Boys' Basketball Shoes That Fit Orthotics: From Rec League to Varsity

Basketball is a jumping and landing sport played on a hard floor, and young players do a lot of both. Most of what goes wrong happens at the ankle, and most of the rest happens at the heel. Parents tend to shop for the shoe their son's favorite player wears, in whatever size is on the shelf. This guide is for parents of boys from rec league and AAU through varsity. It covers what the research shows about young players' ankles and heels, and what to look for in a basketball shoe. It also explains how to choose one for a wide, narrow, flat or high-arched foot. Finally, it shows how to fit a custom orthotic inside it.

Shopping for a daughter? Read our guide to girls' basketball shoes. For every sport a high-school boy plays, see our varsity guide for boys. A teenager already in men's sizes can also use our men's basketball shoe guide.

What the Research Shows About Young Players

Nelson and colleagues (2007) reviewed a national sample of high-school sports injuries over a school year. Boys' basketball had the highest rate of ankle injuries of any sport in that study. Borowski and colleagues (2008) looked at two seasons of high-school basketball. The ankle and foot made up 39.7 percent of all injuries in that study, and ligament sprains were the most common diagnosis. Boys had more fractures and bruises than girls. Injuries were more than twice as common in games as in practice.

McKay and colleagues (2001) watched more than 10,000 basketball sessions to find out who sprained an ankle. A previous sprain raised the odds almost fivefold in that study. Players who skipped a warm-up stretch had more than twice the odds. Shoes with air cells in the heel were linked to about four times the odds, though that was one study and shoes have changed since. The lesson for parents is that the risk lives mostly in the player's history and habits, not in the price of the shoe.

Braces and Balance Beat High Tops

Parents often buy high tops to protect an ankle. Barrett and colleagues (1993) randomized 622 players to high-top, low-top or high-top shoes with air chambers. There was no meaningful difference in ankle sprains between the shoes in that trial. A brace is a different story. McGuine and colleagues (2011) randomized 1,460 high-school basketball players to lace-up ankle braces or none for a season. In that trial, the braced players had about a third of the acute ankle injuries of the players without braces. The braces worked for players who had never sprained an ankle as well as for those who had.

Balance work helps too, if the player actually does it. Emery and colleagues (2007) randomized 920 high-school basketball players aged twelve to eighteen. One group added a wobble-board program at home to the team warm-up. That group had 29 percent fewer sudden injuries in that trial. Only about six in ten players did the home program as asked. That tells you where the effort needs to go. For a boy who has sprained an ankle, we suggest both. He should wear a lace-up brace in every practice and game and do a few minutes of balance work most days.

Heel Pain in a Growing Player

Heel pain is a common reason young basketball players end up in a podiatrist's office. In a boy between about eight and fourteen, it is usually irritation of the growth plate at the back of the heel. That is where the Achilles tendon pulls on bone that has not finished growing. Wiegerinck and colleagues (2014) found 3.7 cases for every 1,000 registered patients aged six to seventeen in Dutch family practices. Jumping on a hard floor, a growth spurt that tightens the calf and a season that starts all at once all aggravate it. James and colleagues (2016) randomized 124 children with this heel pain to a heel raise or a ready-made orthotic. Every group had improved about the same amount by the end of the year in that trial. A cushioned heel cup in the game shoe, calf stretches and fewer back-to-back days help most boys keep playing. Heel pain with swelling, a limp or night pain needs an examination. Read more about heel pain that won't go away.

What to Look For in a Youth Basketball Shoe

Proper fit comes first. Klein and colleagues (2009) measured 858 preschool children and their shoes in Austria. Most wore shoes that were too short, and short shoes were associated with a big toe that angled outward. A growing boy can be a half size too short by midseason. Measure both feet each season and fit the longer one. Leave about a thumb's width of room past the longest toe with his game socks on.

• A firm heel counter. Squeeze the back of the shoe. It should not fold.
• A wide, flat base. A sole that flares out a little under the forefoot is harder to roll over than a narrow one.
• A low, firm heel. Soft, tall foam under the heel feels good in the store and wobbles on a landing.
• A removable insole. Most basketball shoes have one. Pull it out and look at the depth underneath.
• Grip that matches the floor. Wipe the soles during games. A dusty sole slips, and a sole worn smooth slips more.

Keep a separate pair for outdoor courts. Asphalt wears the tread down, and a worn sole loses its grip on a wood floor. See our guide on when to replace worn-out shoes.

