Best Nike Basketball Shoes

Nike is the best, biggest, and most popular brand in the whole world, and it has earned the total revenue of almost $35 billion. I am to review the best Nike Basketball Shoes available in the market. Nike has released several shoes, not only the signature models, but it also earned good revenue and became famous for its other low-budget models, e-g Lebron soldiers and Hyperdunk series.

Nike has come up with a variety of basketball shoes. All of them are best, comfortable, support your ankle, provide killer traction, and balanced cushioning but are costly sometimes. And I  have decided to review the top-rated best Nike basketball shoes. Those basketball shoes are highly recommended for explosive and powerful wing players.They work best for massive players and narrow-footers.  They are made up of the most comfortable material so that the players give their best in the basketball court.

The following list shows the top-rated Best Nike Basketball Shoes based on comfort, design, durability, and performance.

List of Top 10 Nike Basketball Shoes

1. Nike Kobe Mamba Focus – Nike Best Budget Model 

This is Kobe Bryant’s latest basketball sneaker from Nike, and it’s another one of their budget models. One of their lower-priced options for those of you guys who don’t like the term budget. And this is our top product in this list.

First of all, moving on to the traction. These have snake scales traction pattern, and it is slightly different, though what I love about them is that this shoe right here uses gum rubber outsole, at least for half of it. And on top of that, the rubber itself feels very thick and firm. So this is going to last long on outdoor courts. And it allows the wearer to feel very quick. Since this is a low profile shoe, so you will love the court feel.

The cushion on these guys lacks, at least, the way that it is made. I have a traditional phylon midsole and forefoot zoom air unit. This cushioning setup is made to give you extra energy return that you give on the court. The forefoot has zoom air and it’s encased within the phylon, which is then encased within the rubber, so the forefoot is a cup and basically, it’s wrapping all the way around. There’s no way for the phylon to expand or move.

When you try them on, the forefoot feels extremely firm. It feels like you’re on the floor, which is great for people that want court feel. You get excellent court feel with a slight amount of impact protection and responsiveness so the cushioning is okay.

These have a screen mesh with sculpting snake scales on top that delivers better stability and containment. So a little bit premium. Then the upper on these guys is probably the best part of the shoe. These guys feature a fabric build, which is just pretty impressive. It’s not like anything mind-blowing, but for this price, it’s pretty sweet.

It has a nice beautiful little textile. It’s going to move around with your foot very well, and the overall look reminds me of the Nike Kobe six. Then we have a standard TPU heel counter in the back. Instead, they give you something a little bit extra. It’s got the Kobe shoes, logo.  And again, the scale gives you the signature feel without being completely a signature shoe.

Talking about the fit first. The wearers claimed that Nike Kobe Mamba Focus are like too long and real tight on feet. The longer that you play in them, they fit a little bit longer, but they’re very narrow.

As far as lockdown is concerned these have the lace-up closure which locks your foot perfectly.

Nike Kobe Mamba  Focus uses an external heel cage and molded shaped framework which actually provide lightweight support and containment. So support is also great.

2. Nike Kyrie Flytrap – Best fit and performance 

The traction on the Nike Kyrie Flytrap looks very similar to Nike Kyrie four. However, the implementation of the pattern is a little bit different. The traction pattern here is very flat.

Now, this traction is herringbone’s modified pattern. It stretches to sides of the curved midsole, allowing players excellent stopping power when making cross overs and quick cuts. This pattern is so outstanding that it performs outdoor and indoor, both even if it’s dusty.

The cushioning is injected phylon midsole encased in Zoom Air unit underneath the foot. This setup offers stretchable full length cushioning and responsive feel. The phylon that they used at the midsole is a little bit softer, and then in the forefoot directly underneath your foot there is a Zoom Air unit, so you get superior impact protection.

Now materials here is soft, thin, and upper is made of woven textile. It feels kind of cheap. However, it’s got some strength to it.

This shoe has a burrito-type tongue and it allows for a customizable fit and easy entry. Once laced up, these shoes offer great comfort due to pillowed collar and tongue.There is also a thick elastic band at the midfoot integrated into the lacing system providing enhanced tightness to the upper.

These are a little bit wide at forefoot so wide footers remain true to their size and narrow footers are advised going down half a size or wearing double socks would be a better idea.

3. Nike PG 3 (Paul George) – Superior Comfort And Grip On Court

This Nike PG 3 has a translucent rubber which feels awesome. The PG 3 traction stucks like glue on every surface, and also this does not clog up a lot of dust. Another best thing is that this traction provides smooth stop and the black part with the pink swirly things it looks nice. I also love the signature in the middle as well I like that florescent hit. As far as durability is concerned this is solid rubber so it provides good durability.

