Shoes are an important and often overlooked way to improve your
vertical jump as well as the effectiveness of your training. Different
training methods require different shoes. Read these informative
reviews to learn what you should wear and what you shouldn’t wear while
training to jump higher.
Best Overall Vertical Jump Shoe – Nike Zoom Waffle Racers
If you could only buy one pair of shoes for all vertical jump
training, I would recommend buying a pair of Nike Zoom Waffle Racers.
These shoes are cross country racing shoes, which means they are
lightweight, have good traction, comfortable and durable and have
support where you need it. These shoes may not have the support needed,
but they are great for dunk practice, plyometrics, and playing a casual
game of basketball. They won’t have as much support as a good
basketball shoe, so don’t wear them in a serious game where you’re at
risk of injury. What you don’t want is your old comfortable basketball
high tops. These are heavy, probably have too much worn out cushion
which will dampen your jump and absorbs energy during your dip and turn
around. The best part is you can pick up a pair for $45 at Foot Locker.
Best Strength Training Shoe – VS Dynamo or VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoes
When you’re doing heavy squats or deadlifts as part of your strength
training program, you want a durable shoe with a hard sole, slightly
raised heel, and a ton of support. That’s exactly what you get with the
Dynamo or Athletics. The difference is the Athletics is white leather,
and the Dynamo is black suede. VS is a track and field company that
makes a quality product. These shoes will last you a lifetime of 300 lb
squats. Running shoes just don’t cut it when you’re lifting heavy
weights. The cushioned soles and poor support leave you with power loss
and prone for injury. VS Dynamo and Athletics sell for $75-$85 from
the VS Athletics
website. If you want to squat, but don’t have the cash for
weightlifting shoes, get some Chuck Taylor Converse. These have a nice
flat hard sole and plenty of support. If you’re really serious about
getting into olympic lifting, get a pair of Adidas Weightlifting shoes for $120+.
Best Basketball Shoe – Nike Hyperdunk
The best basketball shoes on the market are the Nike Hyperdunks. The
are an ultra-light basketball shoe with great support and comfort.
They have a nice springy cushion to increase your vertical and help
soften your landings. I personally recommend the Nike Hyperdunk Low. I
find wearing the low top helps bulid ankle support and prevent injury
in the long run. As an added bonus, they are cheaper and last longer.
Some notable players to sport the lows are Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and
Rajon Rondo. Look around online for Hyperdunk Lows for about $50 or the Hyperdunk in the $100+ range.
Best Shoe for Testing Standing Vertical Jump – Nike Zoom Waffle Racers – 1/2 to 1 size too small
If it’s all about the big day when you test your vertical, buy
yourself a brand new pair of waffles a little too small and try them out
a few times. This elasticity of the new shoe and snug fit will give
you a little extra boost to your jump.
Most Expensive Shoe – Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) Concept 1
With their new Load ‘n Launch technology, the Concept 1′s claim to
add inches to your vertical instantly. On an APL study of 12
participants, 11 of the 12 subjects jumped higher with the biggest
difference being an increase of 3.5 inches in vertical jump results.
After the big news release of being banned by the NBA, APL Concept 1′s
have got a lot of press. My opinion is these shoes seem to be mostly
hype. Sure, they may be some of the better basketball shoes, but you’re
probably not going to jump higher than you would wearing your Nike Zoom
Waffle Racers. The Concept 1′s go for $300 per pair. If I were you, I would buy the Nike Zoom Waffle Racers and save the extra $270.
Do Not Buy These Shoes – Scam Alert
I do not recommend buying Jumpsoles, ATI Training shoes, or any other
kind of strength or plyometric shoes. They may be somewhat beneficial
if you are currently not on a proper training program or if you are not
doing any training at all. However, there are plenty of better ways to
get better results than these strength jump shoes can offer. Nike Zoom
Waffles elevate your heels and achieve the same results without leaving
you injury prone and out $130.
