You’re on the hunt for the perfect pair of basketball shoes for your middle schooler.

You’ve seen some but you’re not sure which are the best for them.

This isn’t something you have to stress about or have a tough time coming to a decision on, it’s just a matter of spotting certain attributes and understanding what type of player your child is.

In this guide, we not only give you a list of the best basketball shoes for middle school students but exactly what attributes you need to look for in basketball shoes to determine the overall quality and whether or not they’re right for your child.

The Top 5 Best Basketball Shoes for Middle School

The Top 5 Best Basketball Shoes for Middle School

Kids’ Pre School Jet 2019 Basketball Shoe

The Kids PreSchool Jet 2019 Basketball Shoe is a great option for middle schoolers. This shoe has a comfortable rubber sole that provides ease during gameplay. The mid top design offers a sufficient amount of ankle support while still being versatile enough for ankle mobility. The TPU film toe cap keeps your toes protected while the mesh and textile upper offer extra support and breathability. The compression molded EVA allows for this shoe to deliver a responsive ride while still being lightweight. A perfect combination for middle school basketball players.

Pros

• Lightweight and responsive
• TPU film toe cap
• EVA sockliner for extra support and comfort
• Molded heel construction

Cons

• Narrow

Kids’ Ownthegame Wide Basketball Shoe

The Kids Ownthegame Wide Basketball Shoe comes with a Cloudfoam cushioned midsole for comfort while the Adiwear outsole makes them durable enough to play in regularly. The Ortholite sockliner adds an extra layer of comfortability and this shoe is also excellent for kids with wide feet due to its mid cut and wide fit. A shoe designed with your child’s comfort in mind.

Pros

• Ortholite sockliner promotes performance and comfort
• Great for wide feet
• Good ankle support
• Durable outer material

Cons

• Runs large

Kids’ Pro Next Basketball Shoe

The Kids’ Pro Next Basketball Shoe is made for both maximum comfortability and agility with its rubber outsole that adds elevated grip and traction so you don’t have to worry about your child slipping. The Lace-up closure keeps the foot secure and the round box keeps the toes protected. If it’s one thing the Kids Pro Basketball Shoe does not lack, its cushioning. It not only includes a padded tongue and collar but a padded footbed as well, ensuring there’s no friction and your child plays comfortably the entire game.

Pros

• Padding on the tongue, collar and midsole
• Lace-up closure
• Elevated traction

Cons

• Color on the picture is different from the shoe. Shoe is pictured with gold on the inside, actual color is orange

Boy’s BGS Lockdown 3 Basketball Shoe

The Boy’s BGS Lockdown 3 Basketball Shoe is a mid-top, durable shoe that is excellent for an all-around style of play. There’s no need to worry about the comfort that this shoe provides as it has a layer of enhanced cushioning around the ankle to prevent friction and blisters. You can achieve that perfect fit for your child because of the adjustable lacing system and with the synthetic mesh upper, your child will not only be able to move around freely but will continuously receive a good amount of ventilation throughout the shoe, keeping their feet cool and comfy.

Pros

• Adjustable lacing system to achieve a perfect fit
• Lightweight
• EVA sockliner for extra support
• Exceptional ankle support

Cons

• Not much arch support
• Lace attachments are weak

Boy’s BPS Lockdown 3 Basketball Shoe

The Boy’s BPS Lockdown 3 Basketball Shoe has an EVA injected midsole to ensure pleasant play for the entire duration of the game. The leather overlays offer stability to your midfoot and the synthetic mesh while durable, allows breathability. Your child will have increased floor control due to the Herringbone traction pattern that has added flex grooves that promotes more flexibility.

Pros

• Excellent traction
• Leather overlays lock your foot in place
• Cushioned midsole

Cons

• Weak toe box

What To Look for Before You Choose a Basketball Shoe for Your Middle Schooler

Brand

Considering a particular brand for your shoe does not have to do with just style, but the overall quality. Shoes like Nike, and Adidas are well known not just for their clout, but also for their comfortable style of shoes.

Particular players in the NBA have their own line of shoes they like to wear.

Lebron James has a line of high-quality shoes that are perfect for middle schoolers, like the Lebron Xvii, which are very comfortable and can handle heavy amounts of play on a daily basis.

There are other NBA players that have a high-quality selection of shoes such as Kyrie Irving with the Boy’s Kyrie Flytrap II Basketball Shoe, that are one of the best pair of youth basketballs shoes that are available today and Michael Jordan’s Kids’ Team Hustle D 8 (Gs) Basketball Shoe which are very comfortable, yet lightweight.

Finding a great youth basketball shoe starts with a reputable brand that is known for producing quality shoes.

Support

There are three main styles of shoes that basketball players where and they are, high top, mid-top and low top. While each one of them offers good support, depending on what position your child plays or their style of play, may mean that one support style may better than another for them.

High Top – You’ll find that players that are required to play in the paint and absorb a lot of contact throughout the game are most likely to wear high tops due to the extra ankle support that they need while putting a body on the defenders and to ensure comfortable landings after grabbing rebounds.

Mid Top – These style shoes give you a bit more space to move around in compared to high tops and allow for more ankle mobility, which can contribute to shaking off defenders and more dynamic style of play, while still offering that ankle protection.

Low Top – You’ll find that players that are required to move quickly and be able to change direction rapidly usually prefer this design style. Low tops offer maximum ankle flexibility but offer the lowest amount of ankle support. If your child plays the point guard position, these may be the style of shoes that are most comfortable to spread the floor in.

Comfort

Every section of a shoe can be designed to provide maximum comfort.

It’s important for basketball shoes to provide an ease of pressure on the feet during gameplay because of the constant twisting, turning and shock on the legs and ankles.

It mostly comes down to what your child feels most comfortable wearing.

Different shoes come with different technologies like Cloudfoam or harder toe boxes, but regardless they are all included in the shoe for the common goal of providing your child as much comfortability as possible.

Cushioning

Cushioning is one of the components of a shoe that can really be the deciding factor on how comfortable a shoe is.

A padded collar can assist with keeping your ankles from being sore while a padded tongue keeps the top of your foot protected.

Cushioning protects your foot from fiction which can cause blisters and create irritation, negatively affecting how your child plays on the court.

A shoe should have great cushioning around the ankle, on the sole, on the tongue and on the heel.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does middle school basketball season start?

Different schools may all have different rules and regulations when it comes to when their season officially starts. For most schools, basketball season lasts from early November to early March.

What is a good age to start basketball?

The best time to get a child into basketball is wherever they feel ready or excited to play. Youth leagues usually start accepting children around the age of five or six, which is a great time for them to learn all of the fundamentals.

How long is a middle school basketball game?

Games are typically shortened for middle schoolers with each quarter being around 7-8 minutes long.

Final Thoughts

The best thing you can give to your child on their basketball journey is comfortability to play to their maximum potential.

Making sure they have some high-quality shoes is a great place to start.

First, understanding the factors that make up the overall quality of a shoe is vital. Things like comfort, cushioning, support and brand are attributes that should be taken into account before coming to a decision on a shoe for your middle schooler.

There are plenty of shoes to choose from and some are better than others, but with all things taken into account, the Kids’ PreSchool Jet 2019 Basketball Shoe is the best choice from this list.

Not only does it have a design that supports mobility and flexibility but it also comforts the bottom of the feet with a rubber sole while also having a breathable material while still being lightweight.

A perfect option to make sure your middle schooler is not just stylin’ and profilin’ but that they’re comfortable all at the same time.