Best Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet and Arch Support in 2022: 5 Top Picks
Searching for the best basketball shoes for flat feet? After tons of research and consulting professional basketball players, having flat feet, I’ve put together a list of the 5 best basketball shoes for flat and wide feet.
Flat-footed players find it difficult to find correct basketball shoes with stability and arch support that prevent the rolling of ankles inward, fit the feet comfortably and help to boost their performance on the basketball court.
It is tough to grapple with your opponent when playing on the basketball court as flat feet cause you to lose balance due to their inward or outward rolling, resulting in excessive strain on ankle joints. You might start thinking that you’d never be able to run, jump, and make rapid movements without putting too much pressure on your joints.
Basketball shoes that I have reviewed in this article are embedded with some premium features that will provide enough stability and maximum support for you to avoid serious injuries while playing.
So, without any further delay, let’s dive in and discover our top picks of the best basketball shoes for flat feet overpronation.
Best Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet – Reviews of our Top Picks
Here are my recommendations for the most comfortable and best basketball shoes for flat feet.
1. PEAK High Top Men’s – Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet Overpronation
Best Features:
- High-performance stability system surrounding the forefoot
- Highly-cushioned EVA sole
- Seamless mesh upper made through hot-melting process for increased stability
They are one of the best basketball shoes for flat feet. These basketball shoes by PEAK are designed to help keep your feet from rolling inward as you play basketball while providing the best comfort and durability. They are made for high impact basketball players with flat feet looking for the ultimate in comfort and durability. These shoes help keep your ankles, knees, and back in the best position for a game of basketball.
They have a high top that keeps your ankles more stable and helps prevent sprains. Moreover, the padded collar has a rubbery texture that is extremely comfortable and helps keep your ankles from twisting. Additionally, there is a big decent tongue, having a super soft material, which gives great comfort and requires very little time to break-in.
The shoes have a breathable engineered mesh upper that is extremely breathable and flexible to hug your feet. The upper consists of specialized technical structures (synthetic overlay) that provide wearers with ultimate comfort and protection along with a superior footwear performance. These overlays will prevent unnecessary twisting and turning of your feet as you run while playing basketball.
The midsole of these shoes is supposed to keep your foot cupped in and restrict the lateral movements resulting from flat feet. It is made of a shock-absorbing EVA foam material that is incredibly soft, flexible and lightweight. Due to its high elasticity, it gives a significant energy rebound and absorbs impact when you take a jump while playing basketball.
Also, there is a stability structure in the forefoot region that reduces any unevenness in your running pattern while playing basketball.
Lastly, the shoes feature a translucent hard rubber outsole that offers excellent traction, stability and grip for outdoor sports.
What I Liked
- Wide toe box
- Breathable
- Moderate arch support for flexible flat feet
- Secure fit
What I didn’t Like
- May have to buy a half size down as shoes are longer inside
- Insole is lightly cushioned and non-removable
2. Under Armour Jet – Best Basketball Shoes for Wide Flat Feet
Best Features:
- Textile mesh upper with TPU overlay for a supportive fit
- Strong heel collar
- Bootie construction for ankle support
These shoes by Under Armour are designed for basketball players having flat and wide feet. They are designed with anatomically patterned cushioning to create a wider, supportive feel while maintaining low-to-the-ground responsiveness. The shoe features durable construction for strength, breathability and moisture transport. The shoes have a unique outsole and forefoot that provide stability without compromising modern style or performance.
The sleek, bootie-inspired textile mesh upper has one-piece sock-like construction that provides a flexible and customized fit and prevents the formation of blisters. Moreover, on the sides, the shoes have thermoplastic urethane (TPU) layer that is stiffer, compression-resistant and provides lateral support to your foot. There is a perforated detailing on the TPU layer that enhances the breathability of shoes and keeps your feet aerated. Also, a thick heel counter and wide collar box provides stability, lockdown, and shock absorbency.
Furthermore, the midsole of shoes is made of compression-molded EVA foam that provides great support and cushioning to your feet. It possesses a mix of superior cushion and extreme stability designed to reduce foot fatigue and keep you performing longer on the court. On the rearfoot, the midsole’s shape is like a deep cup shape which is an excellent feature that delivers stability to the flat feet people and locks their feet to avoid uncontrolled movements and rolling.
Lastly, the rubber outsole of these shoes is lightweight and flexible for quick cuts, transitions and stops on the court. It has excellent durability and offers good traction on the court.
