Top 10 Best Traction Basketball Shoes 2023

What’s the first thing you look for in the best basketball shoe? For me it’s traction. I came across many signature shoes from top brands when I was compiling reviews of the best traction basketball shoes.  

Most of them are following the fast footwork of legendary players. As we know it, basketball is a game of quick moves and sudden stops. A great athlete must have a good grip over his moves in the game. An athlete needs gripping traction that gives him great control over sudden stops turns and moves.

However, the traction performance of a basketball sneaker varies on different surfaces. An Indoor best-traction basketball shoe might not be a great performance sneaker on outdoors or on dusty courts.

Here I have compiled a list of the 10 best traction basketball shoes that gives the best control and stability over different surfaces.

Top 10 Best Traction Basketball shoes Reviewed

1-Jordan Luka 1 (Best For Traction And Cushion)

Overall Rating

84%

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Jordan Luke 1 is the top pick from the best traction shoes. Luka Doncic’s signature shoe has a unique traction tread pattern on the translucent outsole. 

The Linear and triangular patterns on the forefoot outsole and the geometric pattern on the bottom give great multidirectional traction. 

It helps you stop on a dime and gives enormous pivoting force. The “Flight wire” upper material extends all the way to the heel. The shoe base is wide. Thus you get a lot of lateral containment. 

It is indeed a great choice for guards. someone who needs better stability with a performance basketball shoe, Jordan Luka 1 is a great pick for them.

The sneaker has a soft cushion with phylon and formula 23 foams. That’s not as plush as Boost but it’s perfect for impact protection and a good court feel.

A piece of Iso plate under the ball of the foot gives impressive lateral stability and grip. It has a thick padded tongue. 

Get a performance-fit version of Jordan Luka 1 that is very durable. The upper material and tongue are a bit heavier and do not allow much airflow around your feet. So breathability is not too good.  

Fit is a bit wider. So it’s better to get a true-to-size pair. 

Also, check our guide on best basketball shoes for flat feet

2-Jordan Zion 2 (Best Outdoor Traction)

Overall Rating

88%

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Jordan Zoin is on our list for its biting traction over the basketball courts. A pattern that looks like herringbone is at the heel of the rubber outsole. While the forefoot outsole has a wavy line traction pattern.

It has better traction than the last Zion 1. The unique pattern offers great support over side-to-side movements and linear stops. 

The Zion 1 has exceptional support with its forefoot strap. That offers a tighter overall fit. The Achillies area is heavily padded to prevent any injury in these mid-cut Zion 2 sneakers.

However few players have reported slight discomfort in the Achilles area. 

Zion 2 has a forefoot zoom unit and a heel Zoom Strobel unit. It’s a balanced cushion for solid impact protection while not compromising on the court feel. 

The upper material is made up of textiles. It lacks a premium feel. But it’s supportive, breathable, and lightweight. Zion 2 is an excellent hoop shoe for those who pop, snap, and make sturdy side-to-side moves.

It fits perfectly on your feet. Zion 2 has a snug fit that hugs your feet. A true-to-size pair would be an appropriate choice.

Also, check our guide on best outdoor basketball shoes.

3-Nike Cosmic Unity 2 (Best Traction Basketball Shoes Ever)

Overall Rating

83%

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Nike Cosmic Unity 2 has just dropped in. it is liked by hoop shoe lovers for its design and features. This best-traction basketball shoe has a solid rubber compounds outsole. The traction pattern is groovy and deep. 

Nike Cosmic Unity 2 traction is one of the top traction patterns. That works great on the outdoor as well as indoor courts. These are great performance basketball shoes with the best outdoor traction

Cosmic Unity 2 features a full-length Zoom Strobel unit. Which is Bouncy and comfortable. The step-in comfort is amazing. it gives a lot of compressions. 

Although the court feel is a bit less with it. But you are going to feel secure with high-impact protection.

