Basketball footwear requirements are dependent on playing position

Introduction: Basketball contains numerous types of movements and highly specific playing positions, and hence the anthropometric profile of players varies considerably. To date, the subjective demands of basketball footwear have not been investigated in depth, either biomechanically or from the players' perspective. This study aimed to investigate players' subjective demands of basketball footwear according to playing position and respective physical game requirements. Methods: A supervised questionnaire survey of 165 basketball players of heterogeneous skill level was carried out. The questionnaire was divided into three sections enquiring about characteristics of (a) subject profile, (b) athletic demands of playing positions, and (c) basketball footwear. The chi(2) test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical evaluation of the non-parametric data. Results: The three playing positions have very different physical profiles: (1) guards require speed and agility, (2) centres require strength and strong leaping ability, and (3) forward players are versatile all-rounders. Overall, ankle stability was rated the most important shoe characteristic and mid-cut uppers were favoured by the majority of players. Shoe preferences differed only marginally between playing positions: guards put more emphasis on low-weight and more flexible shoes whereas centre players prefer shoes with high stability and injury protection. Accordingly, centre player favoured high-cut uppers. Conclusions: The findings reveal the potential for two position-specific basketball shoe models: (1) a low-to midcut agility shoe model for guards and small forwards that has high traction and is supportive during acceleration and cutting movements, and (2) a mid-to high-cut stability shoe for power forwards and centres with the focus on ankle stability and jumping performance. The stability shoe could easily be complemented with additional ankle braces.