Basketball shoes nowadays are less and less like basketball shoes.

Ten years ago, the biggest feature of basketball shoes was high tops. But nowadays, high-top shoes are no longer the symbol of basketball shoes, and more and more NBA players begin to wear low-top shoes. James Harden and Damian Lillard of Adidas, Kevin Durant and Paul George of Nike, all these stars have low-cut signature shoes. Many shoes are divided into high-top and low-top versions, except for the height of the upper. The uppers of some shoes look very high, but the upper materials are as soft as socks.

▲ James Harden's signature shoes, Adidas Harden Vol. 1.

Sports and leisure are being combined, and basketball shoes with the first actual combat performance are no longer as popular as before. Take Nike as an example. In fiscal year 20 16, the overall sales of Nike basketball category decreased 1%. This is not to say that the sky is falling, but that brands must stop this trend. Maybe cutting off the upper can make basketball shoes look more casual, pants that fit better and sell better?

▲ Nike Kobe AD NXT, it is hard to recognize that this is a pair of basketball shoes.

It is generally believed that high-top basketball shoes can provide more protection for ankles, while low-top basketball shoes sacrifice protection for more flexibility. But in such a fierce NBA game, there are still so many people who choose to wear low-waisted shoes. It stands to reason that these people's ankles are more expensive than gold. Why are they willing to take risks?

Today we will talk about the high and low sides of basketball shoes.

Theory of high gang uselessness

The history of basketball shoes is almost as long as basketball itself. The earliest basketball shoes were born out of boxing shoes, leather, high tops and flat bottoms, but it is hard to say what exclusive design was made for basketball.

19 17 the first pair of converse all-star basketball shoes was born. Now this kind of canvas shoes has completely become a fashion item, but at that time, converse all-star was synonymous with basketball shoes.

▲ Early Converse All-Star.

Although all Star can be divided into high-top and low-top, after all, the upper is only a thin layer of canvas, which has no protective effect. Bill russell, a famous Boston Celtic, likes to wear low-cut canvas shoes in competitions.

It was not until the1960s that high-top basketball shoes became the standard, but the idea that "high-top basketball shoes will protect ankles" did come from the Top Ten basketball shoes launched by Adidas in the1970s ... The uppers of Top Ten are very high and thick, which is what high-end basketball shoes should look like, no matter players, trainers or shoe friends.

▲ rick barry once endorsed Adidas Top Ten.

In basketball, players have to constantly accelerate, decelerate, change direction and jump, which will cause considerable pressure on their ankles, not to mention often stepping on others' feet carelessly. For professional basketball players, ankle injury is not a risk, but an inevitable thing.

People think that high-top basketball shoes will have more protection for ankles. The reason is very simple: after the shoelaces are tied, the high top tightly wraps the ankle to provide support, and the heel is firmly fixed on the sole without shaking. When the foot tends to turn over, the restraint of the upper may help you control your ankle.

This sounds reasonable, but so far there is no relevant scientific experiment to prove that high-top basketball shoes are more effective than low-top basketball shoes in protecting ankles.

A study published by Fu, a scholar of Shanghai Sport University, on 20 14 shows that there is no significant difference between the maximum ankle varus angle and ankle varus angular velocity when the subjects wear high-top basketball shoes and low-top basketball shoes. In other words, there is no evidence that high-top basketball shoes will have a defensive effect on potential ankle sprains.

Miao Xin, Ph.D. in Sports Human Science of Beijing Sport University, also told Lazy Bear Sports that at present, from the scientific research point of view, the height of the upper has little protective effect on the ankle, but the stability of the heel has a greater impact.

Although high-top shoes can't restrict the ankle movement when the ankle is varus, many scientific studies have proved that the upper close to the ankle strengthens the athlete's "proprioception".

What is "proprioception"? Simply put, it is the brain's perception of where all parts of the body are. Why do high-top shoes strengthen "proprioception", that is, help the brain determine the position of the ankle? Because, when the ankle moves, it will be oppressed by the upper. Although this kind of oppression is not enough to reduce the range of motion of the ankle, it will make athletes subconsciously perceive the state of the ankle, and the brain will activate the muscles around the ankle in advance, ready to exert force at any time to prevent ankle sprain.

This is very similar to the role of knee pads. Dr David Gale is an expert in sports medicine, who often deals with basketball players. In an interview with Esquire magazine, he once said: "Knee pads can't really fix athletes' knees, because they are elastic neoprene, and they are only responsible for telling athletes' brains,' Okay, this is my knee'."

Therefore, the uppers of high-top basketball shoes, like knee pads, can't physically restrict the athletes' movements, but their functions lie in the athletes' nervous system and brain.

What are the advantages of low help?

The rise of low-waisted shoes is attributed to Kobe Bryant.

As a person born in Italy, Kobe is naturally interested in football. He found that the pressure and risk on the feet of football players and basketball players are similar, and they all keep running, changing direction and jumping during the game, but they have never seen a pair of football shoes with high tops. Therefore, before Nike designed the fourth generation of signature shoes for Kobe, Kobe asked the designer: light and low-cut.

▲ Kobe's fourth generation Nike signature shoes Zoom Kobe IV.

Zoom Kobe IV caused widespread controversy as soon as it was launched. With such a low upper, are these still basketball shoes? But Kobe's performance broke all doubts. In the 2008-09 season, Kobe wore Zoom Kobe IV to lead the Lakers to the championship.

Athletes are beginning to realize the advantages of low-top basketball shoes. Generally speaking, low-top basketball shoes are 20% lighter than the same high-top version. This means that the athlete's feet can move faster, and at the same time, it also slows down the athlete's fatigue and increases the playing time.

For Nike, Adidas, Andema and other sports brands, the introduction of low-profile version not only saves costs, but more importantly makes the actual basketball shoes look closer to fashion, which not only satisfies the players but also caters to the consumption trend. Why not?

Say a few last words.

The rise of low-top basketball shoes is not a commercial conspiracy of major sports brands, and high-top basketball shoes are not as protective as people think. Just as the styles of basketball players are constantly diversified, so are the styles of basketball shoes. Whether it's a high top or a low top, just choose the pair you think is most suitable.