Playing sports is a great way to stay healthy, practice teamwork and sportsmanship, and create bonds with other people who share the same love for sports. Physical sports enhance your wellness and ensure that your body is at its peak by staying active. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “benefits [of physical activity like sports] include improved thinking or cognition for children 6 to 13 years of age and reduced short-term feelings of anxiety for adults.”

There are a lot of benefits – both mental and physical – when an individual indulges in sports. He or she cultivates friendship and social ties, learns discipline, gets better sleep, and maintains his or her weight. Sports also reduce health risks like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and help with your metabolism. Overall, playing sports improves one’s quality of life.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting person-to-person interaction, what has become of sports?

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to stay indoors, fans of sports have insisted that the games go on. For sports like basketball, the National Basketball Association in the United States of America actually postponed playoffs due to the pandemic. Eventually, the basketball association decided to continue the games despite the health risks. As a precautionary measure, they declared some safety protocols like daily testing of players and staff and what to do if any individual tests positive for the coronavirus.

As fans rejoiced, there is still a looming question as to how they can watch the live show. Well, since person-to-person interaction is being strictly avoided, fans can only watch the basketball shows by signing up as an NBA virtual fan.

Still, that doesn’t stop people from playing sports!

With health and safety protocols set, you can still play your favorite sports. And of course, it always helps to have the proper gear.

Owning the proper gear will help you prevent sports injuries. As a professional or aspiring athlete, you wouldn’t want to trip over yourself, would you? Some injuries would even render you hospitalized or unable to play sports anymore! That’s why choosing the right gear, especially footwear, is essential in avoiding such catastrophes.

s mentioned, choosing the best footwear is essential in avoiding accidents. However, the footwear that you pick also depends on the sport that you’re going to play. Did you know that there is a vast difference between running and basketball shoes? This is why it’s quite important that you identify what physical activity or sport that you’re going to do before making any footwear purchases.

Here are the 5 tips you should keep in mind:

  1. Don’t use the same shoes for different sports

This first tip is one that is most overlooked or ignored. Did you know that there are shoes specific for basketball, running, walking, and even going to the gym? Avoid using running shoes as basketball shoes, as basketball shoes are designed for multidirectional movement. Which means that it is capable of any changes in direction when in use. Any sudden jerks will be fully supported and you won’t slip.

Running shoes, on the other hand, are designed for one repetitive movement of the foot. Even though you should never use running shoes while playing basketball, you can use basketball shoes for running.

You might want to check out this Why Not Zer0.2 Review that will at least give you an idea of what kind of shoes to shop for if you want to play basketball.

  1. Do shoe shopping in the afternoon

It’s recommended that you go shoe shopping in the afternoon. Why is that? It’s because your feet have most likely expanded while you were walking or running around during the day. When looking for shoes, they should fit your feet comfortably even when they’ve expanded.

When shopping for shoes, it also helps to have an outline of your foot. You can create an outline of your foot by tracing it on a piece of paper. This makes your shoe shopping go a lot faster.

  1. Get the feel of your shoes

It helps when you walk, run, and jump in the shoes that you intend to buy. This is because you want your feet to be comfortable when you’re already using them.

A good tip is for you to bring the pair of socks that you intend when wearing your shoes when you play. This makes sure that your feet are snug and comfy in the shoes that you purchase.

  1. Take a good look at your shoes

Make sure that you examine your shoes. You should try them on and see to it that there is at least half an inch from your longest toe to the end of the shoe. This gives you enough room for movement when you walk.

You should also check if your shoes provide good cushioning when you need to run, bounce, or walk around in them.

  1. Comfort over style, always

The word “comfort” has been repeated several times throughout this article and with good reason! It’s not enough that shoes look good, they have to feel good too. Walking, running, and jumping in those shoes should not feel too tight or awkward when you wear them.

Check for any parts that may seem uncomfortable when you wear the shoes like tags or seams. These may cause some irritation or discomfort to your feet and we want to avoid that.

CONCLUSION

These tips should be sufficient enough for you to avoid failure in choosing the best shoes for sports. The most important thing for you to keep in mind is that your feet should be comfortable when playing sports in order to avoid injuries!

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Make Shots is a free resource offering expert, research information on basketball. We write and publish basketball news, tips, and sports gear buying advice for individuals who love and actually play basketball.