The material is light and minimal. It is not stretchy. It needs a little time to break in. it feels hard at first but eventually gets very comfortable from the fit and wraps up well around the feet.

The overall quality of the material is awesome. 

The shoe has nice internal padding. The back of the heel has an internal heel counter. The side walls have plastic material for containment and support

It’s a snug-fit shoe. The Cosmic unity 2 is the best traction shoe for indoors as well as outdoors. Because these offer better grip on all surfaces and the rubber compound is very durable.

Detailed Review: TRC Blaze Court Review

Tommy Liu

“I would consider them a solid Puma performer if not the best. I would rank them above the Puma Nitro and below MB.01.”

4-Nike Kobe 6 Protro (Best Traction Basketball Shoes for Guards)

Overall Rating

89%

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Nike Kobe 6 Protro is un undoubtedly the great performer signature shoe. Its solid traction on a smooth and aggressive surface makes it a perfect basketball shoe.

Nike Kobe 6 Protro has a distinctive snack skin textured material. The design scheme on the outsole is the same, featuring snake scales-inspired traction.

Nike Kobe 6 Protro’s translucent outsole with circular traction pattern gives multidirectional traction. Along with the comfortable cushion, the shoe offers a nice propulsive force. That gets you going really well.

Kobe 6 Protro has a full-length Cushion and a forefoot Air Zoom Turbo unit. That gives a responsive and plush feel.

The material is made of a textile upper with a snake skin pattern on the top. That adds extra durability. It is breathable. 

It fits like any Kobe model. As all the Kobe shoes have a slightly snug fit. 

This Shoe has an external heel counter for support and the material contains the foot on the foot bed. Lateral containment and stability are just on point.

 It’s overall a great performer for all its perfect features. You definitely won’t regret buying a pair.

5-Nike PG 6 (Best Basketball Shoes For Traction and Comfort)

Overall Rating

86%

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PG 06 is the 6th signature shoe of Paul George. The sneaker’s performance is top-tier in all aspect. It’s one of the best traction shoes for basketball for its reliable outdoor and indoor court performance. 

The grooves on the outsole are soft and not too deep. On longer games and dusty courts, the traction is consistent. It has outdone our expectations.

The Pg 6 midsole has a super supportive shank plate combined with the Full-length Nike React foam. These soft and springy midfoot cushioning gives great Arch support.

The outrigger areas on the lateral sides give it superior lateral stability. The heel is also contained in the right area. Overall support is outstanding which makes them the best basketball shoes for flat feet. It’s a low-cut shoe, so the Achilles area is also padded.

The shifty movements are not well supported, it is very low to the ground.

The material on its upper is a textile mesh. It is very thin and lightweight. It feels very cozy and comfortable on foot. The tongue is padded. The fit is perfect when you tie the laces.

6-Puma TRC Blaze Court (Best Traction and Cushion Basketball Shoes)

Overall Rating

75%

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Puma is the most consistent performance basketball brand that is great in all ways. We picked Puma TRC Blaze Court for its outstanding traction. 

It features a full-length herringbone pattern on the outsole. The more horizontal lines on the top help you stop on a dime and allow you to make confident side-to-side moves.

This is the best traction pattern so far for indoor and outdoor.  

The material on Puma TRC Blaze Court is lightweight. It does not look premium. 

However, it is supportive during toe drags and side moves. Fused overlays give it extra strength and durability.

Puma TRC Blaze Court features a full-length Trinomic cushion which is a Pebax foam technically. On the forefoot, it has Profoam plus. That is an injected phylon foam. Overall cushioning setup is so soft. The shank plate underneath gives a nice base. 

Support in the Puma TRC Blaze court is awesome with its synthetic suede material on the sides of the shoe. It contains feet on a footbed. It has a mid-foot shank plate for arch support and an internal TPU heel counter.

The fit on TRC puma Blaze is snug. It will give you a one-to-one fit. You will really enjoy its supportive material and fit. 

