight
- Feels good in them
Cons
- Inadequate lace quality
2. Air Jordan 1 Retro
Design
Nothing beats a pair of good old Air Jordans. When I see these retro shoes, I nearly cried. This is probably everybody’s childhood dream. Such a distinctive design; it’s smooth; it supports your ankle well, and prevents injuries very well.
The black and the tones of black still look very cool, and the red laces complete the set. Yet, there are much better shoes with better-looking rubber outsoles on our list. For example, Puma’s low-top shoes have a great design.
Its leather upper makes the shoes more durable, but your feet will sweat after the tenth minute with them.
Feel and Features
When it comes to traction, I think Air Jordan and Nike LeBron XIII are neck and neck. The lateral movements are better in Air Jordan, while LeBron XIII is good at medial movements. It lacks ventilation for sure, but it is still not as bad as Nike Zoom KD12.
As for the feeling, even though it supports your ankle, it never supports your feet, and you can feel that your feet are moving inside the shoes.
Bottomline
Air Jordan is a nostalgic but still useful pair of shoes. It lacks proper ventilation but supports your ankle nicely.
Pros
- Amazing design
- Good ankle support
- Good durability
Cons
- Bad inner sole support
3. Nike PG3
Design
Nike engineers have used the power of color transition and contrast here. The Nike PG3 shoes have the perfect tones of orange and blue; the striking color contrast looks very good.
In addition to that, the upper is exceptionally supportive if not as supportive as the Air Jordan. However, the second one that is more supportive than this is the Under Armour Heat Seeker model.
There is nothing too shiny when it comes to the materials. Everything is synthetic, and it looks cheap. I would have liked to see better materials after paying this much money, indeed.
Feel and Features
So, the Nike PG3 does not have excellent traction as the Air Jordan but, I would still put it in the top 3. It feels pretty comfortable and ventilation is quite good. When it comes to ventilation, no shoe could top Adidas Performance; yet, the PG3 is pretty competitive here.
Other than that, the use of soft foam is a bit questionable. Only Adidas Harden has a soft foam-like this one, so the durability feels a bit questionable in the long run. I would not be surprised if it bottomed out quickly.
Bottomline
Nike PG3’s specialty is its aesthetics and upper support. Even though the soft foam use is worrying, you can feel free to use it if you are a casual baller.
Pros
- Appeals to the eye
- Nice upper support
Cons
- Not very durable
4. Adidas Harden LS 2 Lace
Design
So, this is the first pair for the guards. It is low-top and super lightweight. It is even lighter than the LeBron XIII. When it comes to the ventilation, it sits around the middle on our list.
In addition to that, the material of Adidas Harden is perfect. The leather on the upper feels neat and premium, while knitted fabrics allow you to increase your speed and boost your agility. Thanks to its lightweight and superior material, the Adidas Harden LS 2 Lace model is the fastest shoe on our list.
Feel and Features
The traction is unfortunately not as good as the other ones on our list. The only one that is worse than this is the KD12. However, it is effortless to change your running path.
Secondly, the ankle support is non-existent. The feel, in general, is one of the most comfortable shoes ever. LeBron XIII has a slightly better feeling due to its sense of security. Yet, you can use it for any indoor activities, and you will still feel comfortable.
Bottomline
Adidas Harden is for those who prefer agility and comfort over stability and traction. Your explosiveness will increase as you will be more prone to injuries.
Pros
- Most agile on our list
- Exceptionally comfortable
Cons
- Less stable
5. Nike Zoom KD12
Design
There have been a lot of Zoom KD12 shoes, but the latest model finally improves. The flywire upper adds fantastic stability to the shoes. It neatly covers and supports your ankle. The ankle support is close to the Air Jordan in this sense.
However, the material of the sole is translucent rubber. Indeed, it looks terrific; yet, it makes it one of the worst performers in traction on this list. The gripping to the hardwood is very weak, almost as weak as Adidas Performance.
Feel and Features
The feel is very good with its good upper design. Even though the traction is at the bottom compared to the other shoes on our list, its cushion all over the shoe is five-star, and that is why it ranks the five. It is in top 2 on the list with its cushioning; only PG3 beat it.
Bottomline
To sum up, if you need orthopedic design, KD12 is excellent with its cushions. It is very stable as well. However, it doesn’t employ the best materials to improve its traction.
Pros
- Great cushion everywhere
- Good stability
Cons
- Low-quality material
6. Adidas Men’s Pro Next 2019
Design
It is one of the few mid-top shoes on our list, and this is for all-around players who play both defense and offense.
The material of the Adidas Men’s Pro Next 2019 is suede, and I cast my doubts here. Unfortunately, the suede is not the best material to produce a basketball shoe. Along with the KD12, this one has the lowest quality material for us.
