Girls' Basketball Shoes That Fit Orthotics: From Rec League to Varsity

Basketball asks a girl to jump, land, stop and cut on a hard floor, hundreds of times a practice. Most of what goes wrong happens at the ankle. More of it than parents expect happens at the knee. And a lot of girls play in a shoe chosen for its color, in a size that fit last season. This guide is for parents of girls from rec league and club ball through varsity. It covers what the research shows about young players, and the habits that protect ankles and knees better than any shoe. It also explains how to choose a basketball shoe for a wide, narrow, flat or high-arched foot. Finally, it shows how to fit a custom orthotic inside it.

Shopping for a son? Read our guide to boys' basketball shoes. For every sport a high-school girl plays, see our varsity guide for girls. A teenager already in women's sizes can also use our women's basketball shoe guide.

What the Research Shows About Girls in Basketball

Borowski and colleagues (2008) looked at two seasons of high-school basketball across the country. Girls had a higher injury rate than boys in that study. The ankle and foot made up 39.7 percent of all injuries in that study, and ligament sprains were the most common diagnosis. Girls had a larger share of knee injuries and concussions. A knee ligament sprain was the most common girls' injury that needed surgery. Darrow and colleagues (2009) counted the injuries that kept high-school athletes out for more than three weeks. Girls' basketball had a higher rate of those severe injuries than boys' basketball in that study.

Nelson and colleagues (2007) compared ankle injuries in nine high-school sports. Girls' basketball had the second-highest rate in that study, behind only boys' basketball. Joseph and colleagues (2013) looked at knee ligament tears in nine high-school sports. In the sports both sexes play, girls tore the anterior cruciate ligament at more than three times the boys' rate in that study. That is the injury that ends seasons.

Protecting Her Knees

The best evidence for girls' knees is about training, not shoes. Webster and Hewett (2018) pooled eight earlier reviews of injury-prevention warm-ups. In that review, programs that teach landing, cutting and balance cut all anterior cruciate ligament tears by half. They cut the non-contact tears in female athletes by two-thirds. A good program takes a few minutes before each practice and teaches her to land softly with her knees over her toes. Ask the coach whether the team does one. If not, a physical therapist or athletic trainer can teach it.

The shoe matters at the edges. A shoe that grips a clean floor well, with a firm heel and a wide base, keeps the foot under her. A shoe with a slick, worn sole or soft, tall foam under the heel does the opposite. Keep the soles clean and replace a pair once the tread is smooth.

Braces and Balance Beat High Tops

Barrett and colleagues (1993) randomized 622 players to high-top, low-top or high-top shoes with air chambers. There was no meaningful difference in ankle sprains between the shoes in that trial. McGuine and colleagues (2011) randomized 1,460 high-school basketball players, girls and boys, to lace-up ankle braces or none for a season. In that trial, the braced players had about a third of the acute ankle injuries of the players without braces. That held whether or not they had sprained an ankle before. Emery and colleagues (2007) randomized 920 high-school basketball players aged twelve to eighteen. One group added a wobble-board program at home to the team warm-up. That group had 29 percent fewer sudden injuries in that trial, even though only about six in ten did the program as asked.

Heel Pain in a Growing Player

Heel pain is a common reason young basketball players end up in a podiatrist's office. In a girl between about eight and thirteen, it is usually irritation of the growth plate at the back of the heel. That is where the Achilles tendon pulls on bone that has not finished growing. Wiegerinck and colleagues (2014) found 3.7 cases for every 1,000 registered patients aged six to seventeen in Dutch family practices. Jumping on a hard floor and a growth spurt that tightens the calf both aggravate it. James and colleagues (2016) randomized 124 children with this heel pain to a heel raise or a ready-made orthotic. Every group had improved about the same amount by the end of the year in that trial. A cushioned heel cup, calf stretches and fewer back-to-back days help most girls keep playing. Read more about heel pain that won't go away.

What to Look For in a Youth Basketball Shoe

Proper fit comes first. Klein and colleagues (2009) measured 858 preschool children and their shoes in Austria. Most wore shoes that were too short, and short shoes were associated with a big toe that angled outward. Measure both feet each season and fit the longer one. Leave about a thumb's width of room past the longest toe with her game socks on.

• A firm heel counter. Squeeze the back of the shoe. It should not fold.
• A wide, flat base. A sole that flares out a little under the forefoot is harder to roll over than a narrow one.
• A low, firm heel. Soft, tall foam under the heel feels good in the store and wobbles on a landing.
• A removable insole. Pull it out and look at the depth underneath.
• Grip that matches the floor. Wipe the soles during games. A dusty sole slips, and a sole worn smooth slips more.

