Soccer shoes, even within multiple brands, seem to look pretty damn similar
But basketball shoes look really diverse even in just one brand
Why is this?
In: Engineering
Anything with a cleat (spike) needs to be designed to maximize traction on a surface that is almost guaranteed to be uneven in places no matter how well it’s maintained. A hardwood floor requires a different design to compensate for the lack of “give” you’d get from grass/turf. Tl;dr different surfaces require different methods to achieve ideal traction. A flat rubber bottom allows for a fairly standard design that can be customized up top without a serious loss in performance. If you need a spike to punch into something then the design has to be configured around the additional rigidity and stability required for the surface you’re playing on
Source: I wore cleats a few times and I have excellent traction while I miss jump shots
Because soccer shoes are the primary tool for ball contact, and there’s only this one shape and design that really works well. Whereas in basketball, the shoes serve little purpose other than running, giving more leeway in terms of styling.
I’m going to assume its because you’re more familiar with basketball than soccer. You more easily notice the differences in basketball shoes. Soccer boots have a large amount of variety, from cleat type and pattern, upper material, laces/no laces, sock collars, a huge color palette, etc..
As others have noted, you may just be less familiar with soccer footwear.
But I think there’s something else going on: Basketball shoes can also be normal shoes. You can buy the *exact* shoe that your favorite player wears and promotes, and just wear it around town even if you play zero sports. While a soccer player may make a decision based on what’s cool/stylish/associated with their favorite, the fact of the design (cleats) makes them unsuitable for normal everyday wear. This primes *everybody* to be very aware of basketball fashion relative to soccer fashion; it’s going to be reinforced even outside of a sporting context.
Because basketball shoes are frequently a fashion choice while no one is wearing cleats out and about.
Big name brands are using the games for advertising, and need to differentiate themselves.
As an avid high school basketball player, I wanted to give some more input into basketball shoes.
Ignoring the fact that basketball shoes are also largely different because of stylistic choices, some offer different uses as well. I personally use Nike GT Jump 2 shoes which I have so far never seen anyone use. This is likely because the shoes are heavily padded on the bottom meaning very little court feel and not the best for shifty moves because you are about 2 inches off the ground. This is an example of shoes made for a heavy and tall center, someone who won’t be making many point guard moves or breaking ankles. These look very much different than my previous Kylie Infinities because kyries don’t have as much padding because they are more oriented for their court feel and amazing court grip for shifty players who require the extra court grip to make better fakes.
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