What I Liked
- Removable EVA insole
- Great stability due to deep heel cup and rigid heel counter
- Great durability
- Good basketball shoes for wide flat feet
What I didn’t Like
- Midsole is thin due to which cushioning is not up to the mark
3. Adidas Men’s Harden Vol. 3 – Best outdoor Basketball Shoes for Ankle Support and Flat Feet
Best Features:
- Stretchy and durable primeknit upper
- Leather overlays for a supportive fit
- Adidas’ exclusive boost midsole
- Outsole with herringbone pattern
These are the ideal shoes for people with flat feet or low arches. They are designed to cradle your feet to ensure that you will have a good support while playing basketball. The shoes are intended for those who want to increase their speed and acceleration on the court.
These shoes feature lightweight and breathable textile knit with 100% leather overlays which offer support and comfort even during the most intense games. They have a bold aesthetic, molded heel counter for support and stability, and signature power strap for a lockdown fit. There is a small fuse piece at the toe area that’s for the toe protection and preventing the hole in the toe box.
Moreover, the shoes consist of a responsive boost midsole that is thicker and more pronounced as compared to Adidias Harden Vol.2 version. It absorbs impact during the highest-intensity moves on and off the court. Boost technology is made by compression molding of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) pellets. As compared to EVA, TPU material is denser and compression-resistant that provides support to the flat feet. It creates an energy-filled effect when jumping while also cushioning each step you take.
The midsole forms a cage around the shoe’s structure that offers lateral support and stability to your feet. There is an excellent cushioning in the heel region that gives an advantage during the landing phase by absorption shock and impact and offers a super smooth heel-toe transition.
Lastly, the shoes have a rubber outsole with aggressive treads arranged in a herringbone pattern. The treads are consistent through the shoe bottom that improves its grip, and makes them suitable for the outdoors. As far as durability of the outsole is concerned, I have observed a downside here as the rubber is softer, due to which the outsole can lose its treads pattern after sometime.
Another downside of the outsole is that herringbone grooves are closely spaced, due to which it’d become difficult to wipe out the dust.
What I Liked
- Great lateral support and stability
- Removable footbed
- Nice cushioning in heel
- Great ankle support due to bootie construction and molded heel counter
- Excellent grip due to herringbone pattern
- Run true to size
What I didn’t Like
- Outsole durability is not so good due to the soft rubber
- If you’re a heavy person, then cushioning might not be suitable for you
4. Nike Men’s Air Visi Pro Vi – Basketball Shoes with Arch Support for Flat Feet
Best Features:
- Bootie construction for ankle support
- Full-length phylon midsole
- Mesh fabric with a nubuck leather
These are high-performance basketball shoes specifically designed to provide the best cushioning and stability for people with flat feet. They are made to accommodate player’s foot arches by providing full-foot stability and support during running, cutting, and jumping motion to help reduce injuries.
These shoes offer stability and comfort with an inner bootie construction for cushioning in the forefoot area and secure mid-foot support. The upper of the shoes consists of breathable mesh fabric stitched with a strong nubuck layer that makes them highly durable.
There are perforated heel and toe areas that provide breathability, flexibility and versatility as well. Moreover, the shoes are constructed with a rigid heel counter wrapped internally with a nylon shank for strong stability that ensures a secure, comfortable fit while you play.
The Nike Visi Pro Vi has a full-length Phylon midsole that absorbs the impact created by repetitive jumping. Phylon is made by heating and compressing EVA foam pellets. It has a rubber-like resilience and resistance against wear and tear while being lightweight enough to boost your performance. Also, the combination of Nike Zoom Air in the heel midsole unit offers a cushioned and bouncy feel. Air sole unit helps add more cushioning to your stride while keeping you more stable on the court.
Lastly, the shoes are made of a durable rubber outsole that is grippy to keep you safe when you’re running around and provides traction in multiple directions.
What I Liked
- Excellent durability of upper
- Removable footbed
- Cushioning is good as long as you want a court feel
- Nice stability and outstanding ankle support due to nylon shank in heel counter
- Suitable to play outdoors due to excellent traction
- Fit true to size; also suitable for wide feet
What I didn’t Like
- Breathability is not so good as compared to other basketball shoes
- Some customers have claimed that the air unit in heel popped up after few months
5. Fila Men’s Mashburn – Supportive Basketball Shoes for Flexible Flat Feet
It has been seen that runners and players involved in high impact activities suffer from collapsed arches due to muscle weakness. This happens when their feet are exposed to repeated impacts over a period of time. If you are among those people, then these basketball sneakers by Fila are one of the best options for you.
The shoes have a high-cut design combined with premium leather and mesh fabric upper that is flexible, comfortable and provides a perfect and supportive fit. On the tongue, there are perforations to improve the airflow and enhance breathability. Moreover, the hi-top silhouette provides additional support around the ankle with padding on the tongue and collar for added comfort. There is s pull tab located at the heel for easy on/off and a soft textile lining to absorb moisture from your feet.
