NBA superstars, signature shoes, and why they’re just as flawed as the rest of us

Awesome post.

Having played basketball a number of years myself, I would agree that proper running technique does contribute to a longer lasting basketball career, but let's make no mistake at all, a nice durable, lightweight, adequately cushioned basketball shoe does not hurt either. Grant it, marketing a sneaker nowadays may require stretching the truth a little bit, like telling a consumer they can fly like Michael Jordan or Run like Bo Jackson. Most sneaker heads, to be honest, don't even play sports. True athelets already have a general idea of what type of shoe they need to maximize in there sport. In all honestly, shoe styling and colors are what sell shoes these days. After checking shoe after shoe I found also that shoe companies tend to innovate too much instead of sticking to what works. The best basketball shoe I've ever worn on the court were the Lebron II, Black Original. Comfortable, stylish and durable. Just and outstanding shoe. If you ask me a lesson from the 90's retro shoes give a great idea of what a shoe should be. Hard nose players that run all day with true athletic ability. Ask some of those players how a true athletic shoe should be made.

I saw a documentary on this a while ago. It is what it is... we as a species have grown so accustomed to walking with shoes, that we developed bad walking/running habits, especially landing heel-first. It's so weird, a player like Kobe has extremely good lateral movement, if you watch him play defense, he's always on the balls of his foot, which is how you should defend. But then as soon as they are asked to run full-sprint, they revert back to their learned way of running. In the documentary they showed a clip of a poor, shoeless kid in AFrica running, and it's true, their heels never touch the group, making them even faster than a person running WITH shoes. The sound of heels pounding the concrete on a fastbreak is a familiar sound to me because thats how EVERYONE ran growing up. I knew no other way to run. It's the same thing for these professional athletes. Why do the trainers not realize this?? Well, according to the documentary, many people are still skeptical about the "proper way to run" or even trying to learn how to walk shoeless. Can you imagine what NBA players and trainers would say if someone told them not to wear Nikes or run differently from how they've ran their entire lives? Takes time, and for all we know, this would probably hurt their short term performance, as I would imagine they would not become immediately faster from changing their running form. Most players would probably be resistent to the idea as well. It is also why there are some groups of people who absolutely refuse to wear shoes, unless it's the Nike freerunners, which actually encourage the user to land on the balls of their feet first.

Hi Charles, Thanks for your comment. The type of plants, shifts, and sliding that take place in basketball aren't that different than the movements necessary to run in a forest. I've run many miles in a national park site where I have had to jump over logs, boulder, jump down ledges several feet high, weave between obstacles, and even leap over gaps -- barefoot. To make a direct comparison, I have played basketball in shoes with cushioning and support, in shoes without it, and even without shoes at all. Ever since I improved the way I move, I haven't injured myself or felt any ill-effects of prolonged activity. No twisted ankles, no pulls, no soreness, and no pain. And hen I do go barefoot, I much prefer to run on a hard surface (like asphalt or cement) than on something softer (like grass or dirt). Humans are not fast. We're not strong. We can't jump high, either. But we are arguably history's most advanced endurance animal. Evolutionary biologist Dr. Dennis Bramble says, "There’s something really weird about us humans; we’re not only really good at endurance running, we’re really good at it for a remarkably long time. We’re a machine built to run—and the machine never wears out.” We're made to be active for hours upon hours every day. We evolved doing just that. Like you said, sneakers are designed to try to cushion the foot. That is the main problem. Knee and foot problems are the price of playing basketball with inefficient biomechanics, which has been heavily influenced by the creation of modern athletic footwear. Cushioned shoes prevent the muscles in our feet and legs to properly absorb the shock and impact forces caused by athletic movement. The biomechanics of movement and propulsion apply to actions beyond running in a straight line. There is plenty of literature about this, but this truth is most convincing when tested for yourself in the real world. Happy to talk about running, injuries, and my experience with you -- or anyone else -- in greater detail. You can reach me at jctowns [at] gmail [dot] com.

There's certainly a lot to think about in this article. One thing, though, that I can't help but wonder about, is the amount of sudden plants, shifts, and sliding that takes place in basketball. My sense is that basketball sneakers are designed to try and cushion a foot, and provide traction, and things like this, none of which may have anything to do with a stride, but which still are designed to be supportive. This doesn't mean the thesis about running strides is necessarily wrong. But I think that the effect on a foot from playing basketball is different than the effect of running in a straight line. Moreover, knees and ankles and feet simply aren't meant to play basketball for hours a day for years upon years, especially on hardwood courts. Knee and foot injuries are the price of playing basketball, and I don't know that any sneaker can change that.

I remember reading about this type of thing when Jonathan Bender made his return to the NBA last season. He had to change the way he ran as not to screw his knees up more. and here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4359580 also a comment on the article - basketball is a 360 degree sport with lots of cutting, jumping,stopping and starting. I think this would have more of an effect on the injuries suffered to the players than just how they run. In saying that i do agree that the shoes they wear do play a role in how severe their injuries are.

