The 5 Best Basketball Shoes for Outdoors

We all love playing outdoors.

Whether it is a pick-up game or training sessions, there are times when you will find playing outdoors more entertaining than playing indoors.

While playing outdoors might be fun, finding the right basketball shoes for outdoors might be difficult.

Apart from the lack of durability, many of the basketball shoes in the market cannot provide proper traction on dusty and hard floors.

We could attribute this to the fact that many of the existing big shoe brands are gearing all their resources towards creating indoor basketball shoes.

When shopping for your next basketball shoes for outdoors, it is important to settle for one that will not only provide proper traction but will also be durable enough.

Shoes with solid rubber outsoles will do quite well on outdoor courts.

While durability and traction are some of the things that you should consider when shopping for your next basketball shoes, comfortability and cushioning is something that you cannot afford to ignore.

Depending on your budget, you can get a pair that is best suited for outdoors while still offering the aesthetics that we all hope for.

Basketball Shoes for Outdoors: What to consider

Outsole/Traction

Unlike indoors, the outdoors is quite unforgiving to the outsole of any basketball shoes. Shoes with solid rubber outsoles tend to perform much better and last longer when used outdoors. In addition, when picking your next basketball shoes, you should also look at the traction.

Different basketball shoes tend to perform differently on various playing surfaces. For instance, the Adidas Dame 5 and the Kyrie 6 tend to pick up dust when used on dusty/outdoor courts and thus will require constant wiping.

The best basketball shoes for outdoors will not only feature a hexagonal or herringbone pattern but will also be quite thick. Many outdoor playing surfaces such as asphalt tend to eat on the outsole of your shoes and thus you should keep all these things in mind when shopping for your next pair.

Upper Materials

For enhanced endurance, you should settle for a pair built using highly durable and resilient uppers. As mentioned earlier, the outdoors tends to be quite demanding and thus you should always settle for a pair that can withstand this.

Outdoors require shoes built with sturdy and tough uppers, and thus when shopping for your next outdoor shoes you should put this into consideration. Always settle for a pair that comes with tough uppers and can withstand the excessive demands of the outdoors.

In addition, you should also settle for a pair that comes with breathable uppers. Apart from helping reduce tiredness of the feet, shoes that come with breathable materials will also help support long playing hours in general.

Best Basketball Shoes for Outdoors

1. Lebron Soldier 13

If you are looking for a great basketball shoes for outdoors that is also an all-rounder, then you should consider the Lebron 13. Designed with a highly durable upper that is not only comfortable but also offers plenty of lockdown.

However, for some players ventilation on this pair might be an issue due to its bulkiness. In addition, the Nike Soldier 13 also comes with a simple herringbone traction on the solid rubber outsoles, which not only attracts little dust but performs well on outdoor courts.

It is important to note that the Lebron 13 lacks laces, with the shoe coming with straps which contribute heavily to its intense lockdown. The Lebron Soldier 13 also comes with well-designed heel and forefront zoom units which offer a great mixture of court feel and impact protection.

Despite being a quality outdoor shoe, the Lebron 13’s come with a hefty price tag. Get the Lebron 13’s directly from Amazon here.

What we liked about the Lebron Soldier 13

  • Designed with highly durable uppers
  • Comes with a solid rubber outsole with herringbone traction
  • Built with forefront and heel zoom units for impact protection and enhanced court feel

What we did not like about the Lebron Soldier 13

  • Ventilation might an issue for some players
  • Quite pricey

2. Under Armor Curry 6

One of the recent releases in Steph Curry’s signature line, the Under-Armor Curry 6 is a well-designed shoe that comes with amazing traction, firm cushioning and plenty of court feel. Built with a solid rubber outsole with herringbone patterns the Under-Armor Curry 6 offers plenty of traction even when making sharp cuts and turns.

In addition, the thick solid rubber traction ensures that the shoe does not attract dust even when playing on dusty courts. Like most of its predecessors, the materials used to design the Under-Armor Curry 6 is quite impressive.

