3 Best Damian Lillard Basketball Shoes in 2023

Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic on
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Keep your feet locked in and bouncy with the Damian Lillard basketball shoes. Whether you want to break some ankles or love pulling up from the logo, the Dame signature shoes are engineered to support your explosiveness and dynamic plays.

Known for its lightweight breathable upper, soft cushioning, and adequate impact protection, the Dame series are not only beastly on the hardcourt but also easy on your pocket. The fan-favorite signature footwear is currently on its 8th generation since Lillard’s signing of the $100 million deal with Adidas in 2014.  

To help you pick the right fit, we’ve tested and shortlisted our top choices of Damian Lillard basketball shoes. Get a quick view of our fantastic selections with their respective in-depth reviews.

How we test basketball shoes

We do the legwork at RunRepeat to provide you with 100% No-BS reviews. To make our recommendations, we’ve spent hours inside our independent shoe testing lab and worked with seasoned basketball players and wear-testers to determine the overall value and performance of each model.

Here’s exactly how we do it:

  • We buy all the Damian Lillard basketball shoes with our own money to avoid brand loyalty.
  • We examine each pair of shoes inside the RunRepeat lab. We cut the shoes into pieces and analyze parts from the upper breathability, cushioning outsole grip, and many other things.
  • Our team of players tests each Damian model by playing numerous basketball games on the hardcourt and hardwood courts. They report back to us their feedback.
  • We collect more useful data from other experts and regular players.

To get the overall ratings, we use the CoreScore system to calculate all the gathered data. A final score is then given on each model ranging from 0 to 100. We feature the highest-rated shoes on this page.

Best Damian Lillard basketball shoes overall

Adidas Dame 8
Adidas Dame 8

Corescore

90
Superb!
4.6 / 5 from 2,011 users
85 / 100 from 6 experts

Pros

  • Good traction on clean courts
  • Impact protection in the heel
  • Forefoot responsiveness
  • Secure lockdown
  • Comfortable in-shoe feel
  • Side-to-side stability
  • Wide-foot friendly
  • Lighter than average
  • Okay for outdoor courts

Cons

  • Dust magnet
  • Fiddly heel lining

What makes it the best overall?

The Adidas Dame 8 is another shoe from the Damian Lillard series that delivers on aspects that matter. It is supportive, bouncy, light, and offers a decent amount of court feel. However, it has serious issues with traction on dusty courts, which some players may consider as a deal-breaker.
Read our full review of Adidas Dame 8 here

Best value Damian Lillard basketball shoes

Adidas D Lillard 3
Adidas D Lillard 3

Corescore

87
Great!
4.3 / 5 from 1,107 users
89 / 100 from 17 experts

Pros

  • Great traction
  • Lacing system customization
  • Stylish, great for casual wear
  • Balanced cushioning
  • Soft upper
  • Easy to break in
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Runs narrow
  • Bulky and clunky shoe
  • Poor ankle support
  • Heel slippage

What makes it the best value?

The Adidas D Lillard 3 is a great basketball sneaker. It’s a slight improvement from the D Lillard 2 and will accommodate most types of players and foot shapes. Affordability, style, comfort, balanced cushioning, good traction, support, and materials; the Dame 3 simply has it all.
Read our full review of Adidas D Lillard 3 here
Author
Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic

Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 years. Like Manu Ginobili, he’s a left-hander whose moves led him to a better career-shooting percentage than the Argentine himself. After playing professionally for 10 years, Dimitrije moved to coaching for two seasons before he became a basketball statistician for StatScore, and FanSided contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Dimitrije loves to tell hoop stories through numbers and graphics and has been featured on Fansided, FiveThirtyEight, Eurohoops, and TalkBasket among the others.