7 Best Cheap Basketball Shoes

Out of all the cheap basketball shoes that we played in, we consider the Nike Air Max Impact 4 our best bet. For one, it is truly big on comfort, and we never wanted to take it off in any of our games. It also delivered a lot of flex and amazing durability for outdoor use. The average price of a basketball shoe is $134, but this one we got for only $90. Definitely a steal!

The comfort that this shoe delivered came from a lot of factors. The notable ones are the soft underfoot cushioning, its relatively light weight, and fairly breezy upper. Our HA durometer estimated the softness of the midsole at 25.5 while the average is 27.9. According to our weighing scale, this shoe is 1.6 oz or 45g lighter than the typical hoop shoe. Finally, the upper got a score of 3 out 5 for breathability after a smoke was conducted on it.

Using a digital force gauge, we discovered that bending the Air Max Impact 4 to a 90-degree angle required only 34.7N of force. The typical basketball shoe puts up considerable resistance until 41.9N is applied. The shoe’s flexibility allowed it to move with the natural flexions of our feet.

To the touch, the outsole already felt sturdy. We confirmed this initial assessment using readings from our HC durometer in the lab. The Air Max Impact 4 sole durability score is 87.5, which is significantly higher than the 80.3 average.

It just has to be noted here that this shoe doesn’t hit the ground running. All the goodness that we just described could only be enjoyed after going through a break-in period.

The G.T. Cut Academy is the takedown model of the Nike G.T. Cut 3, but its affordable price tag comes full of advantages! This Nike pair features a tough upper and extra eyelets at the top that offer a customized fit. We enjoyed the containment and lockdown feel of this shoe in every step, as our cuts were propelled by its Zoom Air unit on the forefoot. Even though we could fly up and down the court thanks to its lightweight structure, this shoe's materials are not the most durable out there. If you're looking for a pair of hoopers that stay by your side for a longer time, investing in a more expensive model might be worth it!

Among all the cheap basketball shoes that we tried, it’s the LeBron Witness 7 from Nike that had the best midsole tooling. It was thicker so it surely was able to shield us from harsh landings. It wasn’t too soft, either, so it was effective in ensuring stability. Speaking of stability, we also appreciated that its base has great torsional resistance.

As per our caliper, the midsole is 34.1 mm high at the heel and 25.2 mm high at the forefoot. These numbers are higher by 4.1 mm and 3.6 mm than average. The extra stack height surely gave the midsole a lot of room to compress and absorb impact.

Through several HA durometer measurements, we also found out that the midsole isn’t overly soft. It got a rating of 30.3 (the average is 26.6), and it helped us maintain the stability of our runs and gait.

Stability was also further ensured by the shoe’s twist resistant base. After manual assessments in the lab, the base got a perfect 5 for torsional rigidity. The rigid base allowed us NOT to worry at all about painful accidental twists.

If there is one thing that we would like to change in this shoe, it would be its toebox. It was just too flimsy. Our Dremel test yielded a disappointing score of 1 out of 5. Given this, we cannot in good conscience recommend this for outdoor use.

The Giannis Immortality 4 is the new member of the budget that doesn't feel like a budget line of Nike. Its incredible support and stability favor hoopers with a quick playstyle. As it maintains the same design of its predecessors, it's very versatile, so it suits any position. We believe its affordability makes it a great option for a wide public, but it might not have enough impact protection for heavy players or big centers who focus on rebounding and constant jumping.

We felt fast, quick, confident, and even supported during our wear tests with the Nike Precision 7. When we took it to our lab, we realized its durable features and feathery structure deemed it worthy of our title as the best lightweight shoe among the cheap hoopers we've tested so far.

After earning a wonderful 5/5 on our breathability test, we couldn't believe our Dremel couldn't even scratch this Nike pair. It earned a solid 5/5 on our toebox durability test, which was totally unexpected after how light it felt on our feet during our wear tests.

This shoe's fantastic upper is made using recycled materials, and it provided enough stability and containment for us to play ball confidently. Its consistent grip helped too, as its outsole showed us it could bite harsh courts and withstand its abrasion after our Dremel and wear tests.

The only drawback we see here is that, even though it doesn't feel like it, the Precision 7 is a budget shoe. Consequently, it doesn't feature any Nike technologies that might help hoopers reach peak performance.

Out of all the cheap shoes that we played in, it’s the Adidas Harden Stepback 3 that we consider the best for outdoors simply because of its insanely durable outsole. We also appreciated its torsional rigidity and compatibility with wide feet.

We did the Dremel test on the outsole and we were so amazed with the results. Our high-pressure Dremel drilling resulted only in 0.2 mm of damage, which is far lower than the 1.1 mm average. This simply means that the sole is a lot more able to resist abrasion.

As far as twist resistance is concerned, the Harden Stepback 3 is perfect! We didn’t have to worry about foot twists let or even instability because of how firm the base of the shoe felt. After giving it a good twist in the lab, we were left with no other choice but give it a 5 over 5.

These Harden basketball shoes are surely a treat for wide-footers because of how spacious the forefoot area of the footbed is. Our caliper measured it to be 107.0 mm wide when the average is only 101.0 mm.

When it comes to breathability, however, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. After conducting smoke and light tests in the lab, we could only give the Adidas Harden Stepback 3 a 2 out of 5.

Out of all the affordable basketball shoes that we tested, it’s the Lockdown 6 from Under Armour that made the most lasting impression when it comes to durability. Besides the sturdiness of its structure, this basketball shoe is also proud of its firm midsole and moderately rigid base. These features help it deliver speed.

In the lab, we subjected both the toe box and the heel counter padding to Dremel tests that would assess their durability. Both sites were able to resist the pressures of the tests well, and we were left with no other option but to give both a high score of 4 out of 5. Do we still doubt this shoe’s longevity? Not at all.

Using an HA durometer, we learned that the midsole is on the firmer side. Our in-lab device gave it a rating of 30.5 (the higher the score, the firmer) while the average is only 26.6. The firm cushion gave us more stability and better responsiveness, which helped with our speed.

Speaking of stability, the UA Lockdown 6’s moderately rigid base (with a rigidity score of 3 out of 5) gave us stability while still providing enough give to accommodate the natural flexions of our feet. Because we were able to flex, we had better leverage to further energize our sprints toward the basket.

We just wish that the Lockdown 6 had better ventilation. It only got a 2 out of 5 from us after we saw that too little smoke was able to escape through its upper material during our breathability test.