Most youth basketball shoes are sold in unisex grade-school sizes. When a girl outgrows them, some basketball shoes come in women's sizes and others only in men's or unisex sizes. A women's size is usually about one and a half sizes larger in number than the same men's size. Check the size chart for each shoe, and fit by the foot rather than the number on the box.

Getting an Orthotic Into a Basketball Shoe

Basketball shoes are usually the easiest sports shoe to fit with a device. They are deep, and the factory insole lifts out. The catch is that many youth models have a thick foam insole and a snug midfoot. Take the factory insole out, set the orthotic in, and check that her heel still sits deep in the counter. A slimmer device often works better than a bulky one.

A flat foot alone is not a reason for an orthotic. Wenger and colleagues (1989) followed 129 children with flexible flat feet in corrective shoes, heel cups, custom inserts or nothing. The arches improved in every group, and the treated children did no better than the untreated ones in that trial. An orthotic does not reshape a growing foot. It earns its place in a basketball shoe when there is a problem to treat. Heel pain, an arch that aches after games and pain under the ball of the foot all count. See our guide to flat feet in children.

Match the Shoe to Your Daughter's Foot

Wide Feet

We found no youth basketball shoe sold in a wide width. The roomiest we found is the Nike Omni Multi-Court for big kids. Nike describes it as wide around the heel and forefoot. Try several brands with the orthotic in, and skip any shoe that presses on the little toe.

Narrow Feet

Many girls have a narrow heel, and a shoe built for a broad foot lets it slide. A sliding foot rolls. Lace to the top eyelet with a heel-lock loop, and choose a snug, padded collar and a firm heel counter.

Flat Feet

A flexible flat foot is common and usually does not hurt. If it aches, a firm heel counter and an orthotic help more than a soft, cushioned shoe. A stiff flat foot that does not form an arch on tiptoe needs an examination.

High Arches

A high-arched foot lands hard and rolls outward easily. Choose a wide, flat sole, a roomy instep and some cushion under the forefoot. A lace-up brace makes sense if she has rolled an ankle before.

Loose Ankles

A lace-up brace under the sock, a balance program and a low, firm shoe. Read our guides on ankle sprains and strengthening after a sprain.

Girls' Basketball Shoes to Try

No shoe company pays for placement here. No brand sponsors this article. Every shoe here is our own pick, based on the features above and on what we see in the office.

We do run a separate website, footshop.cc. Patients kept asking where to find the products we talk about in the exam room. So we built a separate site that keeps the links in one place. It includes links to Amazon and other retailers. Every affiliate link over there is disclosed where it appears. If you buy through one of those links, we earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra. We run it as a convenience for our patients, not as a condition of care. You are free to buy any of these shoes anywhere you like, at whatever price you find, with or without our links. Our advice is the same either way.

Medical footwear is not part of that. Prescription shoes, inserts, boots and braces are never on our affiliate site. They are not a shopping link, and we will not treat them like one.

A Roomier Fit

• Nike Omni Multi-Court (big kids'): Nike describes it as wide around the heel and forefoot, with a non-marking sole for indoor courts. It runs small, so Nike suggests half a size up.

Regular Fits

• Nike Sabrina and Nike Witness (big kids'): one width each.
• Under Armour Lockdown (grade school): one medium width.
• adidas Own the Game (kids'): one width.

For every shoe on this page, lift the insole in the store. If it comes out and the orthotic sits flat with her heel still inside the counter, you are in business. If it is glued, bring the shoe to our office, and we will design the orthotic around it.

What to Check Every Season

• Measure both feet standing, at the end of the day, in game socks. Fit the longer foot.
• Put her orthotic in the new shoe at the store, with the factory insole out. If her heel lifts, try another shoe.
• Ask the coach whether the team does a landing and balance warm-up before practice.
• If she has sprained an ankle before, buy the brace before the first practice.
• Check the soles. Smooth tread on a court shoe means it is time for a new pair.
• Ask about heel pain, blisters and black toenails.

When to See a Podiatrist

Bring her in for heel pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks. A limp, swelling or night pain needs an examination too. Come in after a sprain that is still swollen after a week, or for an ankle that keeps rolling. Pain on the outside of the foot after a landing needs an examination to rule out a fracture. A knee that gave way or swelled after a landing or a cut needs a sports medicine exam the same week. If she already wears orthotics and has grown a size, bring the orthotics and her game shoes. Our pediatric foot care page explains how we see young athletes. Our custom orthotics page explains how we make devices.

More reading: everyday athletic shoes for kids and foot care for athletes.