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Best Basketball Shoes For Ball Handlers & Point Guards

By 02.12.2020December 7th, 2020Reviews

The Best Basketball Shoes for Guards

If you are a quick guard and you like to beat your opponent off the dribble with deadly crossovers and smooth pull-up jumpers you need shoes that can keep up with your style of play.

What up guys? I’m Max, and today, I’ve got a top list for you guys. This is the top basketball shoes for Point Guards and ball handlers.

So, basically what a Point Guard needs in his basketball shoe is, I would say, responsiveness. So if the shoe makes you feel a little bit slow, if it’s heavy, if the cushion’s a little too soft, then obviously you’re not going to feel very fast in the shoe. So cushioning isn’t the most important, but it’s nice to have, as long as it doesn’t make you feel slow. Support needs to be there, especially if you’re doing a lot of lateral movements, a lot of Point Guards nowadays are very shifty. And the shoe overall needs to be pretty light.

Best Basketball Shoes For Point Guards

Point guards basketball shoes best choice:

Under Armour Curry 7 Basketball Shoes

 4,9 Rating

Product Details:

  • Upper features translucent layering of synthetic leather, mesh & TPU
  • Foam padding in the collar & heel for added comfort
  • Internal counter lining provides immediate step-in comfort & stability
  • Flexible plate adds support & stability to every move
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The Under Armour’s Curry 7 is a basketball shoe designed by Stephen Curry. As a professional basketball player, he knows that you need a comfortable and durable shoe to last through the season. Stephen went from a 3-star recruit to a 3x world champion through focus and controlling the court. Curry basketball shoes are built for his style of play—for quick response, stability, and to help you cover more ground.

Point guards basketball shoes best design:

Jordan Jumpman Basketball Shoes

 4,9 Rating

Product Details:

  • High quality rubber sole
  • Flight branding on the heel
  • A foam midsole and herringbone rubber outsole
  • herringbone rubber outsole made for the court
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Like the good ‘ol days when Brand Jordan was first starting out, the takedown, or team models, featured just as much tech as the main flagship model. Traction looks beastly as herringbone continues to be used on Jordan Brand performance models while the cushion setup is forefoot Zoom Air. The midsole is Phylon and will not feature heel cushion, but the small little divot should add a bit of compression just in case you strike with your heel.

Point guards basketball shoes best cushion:

adidas Dame 6 (Damian Lillard) Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Sock-like fit, webbed lacing system
  • Textile upper, snug feel
  • Light and breathable b-ball shoe
  • Super-light Lightstrike cushioning
  • Herringbone rubber outsole
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Attack the hoop with precision and control. These adidas basketball shoes are super-lightweight so you can blaze up the floor. They feature a herringbone rubber outsole that gives you the traction you need to stop, cut, and score at will. A unique design on the outsole highlights Damian Lillard’s quiet leadership on the court and outspoken personality off of it.

Best basketball shoes for quick guards:

Nike PG 3 (Paul George) Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • A booties’ construction creates a snug, secure fit
  • An outsole pattern provides excellent multidirectional traction with a distinct aesthetic
  • The padded collar durable fabric hugs the ankle without sacrificing agility
  • A Zoom Air offers a springy, responsive feel that returns your energy on the court
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Point guards basketball shoes best traction:

It’s a basketball shoe that requires a bit more break-in time that some of us may be used to in today’s modern era of textiles and knits but once you put that time into them, you’re rewarded with a great budget-friendly hoop shoe.

Puma Clyde Hardwood Retro Fantasy Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • The dynamic lacing system provides a secure sure-footed feel
  • Premium knitted upper with leather overlays
  • Padded tongue and collar for comfort
  • Full-length ProFoam midsole
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Off-court drip and on-court dominance are one in the same with Clyde Hardwood Retro Fantasy, featuring vintage looks inspired by the original baller, Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Stacked with PUMA Hoops tech, like ProFoam for insane energy return, forefoot webbing for unmatched stabilization, and a clean, vintage-inspired design, these kicks are just as comfortable in game as they are for the post-game presser.

Best basketball shoes for shooting guards:

Under Armour Curry 2 Low Energy

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Upper molds to the foot for a precision fit, eliminating all distraction
  • Perforated engineering offers lightweight, durable breathability
  • External heel counter & midfoot shanks deliver locked-in stability through heel
  • High abrasion skin on the toe tip increases durability
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Supplied by a premier sneaker marketplace dealing with unworn, already sold out, in demand rarities. Each product is rigorously inspected by experienced experts guaranteeing authenticity. Give your days a kick thanks to these blue ultra Curry 2 Low sneakers from Under Armour. And bounce onto any adventure life throws at you. Featuring a perforated style, branded detailing to the sides, a logo patch at the tongue, a lace-up front fastening, a round toe and a flat rubber sole.

