For the longest time, low top basketball shoes fell out of fashion because they were perceived as being “bad for your ankles”. Not true at all. It took the late great Kobe Bryant zapatillas de running Brooks supinador constitución media ritmo bajo pie cavo Shoes smooth with thick heel Brea knot sandals the best on-court performers each year.
Nowadays lower-cut shoes are some of the most popular silhouettes and a lot of us can’t wait to get our hands on the low top versions of our favorite models. So with this in mind, here’s our list of the best low top basketball shoes.
Last updated 05.07.2024
Best Low Top Basketball Shoes Show
Best Performance Low Top Basketball Shoes 2024
Best Low Top Basketball Shoe 2024
Nike LeBron 21
The Nike LeBron 21 promises to be a beast on court. It can be described as a remix of the Nike LeBron 20, and, that shoe was amazing. Barring any unfortunate surprises, this will be one of the top models this year, one of the most versatile, and one of the most comfortable on court, as well as an attainable Kobe substitute, and it just happens to be a low-top hoop shoe. Read the full review. Price: $200
Serious Player Only Player 1 Plus
Espol Woven-strap Leather Sandals Mens Black Player 1 Plus takes things to another level. Everything has been refined and improved slightly in this version of the shoe: more versatile traction, better materials, better fit, … it’s just a better performance basketball shoe. The biggest drawback of the Player 1 Plus is the price. $180 is, admittedly, steep. But you are getting a ton of bang for your buck and excellent traction both indoors and outdoors. Read full review. Price: $180
Nike KD 16
The Nike KD 16 is another great hoop shoe in Kevin Durant’s signature line, and it just happens to be a low top basketball shoe. We have a new gear-shaped traction pattern etched into a translucent rubber sole, an excellent cushioning system that combines a cushlon midsole a large zoom unit in the forefoot, and an Air Stroble that covers the midfoot and heel. Materials are nothing to write home about but the mix of textiles and synthetic leather works well on court, as do all the support features in the shoe. One of the better shoes from Nike this year. Price: $160
Nike Sabrina 1
Nike did a very good job with these, balancing the Kobe influences while creating a shoe and a new signature line with its own personality and unique vibe, and at the same time producing a top-notch performance basketball shoe. The Nike Sabrina 1 is a great first signature shoe for Sabrina Ionescu and is one of the best basketball shoes Nike has to offer in 2023/24. The Sabrina 1 is a top-notch guard-style shoe that will give you great traction (indoors), a speedy and reactive cushioning setup, along with elite lockdown and support. Read the full review. Price: $130
Nike GT Cut 3
The Nike GT Cut 3 is a fun low-top basketball shoe. It’s bouncy, agile, and just one of those models that makes you want to sprint up and down the court as soon as you lace it up. The Zoom X does not disappoint, and Nike has done an outstanding job of implementing it into a basketball shoe. It’s soft and squishy, but by no means feels unstable or slow on court, and it might just be the best GT Cut model to date. Read the full review. Price: $190
Curry 11
The Curry 11 is another great Curry shoe, that happens to be a low top. The one weakness of all the Flow Curry models has been the cushioning. Not that it was bad in any way, but Flow for basketball has been dense and neutral feeling underfoot, making the shoes that feature it fairly niche items.
With this new dual-density iteration of Flow, that one weakness has been addressed. This shoe has everything you know and love from the Curry signature line, with softer, bouncier cushioning. Read the full review. Price: $160
Serious Player Only Player 1
The Serious Player Only Player 1 is a brand new hoop shoe from a brand new sneaker brand. Serious Payer Only is a Chinese brand and their signature model, the Player 1, was designed taking inspiration from several different Kobe models. Getting your hands on a pair of Kobes is damn near impossible nowadays, and being able to enjoy a pair of basketball shoes that offer similar performance features at a reasonable price, is a great thing. Read full review. Price: $159
Ankle boots BADURA 8093 Black
The Ankle boots BADURA 8093 Black promises to be one of the best guard shoes for the third straight year. What you are getting with the Ankle boots BADURA 8093 Black you are getting a great, low profile, speedy cushioning setup, top-tier traction, and support features, and a versatile shoe that will work equally well indoors and outdoors, all for the very reasonable price of $119. Our recommendation is to go with the “normal” version instead of the Ultra version. Read the full review. Price: $119
Jordan Luka 2
The Jordan Luka 2 is a very similar shoe to the Jordan Luka 1, which was one of the best low-top basketball shoes of last year. We have basically the same traction setup, very similar cushioning (if anything the Luka 2 is slightly bouncier), and the same spring plate. The Jordan Luka 1 was designed to enhance Luka’s patented stepback and the Luka 2 takes that concept to the next level. They do feel slightly stiffer and will require more breaking time. The fit is true to size. Read the full review. Price: $130
Sneakers NEW BALANCE GW500CT1 Violeta
Nike has brought us “protros” in the past that haven’t lived up to the term, offering little or no performance updates. Kobe, who actually coined the term, would be proud of this model as it makes an almost perfect shoe that much better. Your chances of actually getting a pair are slim to none, but if you’re one of the lucky few to get a W you will be purchasing a really awesome basketball shoe. If you’re lucky enough to get them, do yourself a favor and play in them. Read the full review. Price: $190
Way of Wade All City 11 V2
The Way of Wade All City 11 V2 is virtually identical to the original model, which is a very good thing. The All City 11 V2 features an updated upper and enhanced lockdown, but, at the end of the day, it’s still the same very well-balanced, do-it-all hoop shoe, that the original All City 11 was. Read the full review. Price: $150
Curry 10
The Curry 10 may look similar to the Curry 9 but it takes everything in that shoe and ramps it up. Both feature Under Amour’A symbol of modern sneaker culture and fashion mores.