@Mohira: Running barefoot will train you to run properly. The next best thing to running barefoot is running in a pair of track shoes (real track shoes, not tennis shoes or 'running' shoes), or something like Vibram's five finger shoes. Both styles of shoe have almost no support and thin soles, allowing you to run with a natural gait while still providing protection from things you don't want to step on. An anecdote: I took martial arts for years and we always ran barefoot to warm up. I never had any issues. In my cross training class, however, I was constantly suffering shin splints--and this was at the same time I was in martial arts. Basically, I could run endlessly while I was barefoot, but a few weeks of 10 minute runs around a track in tennis shoes was terribly painful. I recently bought a pair of five fingers (which are cheaper than many pairs of Nike's, by the way), and I can't even describe how much better running feels. It doesn't hurt, I'm faster than I ever was in high school, and I don't have to worry about glass or gravel. I can feel the ground through the soles of my shoes, and even my most comfortable pair of sandals feels clunky to me anymore. I think the main thing this article was missing is that there are several styles of shoe out there that not only facilitate, but encourage a natural gait. Perhaps if basketball trainers emphasized proper running technique and the players were informed about proper footwear, their careers would be much longer and less painful.

@Michael It is definitely a topic to keep an eye on over the next couple of years. Wonder how -- or if -- the footwear and training industries will change. @Mohirah If you really wan't to master running with proper biomechanics, I recommend not wearing shoes at all. Look up the Pose Method, the running style I studied after suffering from patellar tendonitis. Romanov writes: "Take off your shoes ... you'll quickly move toward the Pose Method, taking shorter strides and landing on the forefoot." As for the shoes I wear, some two-year-old Nike Dunks. They barely have a heel (relatively-speaking) and offer little support. Like I mention in the post, while the shoe is a big issue, your form is critical. @Josh What if I told you that a 64-year-old has the same athletic capabilities as someone who is just 19. This has been proven in studies of finishing times in marathons. Look it up, very cool. With respect to reduced practice time, yes, you're right ... it is typical, but only because improper form is the norm. Garnett and a lot of the veterans have put more strain on their bones, joints, and ligaments than others. My main point, though, is that much of that impact shock would be reduced with the right running form. It applies to cutting, changing directions, and even jumping. I suffered from terrible patellar tendinitis (I'm 23). I would have to tape up both knees and sometimes wore bands when I played sports. At times, I was even forced to wear a band to walk around, because the pain was unbearable. Everything changed last year, however. I taught myself how to run right with the help of books, video, and practice. I have since been injury-free and feel stronger, quicker, and faster -- and have more endurance. @Bill YES! Beautiful. Training with the Pose Method opened my eyes. It was a Eureka moment. I actually want to try running in huaraches. That looks like a lot of fun.

This is so true! I have had Osgood-schlatter which didn't get any better no matter how much i strength trained, iced or streched, but when I focused on running on the balls of my feet it "magically" went away! What other problems do you see with running form in todays athletes?

I played basketball competitively through college, then began 20 years of marathon running and training. During my career I had a vertical jump measured at 37 inches. I never, ever, not once had even a blister on my foot, much less any lower leg injury of any kind. I run 5 miles a day now in sandals with no support. Luckily, I run without landing on my heels - didn't learn it, just a miracle of biomechanics. However, most poor souls/soles - are not as lucky and are better off staying on the couch.

Good article, and it does seem strange that this isn't better analyzed by NBA training staffs. But aren't today's athletes lasting longer than those of 10, 20, 30 years ago? You use Kobe as your main example, and his knee surgeries are piling up... but, like Kevin Garnett, he is still playing very well for his age. Kobe has rarely missed a significant number of games, last season I think he missed 5. Reduced practice time is perfectly normal for an older player like Kobe or KG. And while Garnett has lost significant time due to his knee issues, can you really say that isn't because he came into the league right out of High School and thus has put more strain on his knees than most other players? Not to mention the general abnormality of being nearly 7 feet tall. And when KG is on the floor he is the heart and soul of his team. I guess to me it seems there are plenty of other factors at play here to blame all these non-contact injuries on Nike. The price of their shoes and the whole notion that you need a special shoe to run is ridiculous, I agree. I just don't get how, in a time when players are playing well at older ages then ever before, you can say athletic shoes are ruining the sport.

Thanks for the information, I think you are 100% correct. Could you recommend proper running or basketball shoes in addition to focusing more on running technique?

Great post! I've never thought about improper running leading to more injuries, but it makes a lot of sense. Hopefully some NBA athletic trainers read this and catch on - these types of injuries can be very frustrating for a fan, and I'm sure it's 100 times worse for players and teams.