Ranking the best basketball shoes of 2018

Among the perks of being the best basketball players on the planet is the fact that NBA players get to pick and choose from the choicest sneakers available on the planet to don in front of millions of onlooking fans at the arena and on TV from around the world.

Sneaker culture has mushroomed into its own shopping segment, a market occupied predominantly by consumers who are seeking to make style statements of their own through their sneakers.

Due to the differing dates of release of sneakers across the NBA spectrum, some shoes like the Kyrie 5 haven't been available to fans in a lot of countries. Thus, this ranking of the best basketball shoes of 2018 is based on models available to public outside of the USA:

#10 Nike Kobe 1 Protro

Retro releases this good come by once in a blue moon, and I'm glad I got the chance to wear and test the Kobe 1 Protros which hit the store in the latter half of the 2017-18 NBA season. A really reliable, durable shoe that might feel just right for trekkers looking to hit the mountain slopes this winter in addition to being super-amazing on court, the use of a full-length Zoom Air unit puts it over the original Kobe 1s in my mind.

A leather basketball shoe that looks and feels premium in the flesh, the Kobe 1 Protro fits your foot like a custom-made glove within a couple of uses. Priced at $175 and released on Mamba Day (April 13) 2018, these sneakers will be a fond part of my sneaker collection, forever and always.

#9 Adidas Dame 4

Armed with a compression collar that actually helps compression instead of serving merely a cosmetic purpose, the Dame 4 sneakers scored a win over previous models on the Dame sneaker line right there. The mesh upper from older Dame releases has been kept alive on the Dame 4, and I, for one, have no complaints with this particular look, for it mirrors the look of a snakeskin and Lillard is slippery as hell as an offensive player.

The boost used on the sole gives your feet solid protection from hard landings on your heels, and the overall comfort, cushioning and fit of the feel make it worth the $115 it will set you back by.

#8 Adidas Harden Volume 3

Harden sports the Vol 3 sneakers in a game against the Pistons

The solid outsole rubber of the Adidas Harden Vol 3 has attracted the approval of many testers because it is pretty much as dust-resistant as a basketball shoe has gottten. With virtually zero break-in time required, these shoes are a must-have for aficionados who'll be using them for casual purposes or on indoor courts, as the sole seems suspect to wear and tear easily on exposure to outdoor environments.

Nevertheless, the Harden Vol 3 sports a real luxury feel to it due to the textile upper lining and boost cushioning throughout the shoe (more apparent in the heel section than at the midsole or on the balls of your feet).

#7 Nike LeBron XVI

The one thing that has bugged me on all LeBron releases in the past 3 years has been addressed by the sneaker line. Not very well, but the ankle support on the LeBron XVI is a lot more than I expected out of the franchise of late. The rest of the shoe looks and sports the premium feel of a shoe designed for the greatest baller on the planet, as the LeBron XVI evolves its look from the XV into a sleeker, more sporty design and knit.

The use of Max Air and Zoom Air cushioning units spread through the length of the shoe make it a really good shoe to use for explosive athletes and those who expend most of their energy on rebounding and going vertical.

#6 Anta KT 4

With a design that is, for all intents and purposes to sneakerheads and casual wearers alike, pretty much the same as the LeBron XV, the Anta KT 4 built on its already solid reputation with a release that accentuates comfort and luxury feel for users. Sporting a full-length A-Flashfoam that is very bouncy underfoot, the KT 4 are the right blend of looks, fit, comfort and performance - a very rare combo on comparatively low-budget sneaker brands.

The Anta franchise can expect to rake in its highest intake this 2018-19 basketball season based on the strength of their signature release.

#5 Adidas D Rose 8

While it seems like Adidas let its D Rose line go to seed in terms of material used (it had some of the cheapest materials I've seen used on a shoe in the past couple of seasons), the tradeoff helped lockdown and fit in ways I'd certainly not believed to be possible on a basketball shoe.

The traction, grip and lockdown on the boot, combined with the full Boost package that the sole is armed with, make the D Rose 8 a compelling buy for sneakerheads who are willing to trade off comfort and luxury looks for performance.

#4 Under Armour HOVR Havoc

Hovr tech cushioning, a high-end foam used mainly for running and jogging shoes, has been used on UA basketball kicks for the first time on the UA HOVR Havocs. The shoe’s high-end foam provides great energy return and comfort during court time. The shoe gets its meat (main body) and lateral mobility from the durable-but-lightweight TPU material used in the heel counter, midfoot, and melted film on the mesh upper.

For one of the best-looking sneaker releases of 2018, the Hovr Havoc is available in a low or mid-top in 14 different colorways today. It was debuted in NBA settings by Mo Bamba in a grey colorway (as seen in the picture above) during the Magic's preseason campaign.

#3 Air Jordan XXXII

Jimmy Butler wearing these lit sneakers in his Sixers debut game against the Jazz

Unlike other Jordan releases in the past 3-4 years, the Jordan XXXII did not disappoint in terms of grip and traction in on-court action for me, or for the vast majority of reviewers online. The Jordan XXXII mainly got in the imagination of basketball fans because of the rather throwback look to the shoe and the bright and appropriate colorways which it's available in.

The likes of Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul wore it through the latter half of the 2017-18 season and the start of this 2018-19 season.

#2 Nike PG 2.5

The Nike PG 1 was easily the most successful new sneaker line released by Nike in recent years. It was the most commonly worn shoe by NBA players, and built on a 'less is more' psychology with tasteful colourways that led to over 40 players wearing it over the course of the 2017-18 season.

At $110, Paul George’s Nike PG 2.5 could be the best signature sneaker bargain on the market today. Its Zoom Air cushioning and Flywire-infused upper are technologies typically reserved for the more deluxe, luxury basketball lines like the LeBrons, and some of the colourways available on the 2.5 are, for the lack of a better phrase, straight fire.

#1 Kyrie 4

The trend of Nike's lower-profile releases being big successes was started by the Nike Kyrie 2s, which went berserk over the internet when Irving donned en route championship success with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA playoffs. Always one of the most fashionable players in the league and contracted to Nike right from his rookie season, Kyrie has succeeded in establishing a wildly successful sneaker line favoured by pros and fans alike.

The Kyrie 4 was the perfect culmination of technology meeting exquisite design, and Nike will find it tough to top the new sneakerheads it was able to rope in with the Kyrie 4. The Kyrie 5 is great itself (I've had the opportunity to wear-test them myself), but the Kyrie 4 is likely to go down in basketball sneaker history as a landmark shoe to be sought after by collectors in the decades to come.

My personal favourite among the Kyrie 4 colourways were the 'Wheaties' worn by Tatum against the Sixers in Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.