Well speaking of the cushioning, these shoes comprised of light foam midsole caged with the forefoot. There is no real outrigger to the shoe. At the forefoot, we have a Zoom airbag that provides an extra responsive feel.

These are slightly wide in the middle, and the rubber panel is supposed to create stability and it’s more possible. Overall this cushioning setup offers great impact protection with a lot of response and court feel. So these have excellent cushioning setup.

The upper on these Nike pg 3 is a lot nicer and it’s a lot more forgiving than the previous models. This material feels like nylon and it’s very thin and lightweight. so it’s fine that the panels are still synthetic.

As far as fit is concerned, these fit snug, but these are not as restrictive as the previous models. Once the mesh brokes in perfectly then upper fits and conforms to your foot nicely. Going half a size up would be a better idea.

The enhanced lacing system locks your foot into heel solid and stable. According to testers, you don’t get any heel slippage and slides. So far there are no problems in lockdown.

The wings on the forefoot provide great ankle support. You don’t feel any instability.

4. Nike Kobe Mamba Rage – Best For Guards

The Nike Mamba Rage is a low-top shoe, and the embossed Swoosh logos on both sides of the shoe are really charming.

It kind of looks like Snake scales. So we’ll call it the snake scale traction pattern, It’s the solid rubber outsole. It has a perfect bite and excellent stopping power on a clean court. But It does pick up a little bit of dust on dusty courts. So overall traction is pretty damn good. Watch out for that dust, But if you’re used to wipe, so it’s okay.

The cushioning setup is Comfortable Lightweight. Its got the zoom air cushioning and full-length Lunarlon in its midsole. It is 30 % lighter than the phylon midsole.

The impact protection is not that great. And after playing it for up to three hours, it hurt bad. These are low profile shoes, so these deliver excellent court feel and response, but it’s just like impact protection not very good.

The upper of the Nike mamba rage is Nike’s Flyweave and fuse overlays. At first, it feels like plastic and a little cheap, but once you start playing, it gets soft and pliable. The fly weave technology uses a traditional weaving method, which provides a supportive and comfortable fit to the foot. And also, the fuse in the toe and around the eyelets offers excellent durability.

The inside of the shoe has gentle, thick foam, which offers excellent ankle protection and comfort. Also, this material doesn’t stretch too much, so it feels supportive, so you have nothing to complain about it.

These shoes fit true to size. But a good number of viewers mentioned that there small dead space at the toe box. So our advice would be going up half a size.

The Nike Mamba Rage uses standard lace-up closure that keeps your foot in place, and the material provides one to one feel with shoes, so lockdown is also great.

5. Nike Air Precision II FlyEase – Nike Best Indoor Shoe 

Nike Air Precision II FlyEase has a modified herringbone traction pattern. The traction pattern is a little bit changed. But on the clean court, it’s adorable. Like stopping power is good. And you don’t have to worry about it, but it does pick up a lot of dust quickly. It’s a pretty firm solid outsole. But if you’re playing on a dusty court, it’s not that great.

The cushioning is nice. The cushioning is lightweight foam midsole and air sole unit for responsive cushioning. So it’s not even a phylon. It’s super soft and bouncy. Impact protection is excellent, and it is low to the ground, so it also provides a nice court feel.

At the upper, we have a mesh and some foam. Then the forefoot is knitted, making it soft and providing proper ventilation to our feet. These shoes use regular mesh and thick padding, giving support and stability to the heel and ankle area. These feel great when worn. The straps come in a suede material. The midsole has a bouncy Phylon foam, while the outsole is composed of a solid rubber compound. I guess the material is kind of cheap.

These shoes fit well to the size. It is normal wide so wide footers you will be okay.

The lockdown setup on these shoes is the elastic straps. So that means that you can unzip it, and it’s effortless to get your foot in and out. The mid-flight strap does a little bit to lock you down in the midfoot. But in the ankle, there’s a lot of space. So the lockdown in the heel is not that good

The ankle support is kind of a great play. It is too good that your foot will not come out. And there will be no heel slippage. Their weight is eleven point five-seven. That’s a very light shoe. It’s like you only get a ton of support with a beautiful upper and all that

The ventilation is proper. The knitted forefoot is so soft that it provides excellent ventilation.

6. Nike PG 2.5 (Paul George) – Impressive Grip And Arch support

Starting with the traction. The Nike PG 2.5 has a rubber tread traction pattern that delivers durable traction. I would say it’s pretty good just, like the PG 2 itself. There are some minor slips here, but overall the traction is solid. Surprisingly, these held up pretty good outdoors, not in terms of the durability, but the gripping on the outdoor courts were pretty good.
The outsole is pretty soft, so durability in terms of outdoors is not recommended.

