We’ve all been there. You’ve got yourself a pair of fresh kicks. But they hurt your feet. How to break into basketball shoes, therefore, is a common question among sports fans.
In this post, I will share some tips and tricks on how to loosen your new basketball shoes quickly. If nothing works, check out my secret trick by the end of the post.
Should Basketball Shoes Be Tight At First?
Basketball shoes should be reasonably tight around the heel and also ankles. Your toes, on the other hand, must have practically a thumbnail of the space before the end, giving them a lot of room to move around.
Do Basketball Shoes Get Looser Over Time?
Basketball shoes will stretch, but the level to which they do so will depend upon the material quality and also how typically they are worn.
New basketball shoes will frequently feel tight. Therefore, you will purposely have to stretch your shoes to get a sensation of comfort as well as much better support while playing.
How Long Does It take to Break In New Basketball Shoes?
Never ever buy a new set of basketball shoes simply a few days before the season begins!
Some basketball players may be able to break into their shoes faster. However, a full 3 weeks is how long it usually takes to stretch your new shoes so they don’t cause any discomfort.
That said, to correctly break in your basketball shoes, make sure to buy them about 3 weeks before your first game (complete guide below).
Can Too Tight Basketball Shoes Cause Injury?
Suitable basketball shoes are very important for your health too. Unfit basketball shoes can cause serious harm and injuries to your feet.
That said, never ever rush a decision of buying your new kicks. Always take the time to see to it the footwear you buy is a good fit for you.
Tight footwear can:
- make you unsteady on your feet; deform your toes, generate sores in between your toes, and aggravate architectural problems like hammer toe, club toe, as well as bone spurs;
- intensify foot conditions like bunions, flat feet, numbness, inflammation, and discomfort in the heel or round of your foot;
- cause long-lasting cartilage loss in the joints of your toes as well as feet.
If you end up with shoes that are a little tight, there are things you can do at home to break in your basketball shoes fast (see next sections).
How To Break Into New Basketball Shoes Fast?
Before we begin, you need to ensure the footwear fits well.
Putting in the time to correctly break in your new basketball shoes is meaningless if you do not have the appropriate size that fits your feet.
Try out your brand-new shoes in the shop prior to purchasing them to ensure they are the ideal size. Don’t skip this part just because you like how they look on your feet!
Brand-new pair of footwear should fit tight but they should not cause any kind of pain.
As I said earlier, if there is no room in between your large toe and the end of the footwear, you most likely require a larger size.
Once you have decided on the correct size, here is how to break into your new baketball shoes.
- The first thing you should do is break in your shoes with light tasks before the very first time you wear them to a basketball game or practice.
- If you want to give them that extra stretch, feel free to throw on an extra pair of socks! You can also warm up your new shoes with a blow dryer to speed things up.
- Use your shoes for 10 mins of light activity for 3 days straight, adding 10 minutes every day, so by the third day you are wearing them for 30 minutes of strolling or light workout.
- For the following 4 days wear your footwear for a minimum of 1 hr every day. You can start with 15 minutes of light running as well.
- For the next 4 days, use your new basketball sneakers for 2 hours a day. Make sure to include at least half an hour of turns, jumps, and rotates.
- Last but not least, for the remaining 3 days of the two-week break in duration, use them as long as you can. However, wear them every day to an actual team practice or pickup game to proceed with the break-in period.
By the way, here’s a super-helpful video as well…
My Secret Trick For Breaking In Your New Basketball Shoes Quickly!
A shoe stretcher may help you break in your new basketball shoes in only a couple of days.
Shoe stretchers may look weird but they may work wonders for basketball players that don’t have any other option.
Here’s how to use a shoe stretcher properly to break in your new basketball shoes:
- Spray the shoe stretching liquid a few times on the inside or outside of the shoe area that needs stretching. Wait two minutes for the liquid to absorb.
- Insert the shoe stretchers into the shoes, making sure they are expanded as much as the shoe will allow before inserting them.
- Turn the knob to begin stretching the shoe and keep turning it until you feel resistance.
- Leave the stretcher in at least overnight—and sometimes for as long as 24 to 48 hours.
The longer you leave the stretcher in, the more the shoes will stretch, so you might want to try a shorter period of time first to make sure they don’t stretch too much.
Since it might take some practice getting used to the process of stretching your shoes, I recommend trying it out first on a pair that you wouldn’t be devastated over ruining.
You can buy a super-helpful shoe stretcher on Amazon for less than $30!
Alternatively, you can leave it to the pros and contact a shoe repair shop to do the stretching for you. I’m sure there’s at least one pro in your area.
The shoe repairperson may also be able to recommend specific products or tools for the kind of shoes you want to have stretched.
Conclusion
Slipping on a new set of basketball shoes will most certainly create some level of discomfort. However, it’s all-natural for new shoes to feel a bit tight or rub the skin.
So it’s important that prior to game day or your following tryout, you’re not wearing basketball shoes that have not been adequately broken into.
You need to give them time to try them out and let your feet get adapted to them.
In this post, you have learned how you can break in your new basketball shoes fast and some ways to accelerate the procedure.
The bottom line is that basketball shoes can be broken in by wearing them for 10-15 mins a day doing light activity. As the days go by, increase the activity.
By the end of the 3 week period, your shoe should be loose, and your fit should be comfortable wearing them. And you will be ready to play some serious hoops!