Are Basketball Shoes Good For Soccer? 4 Reasons To Choose

Are Basketball Shoes Good For Soccer? 4 Reasons To Choose

No one can resist stylish and aesthetic hoop shoes. Soccer shoes are not even nearly as good in technology as basketball shoes.

Basketball shoes are the most popular sportswear in the world that are liked and worn by most athletes. But are basketball shoes good for soccer?  Different soccer shoes are designed for a variety of skill levels and field types.

  • Does swapping soccer shoes with basketball shoes affect the performance of a player?
  • Are basketball shoes as durable as soccer shoes to bear a lot of impact of kicking and hitting the ball with the upper of the shoe?
  • Can we use basketball shoes on indoor soccer fields?
  • Does it offer the same level of traction as the soccer cleats do?

Professional soccer does not replace soccer shoes with any footwear, let alone a basketball sneakers even though basketball sneakers are close alternatives to soccer/football shoes for their stability, support, material, and technology. 

In this article, I will explain why you should or should not swap your soccer cleats with hoop shoes. So read till the end.

Are Basketball Shoes Good For Soccer?

No, basketball shoes are not suitable alternatives for field soccer. Field soccer is best played in cleats that are either made up of rubber or metal. They allow a better grip on the natural grass and composite field surfaces. However, in indoor soccer, where artificial grass or turf is used as a field surface, you can wear basketball shoes such as indoor soccer hard surfaces. 

Indoor soccer shoes resemble professional basketball shoes a lot. They have a similar rubber outsole and a traction pattern that offer resistance over hard ground indoors. 

However, basketball shoes with mesh and synthetic textile uppers cannot withstand the impact of constantly rolling the ball and kicking it on the soccer ground. 

I prefer my Nike Dunks to play indoor soccer games occasionally. Retro shoes with premium leather are still better for me than most signature shoes I review. Leather will never go out of fashion and demand.

Check our Guide about: Can You Play Basketball In Skate Shoes?

Reasons To Wear Basketball Shoes On Indoor Soccer Field

Are Basketball Shoes Good For Soccer? 4 Reasons To Choose

I found the following features of basketball shoes very supportive of soccer. I want to play more games in my Dunks; check out the benefits before you make up your mind about wearing or not wearing basketball shoes on a soccer field.

1. Comfort

Basketball shoes give elite-level comfort to the athlete’s feet right out of the box. You don’t have to worry about the uncomfortable material no more because basketball shoes are the coziest and most comfortable right out of the box. 

I always found my hoop shoes more comfortable and padded right out of the box. Unlike the dedicated soccer shoes that are low to the ground and cut down on weight by minimizing cushion and internal padding, I felt so comfortable in my professional basketball shoes right out of the box. 

2. High Impact Protection

Another reason for me to prefer basketball shoes over soccer shoes is they have a nearly flat shoe bottom.

Even recently, barefoot shoes for soccer are in trend that is custom made, and guess the catch? They have an insanely high price tag, and the cushion is actually dead.

I felt very well-protected and secure in my well-cushioned basketball shoes. I wear Nike Dunks or Air Jordan 1 for the most part.

The soft bottoms and their ability to absorb impact on running and jumps make them my favorite on the soccer field.

I do not hurt my foot muscles from constant running and jumping. 

3. Maximum Ankle Protection


Basketball shoes are better equipped with ankle protection features. For instance, high-top basketball shoes protect the ankles from twisting. That would keep you safe from rolling your ankles on a soccer field.  

So on soft grounds, I wear basketball shoes. That’s, however not recommended for grass fields (GF) or soft grounds. 

Only professional soccer cleats give high levels of traction and protection on soft grounds like muddy and grassy surfaces.

4. Improved Stability

Basketball shoes that are more stable, so they don’t wobble around the ground like flat-bottomed soccer shoes. 

Basketball shoes have a wide base that act as a stable base and high-side walls of foam or TPU to provide lateral stability.

Reasons To Not Use Basketball Shoes On Indoor Soccer Field

Are Basketball Shoes Good For Soccer? 4 Reasons To Choose

You must avoid wearing basketball shoes on soft grounds and muddy surfaces. Basketball shoes are manufactured to withstand the wear and tear from the basketball court that occurs from excessive lateral moves and jumps. 

However, they do not possess the ability to resist wear from constantly hitting the soccer ball from the shoe upper. That is where we face a major issue in wearing basketball shoes: Durability.

Durability

Basketball shoes don’t have a durable upper that can last longer in a game like the game of soccer. If you wear basketball shoes on a soccer field to save money you don’t want to spend on them, it’s a bad idea because you will ruin the basketball shoes in a few days.

However, the premium leather upper material basketball shoes or shoes that have Flywire upper material can resist tearing down the upper longer than usual mesh material upper.

Heavy Outsole

Basketball shoes are heavier than any other sports wear. Soccer needs a shoe that is minimal on the foot and very lightweight. So it do not hinder the speed and agility of the player running down the soccer field. 

On the contrary, the basketball sheos are heavy bottomed sports wear. That can limit your speed and your legs can feel tired sooner than later after wearing so heavy shoes.

So thats always a better decision to wear dedicated soccer shoes for soccer.

Cleats

Last but not the least, you can experience worst slipping and injuries of you wear the non soccer shoes on the soccer field. 

Soccer shoes have metal or rubber cleats, to allow beast level traction on the soccer fields. While basketball shoes are only meant to be used on hard surfaces like concrete and hardwood. They cannot be as good as a soccer shoe whatsoever.

Check out: Are Basketball Shoes Good For Golf?

Conclusion

No other sports wear can perform better on grass and you are better off with the cleats. You may enjoy one or two beginner level games on hard grounds in basketball shoes but dont go beyond that.

Go buy yourself a soccer cleat. It is imperitive towards good performance!

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