The Nike PG 2.5 has a phylon midsole with zoom air cushioning for lightweight responsiveness. You have a nice plush and balanced cushioning setup, and you got zoom air in the forefoot.
I like this cushioning setup. It feels bouncy, and you got really good impact protection. In terms of comfort, they do feel pretty good. I didn’t have any aches problems.
The inside of the shoe or the lining that feels comfortable has these cushion pillows that give you superior comfort and supported lockdown

Moving on to the materials to PG 2.5 has a textile and synthetic leather that provides comfortable containment. There is an inner sleeve with a thick sock liner that offers a plush cushion for you. The materials on a PG 2.5 as are pretty much the same as the PG 2.
You have got the mesh and suede, which is very light, thin, and rough, and it doesn’t feel like a nice premium suede. But they affect the performance of the materials on these lightweight and soft shoes, and there’s no breaking time needed.

For the fit, it fits pretty well. You have an adjustable strap to cater to whatever type of foot you have, whether it’s narrow or wide. Mostly these shoes go true to size. So staying true to size would be a better idea.

The PG 2.5 has a mid-foot strap that offers a personalized fit and heel lockdown, and the strap goes over the top of your foot

The strap on the PG 2.5 is built from a new webbing, which feels a lot better, adding a lot of support. I would say it was a combination of the new strap and probably an improved version of the heel counter cushioning.

7. Nike Kyrie Flytrap II – Excellent Traction And Rear Support

Nike Kyrie Flytrap II has an exciting traction pattern, and it works beautifully. Its basically a curved outsole helpful for jab steps, spin moves, and crossovers. It’s very flat, and on top of that, every single groove line here is not peaked.

Again the rubber compound on these shoes is beast. And it had fantastic traction on every surface that either on indoors or outdoor dirty courts it didn’t even matter.

This shoe has Nike Zoom cushioning equipped with foam midsole. They designed the hover cushioning setup, and there’s no way around it. This cushioning setup offers a responsive and bouncy feel.

The materials are impressive, and they feel a little bit nicer than the original fly trap. The upper is mesh material, which is great for breathability, so you feel quick on the court. They don’t feel as cheap as the original ones. These shoes feel just a little bit more premium.

Since the material is stretch less, and it didn’t move as much, So it can move with your feet without a lot of break-in time. And it is pretty durable. As well as you have some fuse in the high wear areas. And overall, I think the materials mainly for the price, is exquisite.

Now the fit on these guys is attractive. They do fit true to size, and these have an elastic forefoot band for an excellent fit.

The  elastic band is helpful for containment so that you can change your pace and move in all possible directions. Also, the external heel clip and a padded collar keep your ankle in place, so lockdown is excellent.

There is an external and internal heel counter, so the rear support is there, which is nice. So the support is okay

8. Nike Hyper Dunk X – Best For Energetic run And Jumping

The traction on these shoes looks fantastic. Not quite a herringbone, but it’s very similar. Hyper Dunk X uses a multi-directional traction pattern, so it covers multi-directional movements. I believe that’s like an Adidas thing. But either way, lateral traction on these guys looks like it’s going to be beastly.

The cushion is a full-length zoom air unit. This setup provides runner energetic run and responsive feel on the court. But the impact protection is not that great. If you did a little bit too hard landing at the bottom. It produces a hard impact on your heel or foot

These Nike Hyper Dunk X offer textile and plush woven upper. The upper itself is pretty basic. It’s just an engineered mesh. They didn’t feel like they fit or wrapped around my foot quite as nicely as the Kobe 8. So maybe that could be a drawback.

I just noticed that they didn’t fit as firmly or snug on the foot that maybe I would have liked. The midfoot section of the shoe is neoprene. And then we have a neoprene tongue as well, which I think is kind of interesting. The breaking up of the two materials is time taking and when I tried these, the collar area is very firm.

The overall fit is true to size. As far as lockdown is concerned, the Hyper Dunk has a nice lacing system with extended laces excellent footrest.

Traction is pretty excellent but picked up a little bit of dust. Materials are pretty lovely. It does its job well. I didn’t like the shoe just because of the cushion if you did a little bit too hard landing at the bottom. It produces a hard impact on your heel or foot
But that’s a pretty lovely performer as well. So also, none of the shoes on this list are horrible or.

9. Nike KOBE AD EXODUS – Great for point guards

The Nike Kobe Ad Exodus is the best option if you guys want some balance & soft ride at the heel.

This pattern is pretty much similar to the Nike Kobe 10 traction. These work great on clean courts but on outdoor courts these clog up a lot of dust so its not too great for outdoor use. Also, the traction needs much time to break-in.