In addition to that, the break-in period is going to be painful because of the design and materials. The friction is pretty high inside the shoe between the materials and the feet. Thus, we believe it is one thing to change.
Feel and Features
As we said before, until the shoe reshapes itself, your feet will be uncomfortable. It feels as if it does not fit well. However, after a week of use, it gets better and normal.
The ankle support, on the other hand, is better than I initially expected. Typically, the designers overlook ankle support in mid-top shoes, but the Adidas Men’s Pro Next 2019 doesn’t have such an issue.
Bottomline
All in all, these shoes are only going better in time. At first, there are some defects, but it gets much better later on.
Pros
- Very nice ankle support
- Good mid-top design
Cons
- Bad materials
7. Under Armour Mens Sc 3zer0 Iv
Design
I have used earlier versions of the Heat Seeker, and they would not make this list for sure. However, they made a giant leap in design here. The knitted upper is good for ventilation and suffices to give much-needed ankle support. Even though it is still not at a competitive level, it is a good try.
However, I expect them to change the cushion next time. You never feel your feet have ample support. You feel any impact as if you are barefoot walking. This is quite bad while playing basketball. It can be one of the worst ones in cushioning along with our number 8, Adidas Performance.
I like it when there is no space at the front end of the shoe, so I have bought a half size down as the design focuses more on the comfort of the feet. I have had the same issue with the Adidas Harden, as a side note.
Feel and Features
The feel is right in the middle of our list. It is not too bad or not too good. Indeed, it is not like the Adidas Men’s Pro Next 2019; however, you get what you pay for, to be honest.
Let’s get to the star of this model! The traction and the support. Traction is better than most of the shoes at this price range. However, if we compare it with others on our list, it even beats higher-priced ones such as KD12 or Adidas Harden.
Bottomline
To sum things up, we liked these shoes when we take the price-performance ratio into account. Its traction is quite well even though the cushioning is less than ideal.
Pros
- Nice traction
- Good price-performance ratio
- Supportive
Cons
- Bad cushions
8. Adidas Mens Pro Bounce 2019
Design
The last shoe that we want to recommend you get is for those who are on a budget and want an excellent regular fit, mid-top shoes. There are not many mid-top shoes in the market, and along with the Adidas Pro Next, this one is a hidden gem.
Impact prevention is not at the highest level, unfortunately, but there are not enough cushions to add flexibility and comfort to the shoe. We should feel cozier in our shoes. These are the worst cushions on this list.
As for the materials, it is quite good, but I did not like the specific toe box gap. I have no idea why it is there, and probably that is something we will never understand.
Lastly, I would like to talk about ventilation. I do not know what they did, but whatever they did is working. I have never felt my feet this good after a long basketball session. No overheats, no excessive sweating… It is like walking in the park.
Feel and Features
When we talk about traction, the Pro Bounce is not the best, to be honest. It just will not grip as hard as the others on our list. It is merely the worst but still better than the most that did not make our list.
Apart from these, the fitting is a bit awkward. It can be due to this toe box issue that I mentioned earlier or something else. Yet, something was not fitting well. I noticed that my feet were just hanging around in the shoe and everything. It needs a betterment.
Bottomline
To sum up, there are more disadvantages than advantages here. However, it is much more affordable than the other shoes on our list, and that is why we decided to add it. The ventilation is as adequate as possible, and the designers have employed good materials.
Pros
- Perfect ventilation
- Nice materials
Cons
- Sloppy fitting
- Awkward traction
No idea what you are looking for? Here’s the quick guide!
Finally, after the shoes we recommend, you may still not know what is suitable for you. This little guide is for you!
Your playing style
If you are an athlete type of player, you may want to take a look at low basketball shoes. The upper part in a basketball shoe is there to support your ankle and give you the stability you need. However, you may want to buy one with a low-upper part so that you will be more agile.
If you are a guard…
Most guards like Kyrie Irving or Kyle Lowry prefer low-top basketball shoes as they need their speed more than the others. As low-top shoes are lighter, they will increase your verticals, and thus, jumping will be much easier.
If you are a forward or a center…
Players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Karl-Anthony Towns prefer high-top shoes as they have heavier builds, jump more often to get a rebound or block. If you are playing based on your physical strength, you may want to choose a pair of high-top shoes. This is because you want to add more support around your ankle and protect the ankle health.
If you are an all-around player…
Lastly, players like Kawhi Leonard or Pascal Siakam plays with mid-top basketball shoes as they want to do different things on the court. If you are an active player on both ends, mid-top shoes will give you enough of agility on defense and adequate stability on offense.
Other Things to Consider
You need to check the midsole and outsole, as well. The best way is to go to the store and try it there as it needs to feel good while wearing it. However, you do not need to buy it in the store as online prices are more competitive than the store prices.
