7 Best Outdoor Basketball Shoes, 50+ Shoes Tested in 2023
Basketball is largely an indoor sport. Officially, it is played on well-maintained hardwood courts. Because of this, brands like Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas often produce basketball shoes that are designed for indoor action.
With that, we consider it already a huge plus when we find out that a shoe is actually good for outdoor use. This only means that the manufacturer went out of their way to add more durability to the shoe.
In this article, we present the shoes that are most suitable for the harsher conditions of the outdoors. We are able to pick them up after testing a little more than 400 basketball shoes from various brands and signature labels.
How we test basketball shoes
To keep our opinions as objective as possible, we do the following:
- Steer clear from sponsorships
While freebies are nice to have, we’re afraid that they may color our judgments. We see it fit to purchase the outdoor basketball shoes that we were to test using our own cash.
- Test the shoes in realistic outdoor courts
Just because we played in it outside doesn’t really mean that a basketball shoe is already fit for outdoor use. They must still be played on surfaces that’s typical of outdoor courts: rough, dusty, and made of solid concrete with asphalt on top.
In addition to our qualitative descriptions, we also give a CoreScore for each outdoor basketball shoe. This numerical rating is an aggregate of all the scores given by expert reviewers and regular hoopers all over the web, not just here at RunRepeat.
Best outdoor basketball shoes overall
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
- Top 10% in basketball shoes
- Top 13% in Jordan basketball shoes
- Top 4% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Strong side-to-side grip
- Tremendous support
- Very pronounced court feel
- Reliable energy return
- True-to-size fit
- Breathable
- Good for bigger men
- OK for outdoors
- Casual style
Cons
- Dust-prone outsole
- Lacks impact protection
- Seriously needs breaking in
Verdict
Best Nike outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
This shoe has a 8% penalty on its user ratings because it has fewer than 50 ratings. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn more- Top 14% in basketball shoes
- Top 14% in Nike basketball shoes
- Top 6% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Reliable grip
- Smooth heel-to-toe transition
- Excellent impact protection
- Good court feel
- Pretty bouncy
- Comfortable upper
- Good quality for the price
- Pretty light
- OK for outdoors
Cons
- Not for wide-footers
- So-so support
- Still has to be broken in
Verdict
Best Jordan outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
This shoe has a 8% penalty on its expert reviews because it has fewer than 5 reviews. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn more- Top 13% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Surprisingly great traction
- Pronounced court feel
- Minimal-feeling materials
- Reliable support and lockdown
- Extreme lightness
- Affordable price
- Aesthetics
Cons
- Not much impact protection
- Plasticky cheap-feeling materials
Verdict
Best Adidas outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
- Top 4% in basketball shoes
- Top 5% in Adidas basketball shoes
- Top 7% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Dependable grip on different court types
- Plush and comfortable cushioning
- Built for agile movements
- Lateral stability
- Great ankle lockdown without the bulk
- Great for outdoor games
- Doubles as a lifestyle sneaker
Cons
- Has to be broken in
- Cheap-feeling materials
Verdict
Best high top outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
This shoe has a 8% penalty on its expert reviews because it has fewer than 5 reviews. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn more- Top 20% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Responsive
- No break-in
- Durable on rough outdoor courts
- Secure fit
- Great traction
- Excellent lockdown
- Good for running & hiking
- Not a dust collector
- Fits true to size
Cons
- Lacks ventilation
- Stiff footbed
Verdict
Best value outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
- Top 18% in basketball shoes
- Top 20% in Nike basketball shoes
- Top 5% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Side-to-side containment
- True to size
- Thin but durable materials
- Comfortably padded tongue
- Smooth heel-to-toe transition
- OK for outdoors
- Easy on-off
- Stylish
Cons
- Dust-prone outsole
- Lacking impact protection
- Barely there court feel
- Break-in needed
Verdict
Most popular outdoor basketball shoes
CoreScore
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
- Top 25% most popular basketball shoes
Pros
- Secure fit
- Not cluncky
- Excellent traction
- Responsive
- Comfortable
- Stylish, zip-up design
Cons
- Runs small
- Not breathable
Verdict
