Best Shoes You've Ever Bought

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41

[quote]jaybvee wrote:

[quote]Vegita wrote:

[quote]jaybvee wrote:
To add to my post lol how we are passing by the OP’s original ? which is “best shoes” for running + basketball.

In my experience if you’ve got the budget go for a separate pair for each sport; running takes a toll on shoes while in bball the cushioning has to be there for hard landings, change of direction, lateral support, etc.

Try Asics, Saucony, Mizuno or New Balance for running, maybe Brooks etc. Nike usually makes sexy crap that looks good but performs subpar although there are a few models that live up to their purpose (Bowerman series, Air Max Vomero 4+, etc. Get into a running store & try some out. Ask serious runners what they roll in & see if it works for you.

Bball wise Nike, some Reebok & Adidas decent & you are good to go; again it’s about your style of play, your build (if you are a swift guard or a tank in the painr banger) Lots of shoes can be ahd on the cheap online, eBay or outlet shops.

So many variables. Bottom line your running is going to suffer if you use a running shoe for shooting hoops & vice-versa. You can try a cross trainer style but again, use the right tool for the job & you should be ok.

Hundreds of shoe models & styles out there from as many manufacturers that will work for you. Good luck.[/quote]

Actually I would reccomend he Run and B-Ball in vibrams. His feet will get stronger, his calves will get WAY stronger and thus his ups will be better. He will learn to run and jump with proper mechanics, not heel striking the landings, thus making him more agile and saving his knees from the typical beating they take with normal running and basketball poundings.

OP if you have never worn vibrams, and you don’t do much specific jump training, I think you will be amazingly surprised at how much these will work your calves. I used the strength shoes back in HS and they DO add inches to your vertical. Well when I ran for the first time in vibrams, my calves were as shot if not more taxed as when I used to do the strength shoes.

If you have 80 bucks at your disposal, I would give them a shot. If I could go back and be a HS student, I would wear vibrams to school everyday. They would be awsome for all my sports too, Track, volleyball, CC.

V[/quote]

Dude: Vibram KSOs for ball? The opposition will DESTROY his feet when he bangs inside contesting a layup or snagging a rebound. He could probably play pickup with people he can trust not to stomp on his pinkies. Last time I checked my KSOs they were lightweight (good for lifting & running), NOT built for hardcore balling. (I can only presume in the OP’s case) In any case if it’s just shooting & practice I can see him getting away with it (training yes, actual playing, no) as long as it doesn’t alter his mechanics too much. If Vibram comes out with ball shoes I’d be very interested. That’s why I haven’t seen too many guys on the court playing in Frees. Not enough padding from the other guy’s feet lol

[/quote]

Toughness? Or he could get the kangaroo leather ones, they should add a little more protection to the top of the foot. HOPEFULLY, though he will be so quick and nimble, like a ninja, that he won’t be on the ground long enough for some lumbering brute to stomp on his pinky toe.

I do know what you mean though, still I would practice in them and probably try playing in them untill I did get toe stomped. I mean does a B-Ball shoe really offer THAT much more protection from a top down strike? I can see jamming a toe easier with a vibrams, but then again, after a while of strengthening those babies up, he might just be spraining other dudes toes who are wearing b-ball sneaks with his beefed up vibrams toes. :wink:

V

42

Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?

43

The nicks and marks on them are from my brother’s dog chewing them. Best shoe.

44

[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?
[/quote]

always buy a size small, the stretch…

Also, get Injinji socks unless you like washing them once a week.

45

[quote]Ratchet wrote:

[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?
[/quote]

always buy a size small, the stretch…

Also, get Injinji socks unless you like washing them once a week.

[/quote]

Yes. This definately.

V

46

[quote]jaybvee wrote:
To add to my post lol how we are passing by the OP’s original ? which is “best shoes” for running + basketball.

In my experience if you’ve got the budget go for a separate pair for each sport; running takes a toll on shoes while in bball the cushioning has to be there for hard landings, change of direction, lateral support, etc.

Try Asics, Saucony, Mizuno or New Balance for running, maybe Brooks etc. Nike usually makes sexy crap that looks good but performs subpar although there are a few models that live up to their purpose (Bowerman series, Air Max Vomero 4+, etc. Get into a running store & try some out. Ask serious runners what they roll in & see if it works for you.

