How to Break in New Basketball Shoes
If you have recently bought a new pair of basketball shoes, then it is advisable to break into the shoes by using them a few times, before you use them for a proper match. They are typically made of very sturdy leather, so they take some time to alter themselves to the shape of the wearers foot, and this can result in some foot pain while playing, along with some blisters as well.
The tendency of new basketball shoes to cause pain and restrict movement is not surprising, since the person wearing them needs to move around and jump up and down many times during the course of the game. If the shoes are not comfortable while performing these activities, it will inevitably result in some discomfort and pain for the wearer. Simply running around in new shoes that are not broken in will also cause some problems, so every purchase must be followed by a suitable breaking-in period.
Best Way to Break in New Basketball Shoes
You cannot possibly do this without wearing them, so the aim should be to put them on and use them as much as possible. If you wear them and start playing a high intensity game right away, the chances of pain occurring in your foot are very high, so you should concentrate on jogging lightly for a few days. A suitable alternative is to put on the shoes around the house and carry on your daily activities for a few days. This will help you get your feet accustomed to the shoes, and it will also give the shoes enough time to alter their shape according to your foot. The longer you delay a proper game in the shoes, the better it will be for your foot. Over time, you can also start performing some basketball drills and exercises (like ankle stretches) that are similar to the movements that you will be making in a proper match.
Another alternative is to hold the shoe in both hands, with one hand under the toe of the shoe and the other hand supporting the heel. You should curl your finger around the toes and move the front part of the shoe up and down many time in order to loosen the rigidity of the shoes. This task will need to be performed for the other shoe as well, and it will ease the process in the future.
It is also important to buy the right kind of shoes for your feet. Simply buying a pair of shoes because they look good, or because your favorite player wears them or because they cost a lot is not a smart way to go about things. You need to buy a pair of shoes that is comfortable on your foot, since everyone has a different foot shape. Moreover, it should not bite into the sides of the foot while wearing them. It is true that they will get more comfortable after wearing them for some time, but this will be helpful only if you end up buying an appropriate pair in the first place. Basketball shoes can be pretty expensive in some cases, so there is no point in wasting money over a pair of shoes that are inappropriate for you. There are certain shoes that will take a rather long time to break in and get adjusted to your feet, so you need to carry out some careful research before you buy yourself a pair of basketball shoes. Never buy a pair without trying them on for yourself.
The trick is to simply wear the shoes as soon as possible, and to use them for some normal tasks before playing a match. The shoes need some time to get shaped according to your foot, and this means that there is no other option. If someone is giving you some tips like soak the shoes in some kind of mixture or keep it at a certain temperature, then you should not believe these instructions because the shoes will still take the same amount of time to get accustomed to your feet. Carry out some simple exercises, go for a jog a few times and the shoes will automatically break in and be ready for some intense use.