Air Jordan 34 Low 'Heritage'

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Applies a familiar color scheme to the performance hoops shoe
  • The upper is constructed from black textile with matching black suede overlays at the toe and heel
  • An exposed padded, while the pull loop and layered tongue remain intact
  • It Is embellished with silver Jumpman branding and a classic Flight logo in red
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Arriving in Black, Metallic Silver, White and Red Orbit, this basketball sneaker is ready to be worn. Sporting a breathable mesh black upper with suede around the toes and ankle and leather on the forefoot, Red Orbit accents accompany the design throughout to give off just the right amount of color. Silver branding along with a white midsole and outsole finishes off the summer-ready design.

Nike Air Zoom UNVRS FlyEase Basketball Shoe

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Rubber outsole with cylindrical node pattern offers durable traction
  • Lightweight, resilient foam midsole
  • Re-engineered Flyknit construction is lightweight, breathable and supportive
  • Articulated strap is connected to Flywire cables that lock the upper down over your foot with one upward pull
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Built for all basketball players the Nike Air Zoom UNVRS with FlyEase technology gives you a quick and easy way to get into your shoes and onto the court. The heel of the shoe folds down to let you slip in then a strap secures the fit.

adidas Harden Vol. 4 (James Harden) Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Regular fit, unique lacing system, textile lining
  • Textile upper with midfoot band for lockdown and stability
  • Rubber outsole with generative traction inspired by and tailored to James Harden’s movements
  • Super light Lightstrike cushioning for explosive, dynamic speed
  • Stable, locked-down feel, banking barrier for lateral stability
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These basketball shoes are designed specifically for James Harden’s game to help him stay strong in the fourth quarter. Featuring ultra-lightweight and responsive midsole cushioning, they have a midfoot band for the added lockdown and stability needed to make hard, decisive cuts. A rubber outsole tailored to Harden’s signature on-court movements provides outstanding traction and grip.

Point guards basketball shoes best price:

Nike Kyrie 6 (Kyrie Irving) Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Mesh forefoot material is lightweight and breathable.
  • Plush, padded collar gives you a secure, ankle-conforming fit.
  • External heel piece helps keep your ankle from slipping.
  • Reinforced toe helps resist abrasion.
  • Leather, synthetic leather and textile upper materials
  • Foam midsole, padded collar
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Shredding defenses with speed, Kyrie Irving attacks from all angles using an explosive first step and impossible-to-guard-moves. The Kyrie 6 enhances his on-court acceleration with a large Nike Air Zoom Turbo unit in the forefoot and curved outsole for precision quickness.

Nike KD 12 (Kevin Durant) Black Cement Basketball Shoes

 4,8 Rating

Product Details:

  • Full-length Nike Zoom Air cushioning provides a great heel-to-toe transition
  • The rubber outsole offers excellent traction
  • A textile and synthetic upper
  • A Flyknit constructed tongue covers your top foot in comfort
  • Perforated padding hugs our ankle for a snug lift
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The pair sports a black mesh upper with red branding hits on the tongue, medial side panel, and heel. Instead of elephant print, this pair features cement print on the tongue, laces, midsole, and Swoosh. It sits atop Zoom Air cushioning, and a translucent outsole. Given the predominantly black look, this pair is the perfect option for Nets faithful to match with their new Durant jersey during the upcoming NBA season. Nike designer Leo Chang and his team integrate KD’s preferences and personal history into his signature shoes, and this colorway recalls his favorite Jordans while matching the motif of his upcoming 2019 team, the Brooklyn Nets. The KD 12 features an updated Zoom cushioning unit that’s stitched closer to the foot for a more responsive feel.

What is the best basketball shoe for a point guard?

All right, we’re going to move on to the first tier. So in the first tier we’ve got the Curry 7. The Curry 7, I never have to worry about it. It’s minimal. It’s super light, probably one of the lightest shoes on this list. Traction is really, really nice. Good on a clean court and really good on a dusty court. I’d say the cushion, not the best, but it gets the job done and you feel really quick and fast in the shoe. So the Curry 7 is in the first tier.

Next shoe is the Jordan Jumpman. First of all, I just really like how the shoe looks. For the price, you get really nice material, it’s like a textile / EM material and the traction is incredible. Really, really nice on a clean and dusty setting. Cushioning, still really nice. The foam that the Jordan brand’s been using is soft. You’ve got a nice bounce in the forefoot from the Zoom unit and support and all that is there. So a really, really nice shoe if you like to feel quick and fast.