Bball wise Nike, some Reebok & Adidas decent & you are good to go; again it’s about your style of play, your build (if you are a swift guard or a tank in the painr banger) Lots of shoes can be ahd on the cheap online, eBay or outlet shops.

So many variables. Bottom line your running is going to suffer if you use a running shoe for shooting hoops & vice-versa. You can try a cross trainer style but again, use the right tool for the job & you should be ok.

Hundreds of shoe models & styles out there from as many manufacturers that will work for you. Good luck.[/quote]

I bought some new balance, felt comfortable at the store but when i played tennis with them I couldn’t do any lateral movements for shit. The lowtop was really killing me so I decided to return them and wound up getting some Nike flights… I am very pleased with them.

47

[quote]Vegita wrote:

[quote]jaybvee wrote:

[quote]Vegita wrote:

[quote]jaybvee wrote:
To add to my post lol how we are passing by the OP’s original ? which is “best shoes” for running + basketball.

In my experience if you’ve got the budget go for a separate pair for each sport; running takes a toll on shoes while in bball the cushioning has to be there for hard landings, change of direction, lateral support, etc.

Try Asics, Saucony, Mizuno or New Balance for running, maybe Brooks etc. Nike usually makes sexy crap that looks good but performs subpar although there are a few models that live up to their purpose (Bowerman series, Air Max Vomero 4+, etc. Get into a running store & try some out. Ask serious runners what they roll in & see if it works for you.

Bball wise Nike, some Reebok & Adidas decent & you are good to go; again it’s about your style of play, your build (if you are a swift guard or a tank in the painr banger) Lots of shoes can be ahd on the cheap online, eBay or outlet shops.

So many variables. Bottom line your running is going to suffer if you use a running shoe for shooting hoops & vice-versa. You can try a cross trainer style but again, use the right tool for the job & you should be ok.

Hundreds of shoe models & styles out there from as many manufacturers that will work for you. Good luck.[/quote]

Actually I would reccomend he Run and B-Ball in vibrams. His feet will get stronger, his calves will get WAY stronger and thus his ups will be better. He will learn to run and jump with proper mechanics, not heel striking the landings, thus making him more agile and saving his knees from the typical beating they take with normal running and basketball poundings.

OP if you have never worn vibrams, and you don’t do much specific jump training, I think you will be amazingly surprised at how much these will work your calves. I used the strength shoes back in HS and they DO add inches to your vertical. Well when I ran for the first time in vibrams, my calves were as shot if not more taxed as when I used to do the strength shoes.

If you have 80 bucks at your disposal, I would give them a shot. If I could go back and be a HS student, I would wear vibrams to school everyday. They would be awsome for all my sports too, Track, volleyball, CC.

V[/quote]

Dude: Vibram KSOs for ball? The opposition will DESTROY his feet when he bangs inside contesting a layup or snagging a rebound. He could probably play pickup with people he can trust not to stomp on his pinkies. Last time I checked my KSOs they were lightweight (good for lifting & running), NOT built for hardcore balling. (I can only presume in the OP’s case) In any case if it’s just shooting & practice I can see him getting away with it (training yes, actual playing, no) as long as it doesn’t alter his mechanics too much. If Vibram comes out with ball shoes I’d be very interested. That’s why I haven’t seen too many guys on the court playing in Frees. Not enough padding from the other guy’s feet lol

[/quote]

Toughness? Or he could get the kangaroo leather ones, they should add a little more protection to the top of the foot. HOPEFULLY, though he will be so quick and nimble, like a ninja, that he won’t be on the ground long enough for some lumbering brute to stomp on his pinky toe.

I do know what you mean though, still I would practice in them and probably try playing in them untill I did get toe stomped. I mean does a B-Ball shoe really offer THAT much more protection from a top down strike? I can see jamming a toe easier with a vibrams, but then again, after a while of strengthening those babies up, he might just be spraining other dudes toes who are wearing b-ball sneaks with his beefed up vibrams toes. :wink:

V [/quote]

i am very interested in these Vibrams but it sounds like im gonna have to get used to wearing them if I buy them. I play alot of pick up games and very intense ones as well and me being a size 14, I’m always getting stomped on. I already bought some nike flights which i mentioned, but maybe I can use the vibrams for everything other than basketball.

