Do you ever wonder why basketball players always seem to be wiping their shoes off before taking a shot? It might not seem like a big deal, but there are good reasons for it.
There are several reasons why basketball players wipe their shoes. Some of those reasons include preventing injuries, getting a better grip on the floor, sweat management and habit/ritual.
Basketball Players Wipe The Bottom of Their Shoes-Basic Reasons
1- The Importance of Grip
Maintaining Traction on the Court
Basketball is all about agility and quick movements. During game players needs fast directional moves and high-flying dunks. For this they need a powerfull grip on their shoe, but due to courts their shoes pick dirt and they lose their grip.
Basketball game played on a court that is made of wood, cement, and other hard materials. The court is covered with a sticky mat that used to reduce the amount of dirt that accumulates on floors.
When the ball falls on it and players slide on it during the match, the mat gets wet and became dirty & slippery. and players shoes picks up the dirt and debris from the mat and this will give away players position.
In this case, wiping shoes increases grip and removes the dust and dirt from the bottom of the shoes. Also, it has many other benefits for wiping and rubbing the boots together.
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Prevent Injuries
If players don’t have enough traction on the court the chnaces of injuries increases. When players takes quick turn or pivot they may be slip or loses their balance and get injuries on their ankles, knees, or even more seriously. To avoid this happing they wipe their shoes often to make sure they have the best grip on the court.
So to prevent significant injuries, you have to wipe the shoes from the bottom side. Because during the match, if your boots have some dust and dirt, you will slip down to the ground.
And so, if you have a good grip on the ground from your boots will push you into safe hands.
If you fall to the ground, this is all due to dust in the bottom of the shoe drawing.
Learn more about how to get grip back on basketball shoes.
2- Sweat Management
Dealing with Excessive Sweat
Basketball is a very fast game that makes players sweat a lot during game. When players gets sweat then this can drip onto the court and make it dangerous for players. In this situation, players can’t stop themselves from slipping. So, for safer playing they wipe shoes.
Enhanced Comfort
Players may not be comfortable while playing with sweaty feet. It can be unpleasant and distracting. Wiping their shoes helps players feel more comfortable and stay focused on playing their best throughout the game.
3- Dust and Debris Control
Managing Court Debris
Basketball courts can get dusty and dirty just like any other place. This stuff can stick to the bottom of players’ shoes and make it harder for them to grip the court and control their movements. Wiping their shoes often helps players get rid of this stuff so they can move around better and play their best.
Improving Shooting Accuracy
Basketball players needs accurate ball shooting. But, dusty court can mess up their shots by making the ball go off course. That’s why it’s important for players to keep their shoes clean. When their shoes are clean then it helps them shoot better and make more baskets.
Learn the cleaning of basketball shoes.
4- Rituals and Superstitions
Psychological Benefits
Everyone who plays a sport has their own ideas and practices. Some players clean their shoes because it makes them feel calm and focused. It’s kind of like a process that gets their minds ready for a big game.
Team Bonding
It can become a team practice to wipe their shoes every so often. Players like this practice because it makes them feel like they’re part of a close-knit group that works as a team. People who play together really enjoy this little thing that might not seem important.
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Some others indirect reasons of wipinng shoes on the courts.
Faster Running
Wiping the shoes during the match will help you remove the dust from your footwear. Also, you will increase your speed from this method and can change the direction during the game.
Because the speed of the ball is much faster than a man when a man can hit it, you will need to manage your rate with the speed of the ball.
The speed is like a race winner during the match, who took the quick steps and got the results better than others. So managing the pace with the speed of the ball and with the other players is much more necessary.
After wiping the shoes together, you can make your grip on the speed and shoes.
Most of the players wipe their shoes with their hands, some player put their spit on their hands and apply it on shoe bottom. The ultimate goal is to add traction and maintain grip.
Higher Jumping
When you wipe the shoes, make your grip on the ground and jump higher because support from the bottom will help you jump higher. And a grip that you can make on your shoes on the ground will help you increase the jumping status.
