When you start hiking, the first thing that comes to your mind is which shoes you should wear. Shoes are very crucial to concern for safety during hiking. If you have just basketball shoes and you are confused about it, are basketball shoes good for hiking?
Generally, basketball shoes are meant for playing basketball. In my opinion, it’s not that bad if you wear it on hiking but only for small hiking tracks.
👉 Explore our basketball shoes guides to get more informations.
Yeah, it’s normal to go hiking in these shoes because they have a strong grip on the ground. These sneakers are heavy and protect your feet from the hard surface. Nothing harms your feet if you wear basketball shoes. You can also wear it casually.
Read about how do i get the grip back on my basketball shoes.
Are Basketball Shoes Good for Hiking: Yay or Nay?
If you go for short hiking trips, these are good to go. Or if you go for long hikes basketball shoes can give you a tough time with your feet because they are not waterproof and also they don’t give you ankle sports. I recommend you understand the pros and cons of basketball shoes before conquering the world.
Basketball shoes are not the best option for hiking. These are made up or especially for playing basketball.
Generally, these are designed to help you stay on your path and to make a grip on the ground. If you want to stop suddenly they help you with that.
Because of this, they are a little more unbendable than most of your other choices for hiking shoes and are not built for long hiking tracks.
No doubt, basketball shoes have more safety features; they have thick soles to comfort your feet. These shoes won’t make you tired after short-term of walking and even hiking through a rough path.
But early, I discussed that it’s helpful for 1 or 2-mile hiking tracks. At the start of hiking, you don’t notice that, but after some time, the drawbacks of selecting these shoes for hiking come in front of you.
Read about are basketball shoes good for walking all day.
Why are Basketball Shoes not Used for Hiking?
Let’s we compare hiking and basketball, though hiking is a tougher sport than basketball. Basketball shoes are not designed for hiking.
Here are some major reasons that show you using basketball shoes in hiking is a horrible thought.
Weight:
In hiking, the most rogue thing is shoe weight. During hiking, we need stability and grip on the ground. So basketball shoes are very light compared to hiking shoes.
Basketball shoes are lightweight because we must jump in a basketball game and land on the ground continuously. That’s why we need lightweight shoes in basketball.
So! we can not wear basketball shoes while hiking.
Nibs:
Hiking shoes have nibs under their shoes to keep a balance between rough surfaces and tackle rough ground and make a strong grip so there’s nearly no chance to slip your feet on that surface.
On the other hand, basketball shoes also have nibs, but they are made of rubber, so they can not make friction between your feet so you have more chance to slip your feet on a rough surface.
Durability:
Hiking shoes have more durability than basketball shoes because they are made up of firm material that helps in tracking.
While basketball shoes are made up of rubber material so they can not help on rough surfaces.
Material of Shoe:
Hiking shoes are built up by considering all the situations like rain, rocks and other rough tracks. While basketball shoes are not even water proof so that’s why we should not use basketball shoes for hiking.
Ankle Support:
Hiking shoes have more safety guards than basketball shoes. We need ankle support during hiking.
Hiking shoes have soft, cosy material to support your ankle. So you have to put your safety first to choose hiking shoes rather than basketball shoes.
Comfort:
Hiking shoes give you more flexibility and support as compared to basketball shoes. Because basketball shoes are made up for smooth areas like running and jumping on the ground but it’s not helpful on hiking.
Although it’s helpful for short walking tracks, but not good to go for long hikes, that’s why basketball shoes are not a good option for hiking.
Traction:
Traction in the shoes is mainly because you need a strong grip between the feet and the ground.
Basketball shoes have low traction than hiking shoe, which can cause you to slip on a wet and icy track.
So don’t take a risk if you know the path is slippery.
That’s the main problems not selecting basketball shoes in your hiking adventure.
Which Shoes are Best for Hiking?
First, you need to decide which type of hiking you will do.is it cold or hot? And for a long period or a short interval of time? What type of weather on the hiking ground decides everything before going.
I will give you some tips to choose which type of footwear you need.
You need to wear firm material shoes which provide your foot protection and support on rough surfaces. Available options are boots and hiking shoes.
If you are going for long-term hiking, hiking boots are the best option. Hiking boots can tackle every kind of weather and it is also waterproof.
If you are going for a short time, hiking shoes are good. They are lighter than boots and provide you full support and grip.
Final Words
I didn’t recommend you to choose basketball shoes while hiking. Your safety is the priority; that’s why basketball shoes are not good choice for hiking.
However, always select the convenient shoe for your feet which provides protection and support. So, choose wisely before buying a shoe.