48

[quote]Ratchet wrote:

[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?
[/quote]

always buy a size small, the stretch…

Also, get Injinji socks unless you like washing them once a week.

[/quote]

Great advice right there. VFFs will make your calves grow like nothing else!

49

New Balance 1224.

This flat footed 275 pound guy has run 3.8 miles 4 days in a row. I’ve never been able to do that.

50

Wow the Vibram spokespeople are here. I’m admittedly interested. The idea of playing basketball in them is laughable. Twisted ankles.

51

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
Wow the Vibram spokespeople are here. I’m admittedly interested. The idea of playing basketball in them is laughable. Twisted ankles.[/quote]

Seriously… now i’m gonna end up buying a pair of vibrams as my next shoe… You would twist your ankle less, foots lower to the ground

52

[quote]Vegita wrote:

[quote]Ratchet wrote:

[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?
[/quote]

always buy a size small, the stretch…

Also, get Injinji socks unless you like washing them once a week.

[/quote]

Yes. This definately.

V[/quote]

Thanks…so when I go to by them and the salesperson and I decide on a size do I say "great, these 9’s feel good, now go get me a size 8 and we’re good to go.

53

[quote]bond james bond wrote:

[quote]Vegita wrote:

[quote]Ratchet wrote:

[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Ewoks love Vibrams…so natural looking lol.

I found a store that sells them here locally for $100.

Question for the Vibrams faithfull. Did you size them one size to big or small?
[/quote]

always buy a size small, the stretch…

Also, get Injinji socks unless you like washing them once a week.

[/quote]

Yes. This definately.

V[/quote]

Thanks…so when I go to by them and the salesperson and I decide on a size do I say "great, these 9’s feel good, now go get me a size 8 and we’re good to go. [/quote]

If only it where that easy… Vibrams are metric. The link below will help you figure it all out. Any store that sells them will also have a foot measuring thing for vibrams.

hope that helps.

54

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
Wow the Vibram spokespeople are here. I’m admittedly interested. The idea of playing basketball in them is laughable. Twisted ankles.[/quote]

That really depends on how long you have worn them. When I wear normal shoes my right foot tilts in and I tend to twist it when running a lot. I have worn the Vibrams for over a year and have not twisted it since then. Your feet are more in touch with the ground and instinctivily correct all the bad tendancies you have learned wearing shoes. Not to mention it really does toughen up your feet, ankle, calves and knee.

55

My all-time favorite basketball shoe from a performance standpoint is the Nike shox that I had in '05, but think they were from '04. They were the lightest, most responsive shoe I’ve ever had.

My style for “dressing up” is generally pretty subtle, maybe some Stacy Adams or Kenneth Cole’s or similar, but every now and again I gotta rock my Robert Wayne snakeskin loafers just to show everybody how real I keep it.

I’d be interested in hearing what some of the older guys on here [35+] who played ball have to say about their favorite shoes while they were playing was, and how they feel shoe technology has advanced.

56

[quote]Ratchet wrote:

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
Wow the Vibram spokespeople are here. I’m admittedly interested. The idea of playing basketball in them is laughable. Twisted ankles.[/quote]

That really depends on how long you have worn them. When I wear normal shoes my right foot tilts in and I tend to twist it when running a lot. I have worn the Vibrams for over a year and have not twisted it since then. Your feet are more in touch with the ground and instinctivily correct all the bad tendancies you have learned wearing shoes. Not to mention it really does toughen up your feet, ankle, calves and knee.[/quote]

Twisted ankles wearing Vibrams for ball? Probably. I was referring moreso to having guys your size or bigger landing on your foot or toes in the heat of battle. Feet are a target if you’re into the subtle art of the foul (word to Bill Laimbeer) so yeah, I wouldn’t recommend Vibram FF or KSOs even for ball. Lifting/running, yes, basketball no. The sport is punishing enough in its own right without literally sticking your feet/toes out just to have them ripped off or torn apart.

Can’t see them being worn by guys in the NFL either except maybe in practice but then again they need cleats…

Vibram spokespeople, huh? LOL seriously dude try a pair on to see what we are so happy about.

