Breaking in the Soles of Basketball Shoes

A broken-in sole on your basketball shoes could mean the difference between you dribbling by a defender to make a slam dunk and falling flat on your face before you reach the three-point line. Several methods are available to break in the sole on your basketball shoes to give you maximum comfort and performance delivery.

  1. Heating Pad

    • Two grain-filled heating pads can make the difference when breaking in the soles of your basketball shoes. The heating pads are warmed up in a microwave for approximately four minutes and then one end of the pad is gripped and gravity pulls the grain to one side. The side being gripped is then inserted into the shoe and then the pad is tipped over to allow the grains to fall inside the portion of the pad that is inside the shoe. The warm grains fit inside the shoe. This warms the shoe up and causes the sole to ease up.

    Hair Dryer

    • A hair dryer is a bit more risky than using the heated pad method because the heat generated by a hair dryer is much more potent, according to Ultimate Health and Fitness. But if careful application of a hair dryer is used, it can help loosen the materials and make the sole adjust to your feet much easier. If you sense the sole is overheating and you smell burning fabric or rubber, you should leave the hair dryer to the side for a few minutes to let the materials cool and then try again from a wider distance.

    Wear the Shoe

    • Wearing the shoes can be the lengthiest way to break them in, but if you put them on right after they are heated, the shoes will more easily form to your feet. Crouching down and bending your feet in multiple positions will help loosen the fibers and the soles will begin forming to your feet. Going for a walk or doing some basketball drills will improve the effectiveness of the heat application.

    Other Methods

    • Some people wear the shoes off the basketball court with a thick pair of socks or multiple layers of socks. This stretches out the materials, while still forming them along the outline of your feet. Others bend the shoe in multiple locations, either using their bare hands or with the assistance of a shoe stretcher. A more risky venture, because of its potential to damage the fabric, is to waterproof the outside, then dunk the shoes in water and then wear them around the house while they dry. As they dry, they form to your feet.