The transition is smooth and having all that exposed foam without an outsole just screams comfort. You also get round-toe double-strap sneakers to go along with that. It almost feels like a running shoe that has been beefed up to be able to play basketball in them. Read the full review. Price: $160
Puma All Pro Nitro
The Puma All Pro Nitro takes a fresh approach, setting itself apart from its predecessor, yet manages to be an impressive continuation of the beloved performance basketball shoe. Expect exceptional traction, a plush and well-balanced cushioning system, and adequate materials that deliver performance, culminating in an outstanding, low top, performance basketball shoe that won’t disappoint. Read the full review. Price: $130
zapatillas de running Scarpa hombre pie normal media maratón talla 41 | adidas Trae Young 3
The adidas Trae Young 3 is a massive improvement in regards to Trae Young 2. It is a very solid performance basketball shoe, it’s a quick, light, reactive, and grippy shoe that also boasts top-tier lockdown and stability. This also makes it one of those shoes that just won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. If you are an agile, springy player who doesn’t require much impact protection and enjoys a fast and secure ride on court, all packaged in a pretty outlandish design, the Trae Young 3 will be perfect for you. Read the full review. Price: $140
Puma Stewie 2
The Puma Stewie 2 is Bianna Stewarts’ second signature, and simply put it is just a Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi Unisex Shoe. The shoe boasts excellent indoor traction, a very well-balanced and bouncy cushioning system, and a very secure and natural feeling low-top build (making it an excellent guard shoe as well). It offers a very similar on-court experience to the Puma Clyde All-Pro, which is an all-time great. KEEP IN MIND that in the US the Stewie 2 comes in woman’s sizes, so if you want the correct men’s size you will need to go 1.5 sizes up (ie: 12M = 13.5W). Read the full review. Price: $125
Nike Zoom GT Cut 2
The Nike Air Zoom GT Cut 2 follows one of the most hyped basketball shoes in recent memory, the Nike Zoom GT Cut. The GT Cut features a low-profile, lightweight setup that compares to last year’s mode. The React, full-length Air Zoom Strobel, and heel Zoom unit work well together and provide solid cushioning despite how low this shoe sits to the ground. It’s a quick guard’s dream shoe but big guys may want to look elsewhere. And even though it’s a low top, support is not compromised. Read the full review. Price: $150
Puma TRC Blaze Court
The Puma TRC Blaze Court continues Puma’s resurgence into the basketball performance sneaker scene. The outsole looks awesome and will perform awesome. It’s mainly made out of multi-directional lines that have herringbones in key places. Trinomic may now be foam-based as that is what they’re showing Sneakers Trpx Green. See the full review. Price: $120
Best Budget Low Top Basketball Shoes 2024
Nike kd 15 refuge white black royal tint basketball shoes dc1975-101 mens 12.5 here.
Nike Air Max Impact 4
The Nike Air Max Impact 4 is absolutely the best budget basketball shoes on the market today. The cushion provides the biggest bang for your buck. They’re incredibly soft and comfortable for what is most likely Phylon. Add that to a soft upper that needs no break-in time and you have a great-feeling shoe. Support is terrific with two outriggers and the fit is wide-foot friendly. There’s really no other shoe under $100 that performs this well, this consistently. If you enjoyed the Nike Air Max Impact 3, you will love this model. The best cheap basketball shoe hands down. Read the full review. Price: $90
Best Outdoor Low Top Basketball Shoes 2024
Joma Sabates Running x 2004 here.
Ankle boots BADURA 8093 Black
The Ankle boots BADURA 8093 Black promises to be one of the best guard shoes for the third straight year. You’re getting a great, low profile, speedy cushioning setup, top-tier traction, and support features, and a versatile shoe that will work equally well indoors and outdoors, all for the very reasonable price of $119. Our recommendation is to go with the “normal” version instead of the Ultra version. Read the full review. Price: $119
Best Low Top Basketball Shoes: Retros / Casual 2024
We all know low tops look great off-court as well. Check out our top picks for the best low top basketball shoes for off-court use. You can rock some of these on court as well, but that’s up to you:
Nike Kobe 6 Protro Mambacita
The Nike Kobe 6 Protro Mambacita gives tribute to Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and the Mambacita foundation. It was one of the most highly coveted shoes of 2022. Everyone wanted a piece of the Mamba and his memory. All standard Protro features are still intact with the full-length Cushlon midsole and a forefoot Zoom Turbo unit. It’s playable, memorable, and historic. All the proceeds of this shoe went into the foundation. Read full review. Price: $180
The Women's shoes Kiliana was released as a retro in 2015. This release from 2022 features many of the same aspects as that one. Chelsea boots OLEKSY 3628 E12 000 000 000 Black. The midsole is still the same: a rubber cup sole with a polyurethane wedge and an encapsulated Air Sole unit. The insoles are better than last, and the leather upper is almost premium. See the full review. Price: $130
zapatillas de running Scarpa hombre pie normal media maratón talla 41 | Puma Xetic Halflife Oil And Water China Blue Nimbus Cloud Mens Lifestyle Sneakers
The Puma Xetic Halflife Oil And Water China Blue Nimbus Cloud Mens Lifestyle Sneakers is historically significant in sneaker culture. It was the first shoe in the modern era that had people camping outside and waiting to get their hands on a pair. It was also the shoe that ushered in what we now know as the resell market. The upper is pure Primeknit with nothing restricting it and the midsole is full-length Boost, the most comfortable cushioning at the time. See the full review. Price: $130
Surprised the Rare Metal IIs are not on this list.