How do I make my basketball shoes have more grip?

The grip is the most important part of any basketball shoe. Either you play on a clean court or dirty court, you must be able to stick to the floor well, so that will ensure your run and move to the best of your ability.

When playing at a fast pace, the more grip on any surface prevents you from slipping and ankle injury. Also, you get off the court quickly and move towards the hoop fast. In addition to this, when you are doing lateral movements and steep cross overs excellent grip also offers ideal versatility.

Cause of less grip on court

First of all, you should make sure that you are using appropriate shoes for the indoor or outdoor court. Mostly you get problems playing on indoor slippery surfaces.

The main cause of slip is the worn out shoes and they gather a lot of dirt. A point comes when too much dust and debris get stuck on the bottom, so it hinders your ability to stop and go. This makes it a lot harder for you to head to the hoop or play defensive.

In basketball shoes worn out grip has a significant effect. It can cause you to be one second too early or one second too late.

Here is the guide, and it will help you to improve your game performance by avoiding slips and slides on any surface, and to keep up with any offensive player on the defensive end.

Add More Grip to Your Basketball Shoes

You should follow the under mentioned basic and easy methods to get more or to get the grip back on your basketball sneakers.

Removal of dust

If your shoe picks up a lot of dust then it can cause slipping and less grip on the court. So to prevent slipping and to get more grip on the court just make sure to wipe the bottom of your shoes before lacing up for each game. Whether in or outdoor shoes, just eliminate dust and debris from the bottom of the shoes. You should wipe them with a wet cloth and after that allow them to dry properly before use.

Cleaning of surface

Clean surfaces offer more grip that helps players to be safe and move better on the court. Another thing is to never use indoor B-ball shoes for outdoor game play because when you only wear them indoor they just attract or loose dust easily.

Grip Enhancers

Specific products like grip lotions or sticky mats enhance the grip on the bottom of your shoes. These grip enhancers maintain stability and avoid your shoes from getting worn out too quickly.

• You can use sticky mats placed beside the court or you can pour grip lotion onto a towel and step on it before entering the game as well to help improve traction.
• Products with the built-in binding agent like Hair spray also work on certain soles, so you can also apply them.
• The best option is to purchase enhancers which are specifically made for basketball shoes to improve traction.

Sandpaper

The sandpaper is also an excellent option and you can always do it yourself. Simply take a piece of sandpaper and wipe the bottom of your shoes with it. This will improve traction/stability by roughing up the bottom of your shoes. If you don’t want to purchase an enhancer to improve grip/traction then this might be the best option, but also it will shorten the life of basketball shoes.

Damp bottom sole

This method is useful during the game. When the shoes aren’t moist or damp enough the players get slip and fall on the sole. So you need some counter surface due to friction, and fast speed. Then that counter surface helps you to keep you on your feet, avoid slips and prevent injuries on the court.

For doing so you just need to Spit on the sole of your shoes and wipe the bottom of your shoes before getting into the game again. This is only a short term solution to improve grip on the court.Using a damp cloth while on the sidelines will also have the same effect.

Sole repair

If you have a badly worn-out basketball shoe, then the methods above wont work at all. The last option is to re sole basketball shoes by a repair service that specializes in sports shoes. The shoe services include patching, uppers re-stitching and restoring of the soles. They restore the soles in a way that reduces slipping and improves grip. But if you are not a regular player, then restoring the soles might be a cost-effective solution.

Note

1. Using products on basketball shoe bottom offers us more grip on the court but also these products cause them to pick up more dirt from the floor.
2. Wearing basketball shoes off the court can lead them to loss their grip, durability, and color quickly. Also do not wear indoor shoes outside. So these will last much longer.

Final Words

Many people give up too early on their basketball shoes, because the traction doesn’t feel right to them, and they go for a new pair. However, there are pretty easy methods which can help you to get a powerful grip on the court.

This also depends on where you are playing. Some shoes are made for indoor courts and some for outdoor courts. Best is to make sure that you are using the right shoes. Then go for different methods and figure out which one is the best for you.