It’s not a great option for outdoors. Thin lines on the traction are likely to melt and fuse together on prolonged outdoor uses. So these are indeed the best traction basketball shoes indoors.

7-Adidas Harden Vol.6 (Best Adidas Basketball Shoes for Traction)

Overall Rating

75%

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Adidas Harden vol. 6 is certainly one of the best traction basketball shoes 2022. The shoes’ looks and colorways are very attractive. High school boys are gonna love the aesthetics.

Adidas Harden vol.6 has a midfoot torsional plate and a very nice curve shape outsole. The heel-to-toe transition is very smooth. 

The Support is exceptional which makes them the best Adidas basketball shoes for flat feet. The Harden vol. 6 has Achillies cushion pieces. The 5 round foam provides great ankle support.

The rubber outsole has a herringbone pattern in two different sizes. The rubber grooves are thick to offer a solid grip on the floor. On the dusty court, it is a bit slippery and needs a quick wipe-up. But it provides great traction.

The Adidas harden vol. 6 has a full-length Boost cushion that is very smooth and responsive. The cushion is not too springy. It gives a perfectly balanced cushioning for a nice court feel and impact protection.

The material on Adidas Harden vol. 6 is not so premium for the price. Adidas used recycled material for the top. The shoe is very lightweight.

Its design and colorways make it a good youth basketball shoe for flat feet.

The fit is a bit wide. It can be an issue for slim foot players.

8-Puma Mb.01 (Best Traction Basketball Shoes Outdoor)

Overall Rating

75%

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9-Under Armour Curry 4 Flotro (Best Traction Basketball Shoes 2022)

Overall Rating

75%

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The signature Stephen Curry Shoe that he wears in the finals crushed everyone with his amazing performance.

It has a digital-type traction pattern. That is deep and widely spaced. That grips the floor really well. You would be able to stop, turn and run at a moment’s notice with this superior traction.

The cushion in the curry 4 Flotro is full-length Flow. that is soft and responsive. It does give you a lot of court feel. But it lacks impact protection and bounciness.

Cushioning is identical to that in curry 9. The cushion is more than enough for a quick and shifty player.

Flotro 4 has a synthetic material upper. The synthetic overlays on the different parts give a decent look. The ankle portion and tongue has stretchy and comfortable.

Fit is slightly snug. The wide-feet player might like to go with a half-size-up. The fit overall is very supportive and snug. 

The Flotro has a narrow forefoot area. The side-to-side movements is very supportive. It’s going to support you during the shifty moves. The shoe base is pretty stiff so you got tons of torsional rigidity.

Overall, undoubtedly it’s one of the best traction shoes. That works well on all surfaces.

For more deatils, read Under Armour Curry 4 Flotro Review

Watch Colo Culture Review

“From the performance standpoint, I’ll give it a 9 out of 10 and that’s a pretty much high rating from me and I’ll stick with it for now. Aesthetically, these are 8 out of 10.”

10-New Balance Two Wxy V2 (Best Basketball Shoes For Dusty Courts)

Overall Rating

75%

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New Balance Two Wxy V2 is the best basketball shoe for dusty courts. It is specially designed for positionless players. It offers a lot of balance and grip over the basketball courts.

New Balance Two Wxy V2 traction pattern is slightly different from the rest of the performance basketball sneakers. 

It is a rubber outsole from the forefoot area and a translucent outsole on the heel part. It features a wide radial pattern on the forefoot area and a narrow cellular pattern on the heel. 

It is really outstanding shoe that gives you an effective grip on the court. However, it grips really hard and lacks fluid movements.

The midsole on New Balance Two Wxy V2 is a full-length Fuelcell. That is combined with a thick ABZORB foam in the heel area. Beneath the midsole, there is a rectangular midfoot shank plate for torsional rigidity.