Getting an Orthotic Into a Basketball Shoe

Basketball shoes are usually the easiest sports shoe to fit with a device. They are deep, and the factory insole lifts out. The catch is that many youth models have a thick foam insole and a snug midfoot. A full device on top of that insole pushes the heel up and squeezes the foot. Take the factory insole out, set the orthotic in, and check that his heel still sits deep in the counter. A slimmer device often works better than a bulky one.

A flat foot alone is not a reason for an orthotic. Wenger and colleagues (1989) followed 129 children with flexible flat feet in corrective shoes, heel cups, custom inserts or nothing. The arches improved in every group, and the treated children did no better than the untreated ones in that trial. An orthotic does not reshape a growing foot. It earns its place in a basketball shoe when there is a problem to treat. Heel pain, an arch that aches after games and pain under the ball of the foot all count. See our guide to flat feet in children.

Match the Shoe to Your Son's Foot

Wide Feet

We found no youth basketball shoe sold in a wide width. The roomiest we found is the Nike Omni Multi-Court for big kids. Nike describes it as wide around the heel and forefoot. Try several brands with the orthotic in, and skip any shoe that presses on the little toe.

Narrow Feet

A narrow foot slides around in a shoe built for a broad one, and a sliding foot rolls. Lace to the top eyelet with a heel-lock loop, and choose a shoe with a snug, padded collar and a firm heel counter.

Flat Feet

A flexible flat foot is common and usually does not hurt. If it aches, a firm heel counter and an orthotic help more than a soft, cushioned shoe. A stiff flat foot that does not form an arch on tiptoe needs an examination.

High Arches

A high-arched foot lands hard and rolls outward easily, which is the classic ankle sprain. Choose a wide, flat sole, a roomy instep and some cushion under the forefoot. A lace-up brace makes sense for a high-arched boy who has rolled an ankle before.

Loose Ankles

A lace-up brace under the sock, a balance program and a low, firm shoe. In that order. Read our guides on ankle sprains and strengthening after a sprain.

School Ball, AAU and the Off-Season

Many boys play school basketball in winter and travel ball the rest of the year. Jayanthi and colleagues (2015) compared 822 injured athletes aged seven to eighteen with 368 who were not injured. Training in a single sport was linked to more injuries and more serious overuse injuries in that study. Playing more hours a week than the athlete's age in years was linked to serious overuse injuries as well. A few weeks with no basketball, or a season of another sport, gives heels and shins a chance to catch up.

Boys' Basketball Shoes to Try

No shoe company pays for placement here. No brand sponsors this article. Every shoe here is our own pick, based on the features above and on what we see in the office.

We do run a separate website, footshop.cc. Patients kept asking where to find the products we talk about in the exam room. So we built a separate site that keeps the links in one place. It includes links to Amazon and other retailers. Every affiliate link over there is disclosed where it appears. If you buy through one of those links, we earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra. We run it as a convenience for our patients, not as a condition of care. You are free to buy any of these shoes anywhere you like, at whatever price you find, with or without our links. Our advice is the same either way.

Medical footwear is not part of that. Prescription shoes, inserts, boots and braces are never on our affiliate site. They are not a shopping link, and we will not treat them like one.

A Roomier Fit

• Nike Omni Multi-Court (big kids'): Nike describes it as wide around the heel and forefoot, with a non-marking sole for indoor courts. It runs small, so Nike suggests half a size up.

Regular Fits

• Nike Ja and Nike Witness (big kids'): one width each.
• Under Armour Lockdown (grade school): one medium width.
• adidas Own the Game (kids'): one width.

For every shoe on this page, lift the insole in the store. If it comes out and the orthotic sits flat with his heel still inside the counter, you are in business. If it is glued, bring the shoe to our office, and we will design the orthotic around it.

What to Check Every Season

• Measure both feet standing, at the end of the day, in game socks. Fit the longer foot.
• Put his orthotic in the new shoe at the store, with the factory insole out. If his heel lifts, try another shoe.
• If he has sprained an ankle before, buy the brace before the first practice and start the balance work.
• Check the soles. Smooth tread on a court shoe means it is time for a new pair.
• Ask about heel pain, blisters and black toenails. Boys tend to hide all three.

When to See a Podiatrist

Bring him in for heel pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks. A limp, swelling or night pain needs an examination too. Come in after a sprain that is still swollen after a week, or for an ankle that keeps rolling. Pain on the outside of the foot after a landing needs an examination to rule out a fracture. So does pain on the top of the foot that gets worse as he plays. If he already wears orthotics and has grown a size, bring the orthotics and his game shoes. Our pediatric foot care page explains how we see young athletes. Our custom orthotics page explains how we make devices.

More reading: everyday athletic shoes for kids and foot care for athletes.