Sporting tightly twisted textile uppers, the Under-Armor Curry 6 offers a flexible fit without being quite stretchy. Nonetheless, the break-in time for these shoes is quite long. While everything else is sport on this trendy silhouette, the cushioning set-up is not that great.

The court feel is awesome while responsiveness and impact protection was average. Get the Under Armour Curry 6 directly from Amazon here.

What we liked about the Under-Armor Curry 6

  • Designed with firm cushioning
  • Comes with a solid rubber outsole
  • Built with flexible and highly durable uppers

What we did not like about the Under-Armor Curry 6

  • Longer break-in time

3. Nike KD 13

One of the most comfortable shoes on the Market, the Nike KD 13 comes with great cushioning and performs well outdoors. Designed with a durable rubber outsole, use the Nike KD 13 on both indoor and outdoor courts.

Thanks to the herringbone traction, the Nike KD 13 picks up very little dust when playing on dusty courts. In addition, the traction works well on all directions and it is thick and tough enough to withstand even the roughest of courts.

The cushioning set-up on these silhouettes is amazing with the pair coming with double stacked Zoom cushioning that offers amazing responsiveness and great impact protection. While the textile material and riptop style used on the KD 13 feel somewhat cheap, they work well on the feet and quite comfortable.

In addition, breathability is not an issue with the Nike KD 13s.

It’s also important to note that if you are a wide footer, then this is not the right shoe for you. The toe box is somewhat tight, making them ideal for players with narrow feet. Buy the Nike KD 13 on Amazon here.

What we liked about the Nike KD 13

  • Comes with a durable rubber outsole
  • Designed with Zoom cushioning that offers great impact protection and responsiveness

What we did not like about the Nike KD 13

  • Materials used on the shoes is not very impressive

4. Adidas D Rose 11

Running half a size larger, the Adidas D Rose 11 is a solid all-round basketball shoe, highly recommended for players with wide feet. Sporting a similar traction pattern to that of D Rose 7, the D Rose 11 offers players one of the best traction systems.

The solid traction system and the rubber outsole make these silhouettes suitable for both outdoor and indoor courts. It is important to note that there is an initial break-in time, but once you get used to these pairs, you will enjoy the traction.

While the mesh uppers on this pair feel somewhat cheap and flimsy, they are highly durable and get the job done. Apart from the traction system and the materials, the Adidas D Rose 11 also comes with insane lateral stability and containment.

Considering this is a pair geared towards guards, you should not expect plenty of ankle support. Built with a full-length Lightstrike cushioning, the D Rose 11 offers outstanding impact protection. All in all, the Adidas D Rose 11 is a great outdoor basketball shoe that comes with great impact protection and solid traction.

Checkout the Adidas D Rose 11 on Amazon here.

What we liked about the Adidas D Rose 11

  • Built with a solid traction system
  • Offers plenty of lateral stability and containment
  • Comes with great impact protection

What we did not like about the Adidas D Rose 11

  • Little to no ankle support

5. Nike Kobe Mamba Fury

Sporting a similar design to the Mamba Focus, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury comes with improved traction and softer cushioning. Featuring tighter spaced treads, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury offers more contact points, giving players more bite on both dusty and clean courts.

However, it is important to note that when playing on dustier courts, you will have to constantly have to clean the outsole. You can checkout this post that we recently wrote on how to properly clean basketball shoes.

Featuring a plastic-based upper, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury is not only highly durable but also quite comfortable on the feet.

Built for maximum comfortability and responsiveness, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury comes with textile uppers and well ventilated mesh. In addition to comfortability, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury also offers great lockdown and support as it features a lateral outrigger, flat base, and stable heel counter.

Like the KD 13’s, the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury is suitable for players with narrow feet. If you have wider feet, then you might have to settle for the Lebron’s Soldier 13.

Because of it’s minimal cushioning, the shoes offers a great court feel but somewhat minimal protection.

Check the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury on Amazon here.

What we liked about the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury

  • Offers solid traction on both indoor and outdoor courts
  • Comes with highly durable uppers
  • Built with Zoom Turbo and cushlon foam for comfortability

What we did not like about the Nike Kobe Mamba Fury

  • Requires lots of wiping on dusty courts