6 Best PUMA Basketball Shoes in 2023

Dimitrije Curcic
Dimitrije Curcic on
6 Best PUMA Basketball Shoes in 2023
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Nike (together with its subsidiary Jordan) and Adidas have long been the most dominant players in the basketball shoe market. However, this did not stop PUMA from re-entering the game in 2018 after around twenty years of producing only lifestyle sneakers and running shoes among others.

PUMA's grand re-entry was with a rightful nod to its great basketball past. The company produced a new and aptly modernized version of the Clyde Court Disrupt, which of course was a direct pick from Clyde Frazier's arsenal.

Since then, PUMA has produced a handful of kicks, each with its own strength. However, not everyone has the time and the resources to figure out what pair is perfect for them and what is the best all things considered. So, we tested PUMA basketball shoes in actual games of hoops and in real-life tests in the lab to find which is the last shoe standing. We selected our top choices and listed them here in this article.

Best PUMA basketball shoes overall

PUMA MB.02
91
Superb!

What makes it the best?

We judged the Puma MB.02 as the best among all Puma basketball shoes and even some Nike and Adidas products. We reached this conclusion after being impressed by this shoe’s amazing cushioning, impressive flexibility, and dependable twist protection.

Upon wearing it, we immediately felt amazing underfoot softness. Our lab assessments confirmed what we initially felt. We found  that the midsole tooling is indeed on the softer side, registering only 22.4 on the HA durometer when the average could go as high as 27.9. 

During sharp turns and cuts, we appreciated how the shoe catches up with our movements. And this holds true even at awkward angles! After doing the flexibility assessment in the lab, it all made sense. We learned through our digital gauge that this shoe only needed 32.2N of force to bend at 90 degrees. This number is far lower than the 41.9N that a typical shoe would need.

The base of the shoe was pleasantly resistant to twists, and it gave us the confidence to run faster and be more aggressive in our games. We manually twisted this shoe in the lab, and it got a solid 4 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

Our hearts dropped when we realized that the shoe also heated up as the games intensified. There was just not much ventilation. True enough, this shoe only got a 2 out of 5 after we conducted our breathability smoke test on it.

Pros

  • Awesome impact protection
  • Top-notch ankle support
  • Superior stability
  • Excellent foot containment
  • Reliable traction
  • Comfortable in-shoe feel
  • Durable construction

Cons

  • Lacks energy return
  • Not breathable
  • Not perfect for outdoors
Full review of PUMA MB.02

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Unisex
Any color
Black (37828701)
Elektro Green/Puma White/Grey (37940801)
Frosted Ivory/Black (37831901)
Team Violet/Puma White (37977901)
Green (37828401)
Fluro green/lime squeeze (37758401)
Fiery Coral/Ultra Orange (37644201)
Purple Glimmer/Safety Yellow/Pink Glo (37828301)
More colors

PUMA basketball shoes with the best cushioning

What makes it the best?

The PUMA TRC Blaze Court is like a friend who looks small and fragile but is actually a skilled fighter. This shoe's very unassuming slender build and very minimal looks actually hide tremendous potential. It is a pleasure to play in, especially for athletes who like to explosively sprint their way to the basket. If it wasn't for its frail outsole and upper, the TRC Blaze Court would've made it to our top charts.

Pros

  • Excellent grip for quick movements
  • Incredible bounce and impact protection
  • Amazing in-shoe comfort
  • Dependable foot containment
  • Smooth ride
  • True-to-size fit
  • Pretty light
  • Slender appearance

Cons

  • Cheap materials and poor durability
  • Dulled by dust
  • Reduced court feel
  • Lacks breathability
Full review of PUMA TRC Blaze Court

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Unisex
Any color
Blue (37658212)
Black Cherry Tomato (37658203)
Blue (37658217)
Puma Black Saffron (37663701)
Black (37658216)
Puma White Puma Black (37658206)
White (37658207)
Black (37713401)
More colors

PUMA basketball shoes with the best support

PUMA Rise Nitro
85
Good!

What makes it the best?

Among all the lightweight Puma shoes that we tried, it is the Rise Nitro that made the most lasting impact. Its brilliance came from its pretty wide heel platform and pretty clever upper structure, which contributed a lot to lockdown and stability. We also appreciated its unparalleled flexibility, which made it easier for our feet to flex naturally. That this shoe does not make it difficult for wide-footers to wear it is another huge plus. 

The shoe’s wide platform, especially around the heel area erased all worries regarding wobbliness. The caliper measured the heel to be 95.1 mm wide when the average is only 87.0 mm. That’s 8.1 mm worth of extra space! Aside from the laces, the upper is also equipped with something similar to athletic tape, and it wrapped around our feet well. The laces-and-tape combo effectively enhanced the shoe’s stability and lockdown.

Our jaws dropped when we learned just how flexible the Rise Nitro is. Our force gauge reported that this shoe needed only 8.8N of force to bend at 90 degrees, which is way way lower than the 22.5N that a typical trainer would need. 