People ask me in the gym about my KSOs all the time, Vibram should give me some endorsement money :stuck_out_tongue:

57

Aye. Vibrams and Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 fit every occasion.

58

[quote]Amiright wrote:

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
Wow the Vibram spokespeople are here. I’m admittedly interested. The idea of playing basketball in them is laughable. Twisted ankles.[/quote]

Seriously… now i’m gonna end up buying a pair of vibrams as my next shoe… You would twist your ankle less, foots lower to the ground[/quote]

Get them! At least for training. Yes I would not use them for any competitive sport.
1)Injuries
2)Look real gay on the court

Plus they are sweet to run in to the beach and just go straight in the water with them. However, I used them for fly fishing in streams and they are not great on slippery rocks at ALL. Overall has many uses besides just training.

59

Here was the first and best B-Ball shoes I owned. The rookie year Kobies from Addidas.

I’m not sure if this pic is actually that same show but it looks pretty similar, this might be a slightly more recent model or whatever. But that origional one was solid. Light and fast, snug with a not too high and not too low upper.

The best looking pair I ever owned was a pair of air jordans in the north carolina colors. The shoe was leather and almost all white, just a little bit of light blue trim. I can’t find a picture online.

I worked at a sneaker store in HS so I had many pairs of sneakers, Addidas used to be my favorite for running, they had a slightly wider toe in most models but a more snug heel. It really comes down to what fits your individual foot the best. Some people swore by suacony, I hated them. Some people swore by New Balance, They felt like a block of wood strapped to my foot. I have a strong foot to begin with, high strong arch, I have rolled my ankles running cross country so many times they are near immune to sprains. For me the less shoe there is the better, I need fast responsive and light. That is why for me, the Vibrams are such a good peice of equipment. All it really is is abrasion and cut protection.

The best bet for any footwear though is trial and error. And if you do find something you absolutely love, go back and buy a couple pairs. Most likley when your favorite pair get too beat to keep wearing a year down the road, you may have trouble finding the same pair, then you will have to do the trial and error thing all over.

V

60

[quote]Vegita wrote:
Here was the first and best B-Ball shoes I owned. The rookie year Kobies from Addidas.

I’m not sure if this pic is actually that same show but it looks pretty similar, this might be a slightly more recent model or whatever. But that origional one was solid. Light and fast, snug with a not too high and not too low upper.

The best looking pair I ever owned was a pair of air jordans in the north carolina colors. The shoe was leather and almost all white, just a little bit of light blue trim. I can’t find a picture online.

I worked at a sneaker store in HS so I had many pairs of sneakers, Addidas used to be my favorite for running, they had a slightly wider toe in most models but a more snug heel. It really comes down to what fits your individual foot the best. Some people swore by suacony, I hated them. Some people swore by New Balance, They felt like a block of wood strapped to my foot. I have a strong foot to begin with, high strong arch, I have rolled my ankles running cross country so many times they are near immune to sprains. For me the less shoe there is the better, I need fast responsive and light. That is why for me, the Vibrams are such a good peice of equipment. All it really is is abrasion and cut protection.

The best bet for any footwear though is trial and error. And if you do find something you absolutely love, go back and buy a couple pairs. Most likley when your favorite pair get too beat to keep wearing a year down the road, you may have trouble finding the same pair, then you will have to do the trial and error thing all over.

V[/quote]

V, the first Kobe’s were called the “Crazy 8’s”. You and I must have completely different sets of feet man, ‘cause every Adidas hoopin’ shoe I’ve had felt clunky and awkward. I never had the crazy 8’s though.

My best looking pair of shoes were also Jordan’s. The 3’s in the original [white] colorway with the elephant print. They were/are the shit, but a little too flat to play consistently in.

I just typed in “adidas crazy 8” in to google and you should see some of the colorways they have. Some actually look pretty dope.

Also, I had a pair of Nike LWP’s [lightweight performance] in the 8th grade that were the lightest basketball shoe ever made. They were endorsed by Tim Hardaway, but he didn’t wear 'em long 'cause he tore his knee up that year. I’ve been looking for a pair to try out now so I can put 'em to the test, but I can’t find any online for less than $250.