However, after the break-in, you will feel a lot quicker and lighter on the court. Overall Nike Kobe Ad Exodus has better traction for indoor use, and I am happy with the traction. Well done Nike!

The cushioning setup of Kobe AD Exodus consists of phylon and increased zoom air unit at the heel. So you guys will be going to get balance and soft ride at the heel.

There are different types of phylon. One of them is the injected phylon, and the second one is compression-molded phylon, And that is kind of more substantial and dense, which last a lot longer.

This setup offers you plenty of impact protection in the rear of the shoe with a lot of court feel in the front if you happen to need it. So if you’re a lightweight guard and you like to move around a lot. Then This shoe is going to allow you to do that without slowing you down at all.

This stuff right here is mesh material. And the upper material is kind of cheap but delivers excellent containment and performance. The materials used on these are not what I expected.

Then you have Nike’s torch style material at the tongue, which is adorable. For ventilation purpose, we have padded mesh with perforated holes in the internal foam.

The forefoot is composed of Nike Basketball mesh and composite mesh. And over the first lace loop, there is a composite mesh band, and it provides no-stretch and no stability for steep cross over movements. And then the toe area is lightweight mesh, which is nice, but it just doesn’t fit on foot.

The plus side of this material is that these are pretty durable

As far as the fit is concerned, These are true to size and they fit fine lengthwise.

Now the overall lockdown is excellent. Basically, from the midfoot back, it was great. However, I would like a separate tongue because that allows you to lock down fit right around your foot. Many wearers claimed that these forefoot areas don’t feel like it fits close enough to their foot.

The support is great. It’s got a little bit of everything that you need. The internal shank plate, to my knowledge, is lacking which is a little weird. So you can’t fold this shoe up in half what you’re normally supposed to be able to do with a shoe.

These shoes are kind of flat, you don’t need support, but it does offer you a nice, wide, flat and stable base. So I feel that worked nicely as well.

There is a very thin internal heel counter. And then this little heel clip is the external heel counter, ensuring they don’t slide off that foot area. Which it needs with that compact zoom unit because the back of the shoe is a little bit soft.

10. Nike KD 11 – Suitable For Heavy Guys

The Nike KD Eleven features a full-length zoom unit right underneath your foot. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to feel the react if you are a light weight guy, because the Nike Kd eleven is kind of weak. But if you are a heavy guy, then you can feel the zoom in it.

The traction on these shoes is multi-directional and translucent rubber. Its a wavy tread pattern, and this outsole stretches the sides of the shoe providing stability to all your lateral movements. It worked well on all of the different courts. But if the outsole gets dirtier, then you get worse performance. You will be slipping when you try to stop.
But these were pretty good indoors. This traction has an excellent bite on indoor courts. They were just a little bit disappointing.

Now the cushion is the only best aspect of the shoe that you will enjoy. We have a combination of Nike react foam and full-length zoom air that offers excellent response and impact protection.
The very first time that I wore these, there were slightly stiff. But you definitely could feel the zoom once you start moving around in them. Just like most shoes, the more that you play in them, the better that they feel. This setup provides a ton of impact protection, which itself gives a good energy return.

If you like everything else and you probably want the materials. So this shoe delivers boss level comfort and support. We have fly knit upper, which is fantastic. This offers excellent flexibility.

The fit is just like the previous KD models, this also runs long and narrow. So testers advised going half a size down.

Now, as far as the lockdown is concerned, the Nike KD 11 is equipped with Flywire cables that lock your foot in place when laced up. So the lockdown is excellent. .

Just because of the bad fit, the support is just severely lacking. But the Fly knit material pretty much takes care of that, so there’s nothing to worry.

Conclusion

Here, I am to conclude the Best Nike Basketball Shoes after reviewing the top-rated Nike basketball shoes. Basketball shoes are the need of everyone who plays Basketball. For the basketball players, these are Nike shoes which can provide good support and comfort to your feet.

Nike shoes are those which fit you most perfectly, in my opinion. All the versions of a specific model have the best durability. They can be used for a long time. Also, you do not need to go out and buy one for you; you can also buy them online and will face no problem at all. There is one best thing about Nike shoes because of which people prefer it most and that is most of the great basketball players have already signed a signature deal with Nike. You know Kyrie Irving, Lebron James, Paul George, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant if you are here. And if you’re a big fan of them, you will go and buy Nike Basketball shoes and rock their latest signature models.

When you talk about the affordability of those shoes, then you always come to a stage when you see that Nike has expensive shoes, but that is not all true. Nike also provides affordable shoes with good durability. They have released so many new models of basketball shoes that work and fit perfectly for every type of basketball player. They also have a model that works for every basketball player and fulfill their needs.