Moreover, the impact-absorbing EVA midsole helps absorb shock as you play, run or jump. The sturdy design of the midsole delivers superior performance and comfort, providing a spring effect that is good for athletes looking for extra speed and energy. Also, the removable insole features an anatomical design to provide arch support to your flat feet and helps to stabilize body alignment.
Lastly, the rubber outsole is designed to follow the shape of your feet. In this way, it provides stability and avoids uncontrolled movements by ensuring sufficient grip on basketball courts. The herringbone pattern of treads offers an excellent grip, stability and traction. Moreover, it also features split traction grooves for flexibility and smoother transition of motion from heel to toe during the landing phase.
What I Liked
- Excellent durability of upper
- Run true to size
- Sturdy midsole to support the arch
- Durable leather upper with breathable textile mesh
- Stylish design
- High-top collar for ankle support
What I didn’t Like
- Didn’t notice any significant drawback
Features of the Best Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet
Let’s have a look on the different features that I analyzed for selecting the best basketball shoes for ankle support and flat feet.
Arch Support
Depending on how severe your flat feet are, you might want arch support features to strengthen your foot’s weak arch.
Basketball shoes with an improved arched shape will help support healthy knee motion during play since the knee joint can bear more pressure without risking injury or pain. Research shows that arches provide a spring to the step that distributes body weight equally across the foot. Basketball players with flat feet are devoid of this natural trait due to which they feel excessive pain in their flat feet that can run through their legs and badly affect knees and hips.
So, the basketball shoes with an improved arched shape will help support healthy knee motion during play since the knee joint can bear more pressure without risking injury or pain.
Stability and Grip
As a player or beginner, you wouldn’t want to slip when quickly moving around on the court. This can cause accidents and injuries, so it’s best if you’re wearing shoes that have grippy soles and stability structure like a caged midsole, deep heel cup and a rigid heel counter so that you can move about even when taking quick sidesteps.
Size and Fit
When looking for basketball shoes, it’s important that the shoe provides good support and fit comfortably. Basketball shoes should provide a snug and secure fit to avoid uncontrolled movements and slipping of your feet. Moreover, the toe box should offer plenty of room to spread out your feet and deliver extreme comfort naturally.
Studies have shown that the flat feet problem is one of the significant causes of a bunion that happens primarily due to misalignment of foot and pronation. So, good basketball shoes for flat feet should have a wide toe box to adjust those misalignments and prevent toes from rubbing against the shoes.
How do flat feet affect basketball performance?
Having flat feet means that your ankles aren’t able to hold up your bodyweight properly. This causes strain on muscles and ligaments which could lead to injuries such as sprains and strains. It also affects how well you perform during sports like basketball because if you don’t get enough support from your footwear, you may not be able to move around freely.
Footwear experts recommend wearing high-quality sports footwear which will provide support and cushioning. In addition, we suggest using orthotics to help correct any abnormal alignment of the joints. These inserts may be worn inside regular shoe soles or over existing insoles.
You can check out this Full-length Gel Shoe Insert by Softsole. many basketball players with flat feet recommend them.
Final Thoughts about the Best Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet
I hope you have found this guide quite helpful for buying the best basketball shoes for flat feet. All those basketball shoes that I have reviewed in this article can boost your performance due to their maximum support, comfort, grip and durability. All the shoes feature a high-top design with the right amount of cushioning in the heel counter to support your ankles.
Moreover, I have selected shoes that have removable insoles. So, if you gave your custom orthotic inserts, you can also replace them with those insoles to support your flat feet. The prices of shoes vary depending on the material and thickness of the midsole. Therefore, I have presented several high-quality options with maximum features so that you can decide which basketball shoe you should buy depending on your budget and requirements.
Good Luck!
Basketball for People with Flat Feet (FAQs)
Can flat feet play basketball?
The ankle joint, the heel, and the arch are most likely to be involved in flat feet. The joints in the foot are very susceptible to injuries such as arthritis, sprains, stress fractures, arthrosis and tendonitis due to flat feet.
So, as long as you have good balance and cushioning to prevent those injuries, you can play basketball with your flat feet. You can get the right support, sufficient balance and enough cushioning from the best basketball shoes for flat feet, which I have reviewed above. So, if you’re gonna buy any one of them, you’re at liberty to play basketball with your flat feet.
Do insoles for flat feet work?
Insoles or orthotic inserts can help support your flat feet, but they can’t change your feet arch. Flat feet cause imbalance as they tend to push your ankles inwards or outwards. So, you’d need inserts with medium to low arch height and a deep heel cup to restrict the motion of your heel and offer shock absorption.