The wide-footers among us are happy that the toebox is 7.4 mm wider than average. For a chance, those with wide feet won't have to make size adjustments so they can get the fit that works best for them.

We did the Dremel test on the Rise Nitro’s upper. Unfortunately, the results weren’t as good as hoped. The damage after twelve seconds of drilling was already enough to cast doubts on this shoe’s longevity, especially when used frequently.

Pros

  • Great impact protection
  • Good court feel
  • Very comfortable step-in feel
  • Effective grip (on clean courts)
  • Breathable upper
  • Dependable support and lockdown
  • Durable materials
  • Futuristic look
  • Reasonable price

Cons

  • Not for the outdoors
  • Dust-sensitive outsole
  • Heavier than average
Full review of PUMA Rise Nitro

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Unisex
Any color
Black (37701206)
Black (37701203)
Sun Stream/Blue Atoll (37701201)
Yellow (37701205)
Orange (37701204)
Royal Sapphire/Ravish (37827801)
Puma Black/for All Time Red (37701212)
Grey (37701202)
More colors

Best budget PUMA basketball shoes

What makes it the best?

For its modest price point, the PUMA Court Rider offers quite a few benefits. We didn't expect much from this budget-friendly shoe and yet it surprised us on many fronts. With its notable court feel and responsiveness, we believe that this shoe will suit agile guards the best.

Pros

  • Pronounced court feel
  • Amazing stability and support
  • Secure lockdown
  • Comfy in-shoe feel
  • Great value for money
  • True to size and fit
  • Stylish for casual wear

Cons

  • Heavier than average
  • Lacks breathability
  • Not much impact protection
Full review of PUMA Court Rider

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Unisex
Any color
Black (19506403)
White (19563403)
Bamboo Porcelain (37687501)
Yellow (19563406)
White (19563407)
Puma White/Palace Blue (19565801)
Blue (19563401)
Black/White (19506402)
More colors

PUMA basketball shoes with the best traction

What makes it the best?

Since the Clyde Court Disrupt, PUMA Hoops's Clyde line has been dishing out alternatives to the usually pricier and more popular Adidas and Nike kicks that flood the market. The PUMA Clyde All-Pro is assessed to be even better than, or at least comparable to, the Nike Kobe 9, which critics say is among the greatest basketball shoes. The All-Pro's bad points are either easy to remedy or there just because of a personal preference.

Pros

  • Pronounced court feel
  • Amazing traction
  • Insane lightness
  • Nice bounce
  • Grounded and stable
  • Effective moisture-control
  • Comfortable tongue
  • Cushioned heel
  • Very smooth heel-to-toe transition
  • Aesthetically appealing

Cons

  • Lacks forefoot cushion
  • Narrow structure
  • Needs break-in
Full review of PUMA Clyde All-Pro

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Unisex
Any color
Puma White Puma Black (19403903)
Celandine/Black (19537101)
Puma Black/Luminous Pink (19403902)
Puma White/Blue Atoll (19403901)
Puma Black Pink Lady (19403907)
Puma White/Prism Violet (19512402)
Puma White Power Green (19512401)

PUMA basketball shoes with the best style

PUMA RS-Dreamer
87
Great!

What makes it the best?

The RS Dreamer is borne out of the collaboration between musician J. Cole and PUMA, and it's a success. The features added to the shoe work together to deliver comfort, support, and overall good performance on the court. The shoe's agreeable aesthetics add to its value. It's safe to say that the PUMA RS Dreamer is a must-buy item!

Pros

  • All-day comfort
  • Dependable grip
  • Stylish appearance
  • Sufficient lockdown
  • Excellent stability
  • Outdoor use
  • Great court feel

Cons

  • Heavier than most
  • Not breathable
  • Lacks impact protection and bounce
Full review of PUMA RS-Dreamer

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Men
Women
Any color
Blue (19399022)
Yellow (19399019)
Red (19460201)
Green (19399005)
Prism Violet/Blazing Yellow (19399004)
White (19399001)
White (19399002)
Aquarius-puma Black (19399021)
More colors

Comparison of the 6 best PUMA basketball shoes

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Best
CoreScore
Users rating
Experts
Best price
Ranking
Popularity
# of colorways

How we test basketball shoes

Picking the best PUMA basketball shoes requires serious testing. For this reason, we take the liberty to do the dirty work while you sit back and read on. When testing for these basketball shoes, we always make sure that each PUMA shoe gets used in more than two games before a verdict or final assessment is made.

To further ensure the objectivity of our picks, we do the following:

  • See to it that each product is bought using our own cash to avoid bias.
  • Apart from taking the shoes to real games of basketball, and performing the typical and actual things we usually do inside the court, we also test them in our lab. We measure the 30+ parameters of the shoes and take note of all the results before we compare them to the average values. We even chop the shoes into pieces so we can take into account every element existing in them. Finally, we establish our conclusion regarding each parameter.

 

 

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.