So wiping and rubbing the shoes from the bottom side helps you make your grip and jump higher jumping. And if you have crud in the shoe outsoles, it will restrict you. You can’t jump higher.
Better Scoring
In the basketball game, scoring is all because scoring the point will give the teams wings over the competitors.
After wiping the shoes together, you can make your trip to the boots and on the ground to score better. Every player wants to achieve some of the points at that era for the team.
So to over command the slippery steps, you have to wipe the shoes and make your scores higher for your team.
In this regard, sticky pads for basketball shoes are beneficial. With their help, you can score better because your sticky pads will help you make your command on the ground.
In addition to it, you can stop your running from throwing the ball over towards the basket. Sometimes you have to throw the ball from a distance, so you need to make good accuracy.
So after rubbing together, the shoes will help to score better and higher.
Better Defence
Every player wants to defend their team better and stop the opposing team’s goals during the match. So you have to protect yourself better and prevent others from making goals quickly.
So wiping the shoe’s bottom gives you a good defense. Also, you can change your direction for the match and defend your team from competitors.
The tallest player has to defend the team better, so he needs to make a grip in his basketball shoes.
After rubbing the shoes, you can change the direction and make a good grip. So this will help you in jumping to defend your team.
Easy to Change Direction
When you grip your footwear, you can remove the dirt from your shoes. So while playing the match, you will run faster and need to stop to defend your team.
Likewise, you will change your direction on the ground quickly. Sticky mats for basketball shoes are also beneficial for changing your movement.
Easy To Show Your Skills
Every player wants to learn some of the skills about their game, and it has many methods. Because of the game, he has to grip the game and show all of his talents to his competitors.
So showing the basketball skill is the very best thing for every player. Back dribble, back pass, and pump fake skills are very tricky. And a beginner can never learn them quickly, so those skillful in this expertise are helpful in the match.
So by wiping your boots, you can easily show your skills and tricks to your fans. And make something best for your team, and can get the answer of why do basketball players wipe the bottom of their shoes.
Many of the best players can fail to show their skills on the ground because they lose their grip. So to show the tricks, there are some of the efforts needed. After that, you can show them in a better way.
Does Wiping The Bottom of Your Shoes Benefit in Basketball?
Yes, it is very effective and has too many benefits to wipe and rub the shoe’s bottom. Because by rubbing the shoes, you will find the better grip and best accuracy.
It is a very significant and very supportive thing that you have to do to make your grasp on the bottom of your boots. A player wants to make his best grip on the ground in some of the best and unique ways.
Those players who have done this method have commented that this is a very suitable and supportive method.
Furthermore, there are a lot of players who have not done it till now. Because they think that it is not a much better trick, and some of them did not know the benefits of the So they prefer that they buy the pairs of the footwear.
Having traction is very practical and very helpful in your movement. And this will help you to throw the ball into the basket and perform the goals efficiently.
Why Do NBA Players Remove Their Insoles Before Giving Them Away?
Kind grip and support from the ground are very effective. Many of the shoes are NBA players who have played the matches and gifted the shoes to their fans. But before giving them the gifts, they have removed the insoles because these insoles are imported and custom-made.
Frequently Asked Questions
To maintain a better grip on the court, a player needs to clean the bottom of the shoe sole repeatedly. Use a Slipp-Nott traction mat for removing dust from the bottom of the shoe sole. And also can use traction gel to prevent slipping.
A sticky mat is a traction system mat. It cleans the basketball player’s shoe soles instantly and shoe dirt holds on the mat.
The grip is an important part of a basketball game. Whatever the court surface is, grip plays an important role for an athletic. It helps with running, jumping, and making quick cuts. When basketball courts are dirty then athletic shoe catch dirt and debris and loose player grip on the court.
Conclusion
Finally, wiping shoes makes grip better on the court. Because wiping the boots will remove the dust. And this is a trick to improve the grip on the ground.
If you feel some slippery steps in the ground, you have to take out the grime. And having reasonable steps and a good grip is helpful in the game.
However, Wipping shoe is a temporary solution to add traction and make grip on the court for that specific time. If a player constantly faces a slipping situation he must go to change his sneakers.