How to Add Grip to Basketball Shoes? Whether you are making quick cuts, shooting the basketball, or trying to keep up on defense, without proper traction, you cannot maintain proper balance. Traction on the basketball court mainly depends on the friction between the shoe sole and the floor. Having a pair of basketball shoes ensures excellent traction with the best performance either you are using the best basketball shoes for volleyball or basketball itself. However, you can improve the grip of your basketball shoes in various ways. From removing dirt to adding the best anti-slip grip enhancer, you can use many effective ways to make your basketball shoes grippy. Here are some best ways for how to add grip to basketball shoes without investing in a new shoe pair.
How to Add Grip to Basketball Shoes – Steps
Take a look at the four effective techniques to add grip to your basketball shoes to improve overall performance. Though these techniques can help your shoe fit too but we also got you covered with detailed help on How Should Basketball Shoes Fit? here.[acf field=”how_to”]
1. Clean it properly
Regular cleaning is one of the best ways to retain the shape and perfect grip of the basketball shoe. When your shoes start to pick up the dust and dirt, it begins to lose traction and grip. The dust layer at the bottom becomes prominent. It leads to shoes sliding on the slippery courts. You can make use of a few effective cleaning methods to add more grip to your basketball shoes.
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First Cleaning Technique
The first and most easy cleaning method is to use soapy water and a dusting brush for basketball shoe cleaning. Wet the shoe traction with soapy water and rub the dusting brush gently at the bottom. It will help to remove the dust particles deeply from the grooves.
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Second Cleaning Technique
Traction grooves are important in making the shoes grippier. Take a clean cloth and wet it with mild water—Wipe out all the dust from the grooves. Remember, you don’t need to rub them, just remove the dust particles from grooves which lead to slipping.
2. Moisten Soles During Game
Is there anything worse when you are playing your important basketball match, and suddenly the traction starts to break down in the middle? However, whenever it happens with you, just moisten the sole of your shoes. But how can one make shoes grippy in the middle of the game? The answer is simple, use a damp rag to moisten the sole, which the team and court take as caution. You can also make use of saliva to wet moisten the shoe sole.
3. Use Shoe Grip Enhancer Spray
Commercial shoe grip enhancers are always available to serve you. These enhancements are ideal for adding more court grip to your shoes. There are also sticky mats and pads available on the market to put an extra grip on your shoes.
These mats and pads are used in gyms to provide additional grip and adhesion before players step on. To achieve the best basketball shoe grip results, first, clean the shoes using any of the above-mentioned methods and then use the grip lotion.
4. Permanent shoe repair
When you use basketball shoes for a long time, the traction starts to break down. To add extra grip to your shoes, you can use the shoe repair service. Replace the old and slippery sole with the new one. The method may not be easy as a grip enhancer or cleaning the sole, but it is cheaper than buying new basketball shoes.[acf field=”faqschema”]
1. How to make indoor basketball shoes grip better?
Make sure to wipe down the bottom of the basketball shoes before and after the basketball session to keep your shoe grip in the best form. As compared to outdoor basketball shoes, the outsole of the best indoor shoes is manufactured with soft rubber. They are relatively less durable as compared to outdoor basketball shoes, but the traction is best.
Don’t use indoor basketball shoes on outdoor courts. Not only can they damage the outsole of shoes, but they also lessen the traction permanently.
Make sure to clean the shoes once a week or two. If possible, buy a grip enhancer grip lotion for personal use.
2. How to make basketball shoes less slippery?
When the basketball shoes become slippery, it means it’s time to buy new basketball shoes. Here are some common reasons and remedies to make basketball shoes less slippery.
Check the outsole whether the rubber has lost its genuine form or work out. If it hasn’t, typically, the culprit is dust and dirt buildup.
You can use a small pointed object such as a toothpick to pick off dirt and small pebbles stuck inside the grooves of the outsoles. One of the main reasons for slippery basketball shoes is too many small pebbles in grooves.
Take a clean cloth and soapy water to wipe off the bottom of the basketball shoes to make them less slippery. You can also use shoe grip enhancement to retain a better grip.
Useful Tips
Always mop the basketball shoes regularly to get rid of the dust.
Though a clean court can make a big difference but drying mopping is not enough to clean the court. One of the best ways to minimize dust is to use wet mopping to keep the floors clean.
Never use basketball shoes on tough concrete courts and outdoors as such shoes are specially created for hardwood courts. The traction of the basketball shoes is made with rubber grooves, and using it on the concrete court can break down, which leads to slippery basketball shoe problems.
Conclusion
Ensuring that the basketball shoes provide the best possible grip is the need of the game for every player. No matter what your position or playing style is, better grip and traction are important for you. Following the above-mentioned cleaning methods and useful tips can surely help you to add grip to your basketball shoes.
