The traction in a basketball shoe enhances grip, stopping power, and also multi-directional movements. Without excellent traction, it is impossible to retain stability while making quick cuts, ball shooting, or keeping up on the defense. To get a better experience on the court, you need to keep the court clean. This is because the traction in a basketball shoe depends on the friction between the floor and the sole of the shoe.
How to Improve Basketball Shoes Traction ?
If your shoes are not offering great traction on a clean court then shoe maintenance and traction improvement products can help you get a strong grip and stopping power. You can use different methods explained below to get better traction on the court
1.Clean basketball court
Use cleaning solution once a week on basketball courts to sweep out dust and oil. Clean basketball courts offers excellent grip to the players so that they move nicely along with their feet. Players get excellent stops and go.
Cleaning solution should be based on the type of flooring and finish installed. Using damp towel instead of traditional mop can damage the floors. So watch out for that. Also avoid using cleaners with acids on rubber floors, so that the floor will not last long.
However, you can use alcohol solutions for wood floor. You just have to follow the instructions on the label to mix it with the right amount of water.
You can also use microfiber dust mops to sweep hardwood floors prior to every game. We call this dry-mopping. This also helps to get rid of the dust and dirt that gets on the floor.
2.Step on sticky traction board
Always step on the traction board before each game or practice. This is because the boards sticky surface helps plucks out dust and oil from the bottom of your shoe, and leave dust and oil behind when you step off of the board.
3.Apply traction fluid
Before every game and during half time, apply traction fluid to the bottom of your shoes so that it makes sure that you get an extra grippy feel. And you get additional traction on sharp cuts for an additional five to ten minutes. You feel lighter and faster on the court.
4.Remove dust and debris
Try to remove dust and debris from the bottom of your shoes with a slightly damp cloth or brush. Some shoes are quite difficult to wipe because of tighter traction patterns so brush would be a better idea for them. Also, clean them before every game and during half time.
5.Wet bottom with saliva
If you are facing problems in having better traction during game play, then this method is very useful. Just wet the tips of your fingers with saliva, and then quickly run your fingers over the bottom of your shoes. This helps to moist the bottom of your shoe and offers counter surface.. Although it only helps for small amount of time, but it prevent serious injuries and avoid slips on court. So it’s one of an easy and useful method.
6.Wash outsoles
Washing the outsole of your basketball shoes with a towel and soapy water after every use make it free of oil and dust clogged on them. You get renewed traction every time you go for game. Also the traction lasts long.
7.Buy shoe with better traction
If you are still dissatisfied after trying every method on your traction, then go for a new pair with an extra durable rubber that have particularly grippy soles.
Why are basketball shoes, squeaky?
The basketball shoe holds a thin groove pattern with them, and the sole is made out of soft and pulpy flexible rubber. When this small groove pattern gets in contact with the flat surface, they squeak loud. Actually, this is when the player tries to maintain a grip on the court, and the grooves start vibrating. This produces squeaky noises. These thin groove pattern in basketball shoes helps to prevent slips and slides on the court.
The basketball shoes feature soft, flexible sole and thick padding so that you get impact protection on hard landings. Also, they are too grippy, but they are slippery enough to allow the player to move on pivot or spin on the axis of his feet. This helps to prevent tripping over the foot.
Why are running/badminton shoes are less squeaky then basketball shoes?
Running shoes
The running shoes also produce noise when they get in touch with the surface, but they produce less noise. This is because running shoes feature a thicker groove pattern: the thicker the groove pattern, the less the noise.
Badminton shoes
The badminton shoes sole are made out of hard rubber, and they are designed to offer more slippages than basketball shoes. The badminton players move around by skip-stepping instead of actually stepping. So the badminton shoes also squeak less than basketball shoes too.
How to make your basketball shoes squeak?
The Basketball sneakers produce squeaky noise depending on the court type and groove pattern. The thinner groove pattern squeak loud as compared to the thicker groove pattern. However, you can make it happen by forcing your foot into the ground as hard as you can. When you force your foot hard into the ground to move in another direction, you will get that iconic squeak, loud and clear.
Clyde Jackson III is a basketball coach and the founder of GCBC Basketball, a basketball-related learning and informational website that focuses on helping young players develop their skills on and off the court. With over 15 years of coaching experience, Clyde has worked with players of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to professionals.
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