You guys already know about this shoe, the PG3. Incredible cushion, incredible traction. Materials are very thin. Very light feeling shoe as well. PG3’s got to be one of the favorite shoes on this list.

Moving on to the next shoe, is the Jordan 34. Basketball shoes Jordan 34 if you want to feel quick and light. It’s probably one of the lightest Jordan shoes in this lineup that’s ever been made. And the traction’s really nice, you’re just going to need to wipe a little bit on dust, but it’s a quick and easy wipe. Cushioning is incredible with that forefoot Zoom unit. It’s a really large forefoot Zoom unit, it’s bouncy even if you like your playing in close. You feel very explosive. And then, the materials are super thin, paper thin. So it’s a light and minimal finished shoe and also very responsive.

And same thing goes with the Curry Low 2. Incredible traction, you have the alto curvature, which keeps you on your toes. You have that extra grip on the sidewall, on the medial side. And the materials and all that are super supportive, pretty damn nice for a $110 shoe as well. The cushioning sucks. So the cushioning is really bad.

Same thing goes with the Kyrie 6. Really, really nice traction, but it was a little iffy on dust. It is a light wipe though, so you just do a light wipe and the dust is gone, but you’re going to need to wipe pretty frequently, so just watch out for that. Cushioning is pretty nice, you have a little bit of heel compression, that Zoom turbo on the forefoot feels really nice though.

And then just the overall shoe is super, super supportive. So if you’re doing any type of lateral movements, whatever weight you are you’re going to feel supported. Also, another thing is it’s not the lightest and most minimal feeling shoe, which kind of sucks, but also you feel responsive playing. The traction and all that’s good, so if you don’t mind the weight as much, but personally, I like to have a little bit more of a minimal type of shoe. So there’s that.

Next shoe is the Clyde Hardwood, and that’s Puma’s new basketball shoe. Traction is incredible. It does pick up a little bit of dust, but it is a pretty light and easy wipe. Cushioning is still really responsive, they’re using the pro foam, which is mostly responsive, not a lot of softness or plushness to it, but there’s a little bit of compression and it’s slightly soft. Materials are incredible. It feels really soft in the forefoot with that knit material and then you have pretty nice leather material on the back. And overall you just feel really light and quick on your feet when you’re playing this.

Next shoe is the Kobe 4 Protro. Donny Boy had issues with his translucent pair, but I got the fade to black color with solid rubber outsole, and that traction is really. Cushion, incredible. But also you feel fast, so it’s a nice medium, it’s not too soft or anything like that. And the materials, they’re okay. There’s a little bit of pinching and you need to break in a little bit, but once you break it in materials gets soft and it’s very supportive. So, Kobe 4 Protro, really nice pick.

So here’s my list. I have two tiers, so let’s get it started off with the Harden Volume Four. So the Harden Volume 4 is really nice. I actually have two colors of it. So my first pair is a gray one, is a fully translucent also, and I had a few issues with that on dust. And then I got a solid rubber with that green glow color, and I thought that was going to be a little bit better, but it’s still not the best on dust. If you’re playing on a clean court, traction’s incredible, but dust it wasn’t the best. So that’s why I’m putting it tier-two.

Cushion is really nice though. Light strike cushion, you’ve got pretty good impact protection for how thin it is. The court feels incredible in that shoe. Materials are soft and very comfortable, but the shoe overall is really supportive as well. So the Harden Volume 4 is very nice.

Same thing with the Dame 6, same exact thing. Really, really good traction on a clean court, but dust it was a little iffy. If I let too much dust build up I would just slide out, but everything else about that shoe, the cushioning is incredible, it’s soft. It might be a little bit too soft for some people. If you want a very responsive cushioning, it’s probably not the best option, but I really liked it. Material, not the best quality, but it’s 110 bucks so you can’t really complain.

And then, same exact thing for the KD12. The KD12 is incredible, it’s actually really nice. The material is super thin, especially in the forefoot, you have that smooth mesh. The tongue is very plush, that helps the material feel a little bit more premium. The cushioning setup, as you guys know the full length Zoom strobel is very, very nice, but the traction on dust was also pretty bad for me. Pretty hard to wipe, and if you let too much dust build up, it does slide out.

So a lot of you guys said the solid rubber outsole was a lot better. So I’m believing you guys, I’m taking your word for it. You guys were telling me in Instagram comments that the solid rubber was a lot better. So if that was the case, I didn’t personally try it, but if that’s the case, I’d probably put it in the first tier. But because I didn’t try it, I’m just putting it in the second tier. But if you can, try to get the solid rubber outsole.