The material in New Balance Two Wxy V2 is Lino-weaver Lite material. That is very soft and extends all the way to the sides of the shoe. It acts as one unit and goes where your feet go. It’s very soft and comfortable.

That’s the one shoe that gives you confidence and grip on basketball courts. While allowing you to move tremendously for hard cutting and pivoting.

For more detail, read New Balance Two Wxy V2 Review

Watch Richee Kim Review

“New Balance did an absolutely great job for 130$. I really can’t complain about anything. These are awesome and fun shoes to play in. I’ll highly recommend you to pick up a pair.”

Things to Consider Before Buying A Best Traction Basketball shoe

You need to look into a few key factors before getting your hands on the best traction basketball shoe. There are many performance hoop shoes that are great at cushioning and support but they absolutely lack at giving a good grip. 

You need to get a great performance shoe that goes with your playoff style and has great traction.  Because if you are slipping a lot in court, nothing can make it up for you.                                         

Outsole Pattern

Different Basketball shoes have a wide variety of outsole traction patterns. Such as herringbone patterns, and other multidirectional traction patterns.

Herringbone pattern outsoles are great at giving a good grip and sudden stops. Multidirectional herringbone patterns in shoes give excellent stability and control to the basketball player.

Other multidirectional patterns like radial and linear patterns also do a great job. So choose a basketball shoe that supports your agility. While you are running up and down the basketball court and support you in stopping at a moment’s notice.

Also Check: Top 10 Best basketball shoes for guards 2022

Outsole Material

Most Basketball shoe outsoles are made up of rubber. Oftentimes they make a translucent rubber outsole too. Both are perfectly fine materials. 

You must take into consideration the thickness and the spacing between the outsole pattern. Some outsole materials and colorways do not pick up dust easily. And ultimately prove to be slip-free sneakers throughout the period of their use. 

That said, do not get a shoe that needs a wipe after every few minutes. Also, pick a dark colorway. Because several light colorways easily get dirty and are prone to slippage on the basketball courts.

Cushion

A player who has to make sudden stops, turns, and jumps must wear a well-cushioned shoe. Basketball players play the game with aggression and need tons of comfort to support their moves. 

However, Having a great cushion does not mean that you go for a shoe that is high up on the ground. It must be adequately cushioned to absorb impact and give premium comfort to the player’s feet.

Boost cushion and Zoom Air are one of the best cushioning technologies in the latest basketball shoes. They absorb impact and improve comfort through their unique technology.

Durability

While looking for a perfect traction outsole for a basketball, it is so important that you look out for the thickness and hardness of outsole rubber grooves. 

Soft rubber grooves easily get damaged while used on tough outdoor surfaces. That significantly reduces their grip on the basketball floor. 

Such sneakers are not great from the price point too. What’s the point of getting a basketball shoe that doesn’t last a season or two? 

Certain brands are launching their shoes with an XDR tag. Basketball shoes with XDR tags have thicker outsoles. They also last longer than their counterparts.

Top 10 Best Basketball Shoes For Flat Feet 2022

Personal Preference

A basketball shoe with a wide base is better from a traction and stability standpoint. But if that does not fits well and you have wiggle room in the forefoot area. Then you must get the one pair that fits you best. 

Selecting the basketball shoe that gives you a one-to-one fit, and goes well with your style is the right way to go.

Conclusion

We have reviewed the most recent 60 shoes for the best traction from all the leading brands. We have reached the conclusion that Nike Cosmic Unity 2 is the best traction basketball shoe ever. This shoe pivot really easily and gives tons of grip.

Adidas Harden Vol.6 is the runner-up in the top ten best traction shoes. Although there is a close margin and it was hard to place it in the second spot. 

But these are the best basketball shoes for traction and ankle support. The shoe will protect you during all the shifty moves and hard cuts.

Jordan Luka 1 is the best budget traction shoe. For only 110$ you get the best traction and bouncy cushion. For the price and performance point, Jordan Luke 1 is the best choice of all.

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