7 Best Basketball Shoes With A Wide Toebox in 2025

The New Balance TWO WXY V5 is a solid performer that’s proved its worth not only during our play tests, but also in our lab. Its versatility and playability are out of this world, and after our calliper readings, we couldn’t think of a better candidate for our best hooper overall with a wide toebox.

We didn’t let the support and containment we felt when we wore this NB pair trick us, as our toes had plenty of space to reposition themselves and land safely every time (yes, even after a rebound in traffic!). We created a gel mould of this hooper’s interiors, and when we measured its toebox width, our calliper returned a wide 71.2 mm. But this wasn’t the only measurement that surpassed the average, as our toes found plenty of vertical space to move around! At 26.8 mm, the TWO WXY V5 is way taller than average in this area.

This extra space pairs up really well with the overall protective structure of this shoe. For a start, it scored a 5/5 on both our heel counter and torsional rigidity tests. An armour of a shoe, indeed! But it never felt stiff underfoot, as it scored 101 SA on our shock absorption test. Last but not least, our durometer marked 21.5/14.5 HA on the primary and secondary foams of its double setup, which is plusher than average.

We really like this sturdy-up-soft-down design. Nevertheless, the lock-in feel this NB pair offers comes with a break-in period. But nothing too bad in our experience!

The G.T. Hustle 3 has turned our world upside down with this wonderful rework. We enjoyed its fantastic sole setup in every single one of our games, so we gave it our #1 as the hooper with the best shock absorption and a wide toebox. But it wasn’t only our feet that felt this, our lab results also confirmed it!

When we measured its stack height, our calliper returned 32.8/26.8 mm at the heel and forefoot respectively, surpassing the average by quite a lot. All this foam translated into a fantastic shock absorption of 117 SA at the heel and 120 SA at the forefoot, and we enjoyed it every time we jumped to fight for a rebound or when we had to roughly post-play. But our favourite part of this all is that these comfy landings are not just pillowy… but energetic! With a record-breaking reading of 81.5%, the Zoom Air unit of this shoe’s forefoot offered a wonderful energy return. We felt propelled after every lay-up!

The width of the G.T. Hustle 3 also makes its category average bite the dust. When we measured our gel mould, our calliper returned 94.6 mm on its widest point and 72.4 mm at the big toe. This translates into a roomier fit that paired up incredibly well with the softer landings we enjoyed thanks to this hooper’s foam. But that’s not all, as the vertical space of this Nike pair also breaks the hooper’s standard height with a great score of 24.3 mm.

The main issue we see here is that all this comfort doesn’t let you feel the court underfoot. Don’t expect any ground feel from the G.T. Hustle 3, as its quite high sole separates your feet off the ground quite a bit!

Jordan had no right to mess up the anniversary release of the Air Jordan series, and we are delighted to report that they, in fact, did not! The AJ40 fixed everything that was wrong with the AJ39's lateral support and stability, ensuring solid footing and side-to-side containment. It also keeps the ride highly energetic and responsive through the brand's most advanced ZoomX foam. And the visual aesthetics? We adore the classy and luxurious vibes that this Air Jordan channels through its sturdy upper materials with genuine leather patches.

The Adidas Anthony Edwards 2 performed well across the board, building upon the first iteration's successful legacy. But at the same time, the new version felt like 'win some, lose some' with its increased energy return yet regressed outsole traction. But aside from that and the shoe's heavier build, we are glad to see that the AE 2 remains a solid all-rounder.

It's not just a boring £100 shoe; it's an affordable option from The King LeBron's signature series that ticks all the crucial boxes to help beginner and recreational players feel confident. Of course, it lacks premium materials and technologies for the price, but the shoe still impressed us with the value it offers. We were particularly excited about the upgrades to the Witness 9's stability and durability over the previous version.

The Jordan Luka. 77 proved that it is not merely a cheaper, step-down version of the flagship Luka series; it is a design on its own that shines on the blacktop. The level of durability, traction, and support it managed to pack into such a lightweight, budget-friendly package is truly impressive! But there is only so much a £100 hoop shoe can offer, and its cushioning left a lot to be desired, even with an Air Zoom unit. But while the Luka .77 doesn't exude premium vibes across the board (and it shouldn't), it brings a tonne of value to the blacktop.

There are many players who can’t or don’t want to spend their savings on their next hopper, and the G.T. Academy knows it pretty well! After thoroughly analysing in and outside our lab, we’ve decided it's the best budget basketball shoe with a wide toebox.

For a start, its lower price point didn’t stop this Nike shoe from having a dual-density setup that features the brand's Renew foam, as well as a wonderful Zoom Air unit at the forefoot. This led to a wonderful shock absorption of 104/91 SA at the heel and forefoot respectively, which paired up with a pretty responsive score of 57.6/49.8% (also heel/forefoot) on our energy return test. Long story short: this hooper didn’t feel cheap at all underfoot!

But that’s not all, as it also has a pretty solid structure that scored two perfect 5/5 on our torsional rigidity and heel counter stiffness tests. But don’t let this fool you: even though the G.T. Academy offered us great support, it was never too tight. When we measured its width at the toebox using our newest gel, our calliper returned 72.5 mm, which is way higher than average. So we could splay our toes freely, as well as move them up, thanks to the 24.9 mm of vertical space this Nike offered.

We were pretty happy with this shoe’s overall design, yet we could see its budget nature shine a little bit too bright when we checked outsole (1.3 mm) and toebox (3/5) durability, underperforming compared to its category’s average.