All right, next is the Zoom UNVRS. So the Zoom UNVRS, same exact thing. Really no problems with dust, but I would slide out just a little bit if I was doing a hard stop. A hard lateral movement, I would experience it slide just a little bit. So because of that, I’m putting it in second tier.

Everything else about the shoe was incredible though. It’s supportive, but the materials, it feels like a sock. It’s super comfortable and you have that incredible cushioning setup. I’d say one of my favorite cushioning setups of the year with that Zoom strobel unit, the full length Zoom strobel, and you have a soft foam. So Zoom UNVRS, incredible shoe, just watch out for any hard lateral movements.

Nike Kobe 4 Protro Undefeated Los Angeles Lakers

More Information

These shoes are a part of a pack of four Kobe 4 Protros that represent members of Team Kobe. This purple and gold colorway not only salutes Kobe’s monumental career as a Laker, but also nods to Laker rising star and Team Kobe player Kyle Kuzma.

New Balance OMN1S

More Information

The same thing goes with OMN1S, the New Balance OMN1S. Traction’s incredible. Really wipes out. It does pick up a little bit of dust, but it is an easy wipe. And then you have an incredible cushioning set up, that full length blue sole. You get really good court feel. You get really good bounce. You get really good impact protection. It’s soft, but also you get really good court feel. And it feels really soft, incredible on foot, but it’s also really supportive. So the OMN1S, really, really nice. So that about wraps it up for this video. Again, if you guys want a cop, I’ll try to leave links to all the shoes below. My favorite three shoes on this list will have to be, I really love the OMN1S. The OMN1S is really nice. I love the Kobe 4 Protro and I love the PG3.

I added inexpensive Chinese LI-NING Wade Shadow and Peak Streetball Master to my review. And also universal Nike men’s basketball shoes: Nike Mamba Focus.

Peak Lou Williams Streetball Master

More Information

This basketball shoes is Louis Williams Streetball Master series, it uses peak special technical structures to provide protection, package and support, give wearer comfortable and breathable wearing experience. Good inexpensive sneakers for basketball. They are perfect for playing on outdoor courts.

LI-NING Wade SHADOW

More Information

Li-Ning company has released basketball shoes for Wade. LI-NING Wade SHADOW Cushion Mid Basketball Shoes cushion mid basketball court shoes use simple and stylish colorway. I recommend them only for playing on the basketball court.

Nike Mamba Focus

More Information

Reliable and inexpensive sneakers for basketball. Like Kobe Bryant’s Mamba alter ego, the Nike Kobe Mamba Focus Basketball shoe is designed with a low profile and built for quick attack movements on the court.

What makes a great shoe for point guards and shooting guards?

Best Basketball Shoes For Guards

Traction

As a quick guard, traction is by far the most important aspect of a shoe’s performance. Sticky traction will allow you to blow by your defender with an explosive first step, help you to stop on a dime when attacking the basket, and give you the necessary grip to pester your opponent on defense. Shoes with bad traction will rob you of all your quickness, negate all your strengths, and might even make you slip on an opponent’s crossover – nobody wants that!

So, the most important thing as a guard is to get shoes with amazing traction.

Cushion

Shoes with comfortable cushioning that make you feel like you’re walking on clouds are great for heavy big guys, but not for shifty guards. As a guard, you probably weigh a lot less than the Shaqs of this world, and therefore you need a lot less impact protection. In fact, mushy and soft cushioning often has a negative effect on your speed and quickness as it takes away from your court feel and makes cuts and first steps a split second slower.

As a guard, you want to have a responsive cushioning setup with excellent court feel that doesn’t take away from your quickness.

Style of Silhouette

In today’s game, most guards are playing in low or mid-top basketball shoes. These shoes are cut a lot lower around the ankles compared to traditional basketball “boots”. This style reduces the weight and allows a greater amount of flexibility and freedom of movement. The lost ankle support is made up for with other support features like extended outriggers and sturdy heel counters. If you still don’t feel comfortable playing in low-tops, or you are recovering from an ankle sprain take a look at ankle braces. Steph Curry is wearing an ankle brace every game, and he’s doing okay! Low or mid-tops are the way to go for guards.

There’s a lot of shoes that I’m missing. There’s a lot of nice shoes. All these shoes are pretty much you can’t really go wrong with. But anyways, hoping that helps you guys out and I’ll see you guys next time.

Max (BasketStore)

Max (BasketStore)

The author of the blog, a former professional athlete, and now just a basketball fan.

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