# Basketball players using low sneakers now?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** basketball-nba
**Created:** [March 8, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307 "2025-03-08T21:05:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/1 "2025-03-08T21:05:30Z")
I am not an avid basketballer (neither actively nor passively) … but I recently have seen a lot of footage (ha!), where baskeballers use low cut sneakers/trainers.
[ ](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/35-32-17-ap25056098351328.jpg?q=w_1576,c_fill)
why? … a fad, a fashon statement? or “better solution”?
any thoughts?
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### Author:  [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/2 "2025-03-08T21:11:18Z")
[Recent studies have begun to overturn the conventional wisdom about the benefits of high top sneakers.](https://www.popsci.com/health/high-tops-benefits/)
In short, high tops don’t seem to prevent ankle strain, and in fact can weaken the ankle.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/3 "2025-03-08T21:11:45Z")
My husband has found that sneaker-like objects labeled as “court shoes” can be quite comfortable for his purposes, and those are of the lower-height variety. To me, the name kind of implies athletic use, such as basketball courts.
Wondering if that’s what we’re seeing in this photo.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/4 "2025-03-09T15:56:28Z")
FWIW there’s [not much evidence](https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(09)00109-1/abstract) in … heh … support … of ankle compression sleeves for injury prevention or performance enhancement either. The actual physical support is basically nonexistent. I was once taught that they do work … by giving propioceptive feedback and self correction. The best use is for those with previous injury.
High tops have always been a fashion choice. With a bit of peer influence.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/5 "2025-03-09T17:51:36Z")
Moved from IMHO to the Game Room.
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### Author:  [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-players-using-low-sneakers-now/1015307/6 "2025-03-19T17:51:41Z")
I think Kobe Bryant led the trend back in 2008 with the Zoom Kobe IV. His thinking (or Nike’s thinking – but I wouldn’t be surprised it if was his thinking, since he was raised in Italy and wasn’t dumb) was that if soccer players didn’t need high-top shoes with all the starting/stopping/cutting they do, why should basketball players? I was hoping to find a better cite than [this SI listicle](https://www.si.com/nba/2018/08/27/kobe-bryant-signature-shoes-nike-adidas) (scroll to the 9th shoe), but this might suffice.