Basketball shoes
Declan ByrdWhen I first started playing basketball I didn't think about my footwear. I turned up to my first session in a pair of generic running shoes and had a great time. Now when I play, I can't even think about playing in anything that aren't basketball shoes.
They became a necessity and a way to express individuality on the court - there were no rules over what colour your shoes had to be. Every player will have their own collection of shoes, but most of mine were thrown away when they got too small, or the shoe broke. With the help of digital receipts, reverse image searching, and my own memories, I've compiled a list of (I think) every pair of basketball shoes that I have played in from oldest to newest.
AND1 Open Run
These were the first basketball shoes that I can remember wearing. Identifying the model of these shoes was a lot harder than anticipated despite having a photograph of me playing in them.
Reebok (model unknown)
I wore these in a Basketball Sussex play-off final in 2008 so I have photographic evidence that these shoes existed. Unfortunately, reverse image searches can't identify the exact shoe so you'll have to take my word for it. They were white leather and had an arc on either side of the shoe that consisted of two different shades of blue. Pretty sure they also had a blue Reebok logo on the tongue of the shoe.
Reebok (model unknown)
These shoes had an elasticated Velcro strap rather than laces which were ideal for someone who used to be paranoid about their shoe laces coming undone mid-game. I remember my parents buying these shoes for me, but again there is no evidence online of these shoes ever existing. They shoes were white leather with a black outsole and had a black elasticated Velcro strap that zig-zagged across the tongue of the shoe.
AND1 (model unknown)
Another pair of shoes that I definitely wore, but don't appear to exist in any way online. I remember having to wear them to school one day as I'd lost my school shoes and these were the closest pair of shoes I had to my black school shoes. These shoes were black leather and had a white outsole with a red trim.
Nike Kobe 5
I remember being in awe that Nike ID was a real thing and I spent every minute I could tweaking the design of these shoes. I received them as a joint Christmas and birthday present. The colours were definitely different but these were the first pair where I had complete control over what they looked like.
Air Jordan Team ISO
Annoyingly, my feet grew and the custom shoes got too small. These Air Jordans were a slightly more subtle on-court look but they were very comfy. I played in a tournament on Brighton beach in these during the summer of 2012.
Air Jordan Aero mania
The subtle shoe colours didn't last long and I chose a bright orange pair. These got worn a lot, until one of the shoelace loops snapped while I was playing.
Nike Overplay VIII
I needed another pair that would arrive relatively quickly and these were on sale at the time. I didn't have long to wear these shoes in as I wore these in an exhibition game against the Toronto Knights who were visiting the UK over the summer and then a week long basketball camp. Compared to some of the previous pairs I'd played in, these ones were just okay. I started looking for another pair not long after.
Nike Hyperdunk 2014
My parents bought these for me when we visited New York on holiday and I got to open them as a joint Christmas and birthday present some months later. These were by far the comfiest and best fitting basketball shoes that I've ever worn. I ran round so many screens in these that the front of the shoe split.
Nike PG 2.5
I liked the Velcro strap across the front of this shoe that helped prevent your foot sliding around in the shoe while you were running. They also had some much appreciated padding around the top of the shoe that gave a bit of protection to your ankle.
Nike Giannis Zoom Freak 3
These were another Christmas present. They have a similar feel to the Nike PG 2.5s but the Velcro strap at the front of the shoe is much shorter.