Basketball shoes losing traction is akin to sword losing sharpness.
Just like you can’t go to war with a blunt sword, you can’t jump into a basketball court with a traction-less shoe.
So, do you buy a new pair or fix the current one?
I say save money and make your current basketball shoes sticky.
“How?” you ask. Well, we’re here to help.
In this article, we are going to teach you how to get better grip on basketball shoes.
Why Grip Strength is Important of Basketball Shoes
You may think that grip is only needed for outdoor play. No, for both types of games, you have to make sure that your shoes provide the optimum amount of grip so that your shoe can stick to the surface you are playing.
It is not only necessary for your safety if you do not have a grip on your shoe, then an offensive basketball player may pass you by doing a tricky cross-over, and you will not be able to do anything.
Because without grip, you will not get enough strength to do a power jump to go for a rebound. In the upcoming part of this article, we will be introducing some easy and effective ways to improve traction of your shoe.
Techniques on How to Make Basketball Shoes Sticky

If you search for different techniques to make your basketball shoe sticky, then there are a couple of techniques that you may come across. These techniques may help you to improve the grip of your favorite shoe that you could not wear because of this issue.
After fixing, you can tackle the fast players on the court at any given time of the game. The court of basketball can be very slippery to move in. As the game is an unpredictable one, you really do not know your next step. With every move for your defense, you might need to dribble in a way that never crossed your mind.
Do you know what it means? It indicates that you have to be prepared all the time with your shoe so that you do not slip and slide.
Obviously, you might be asking yourself what the ways are to make your shoe sticky so that it sticks to the court. Here are some of the techniques for you. You may try them out to get your desired result.
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B-Sharp Traction
One may find B-Sharp traction in the market to solve this problem. It is one of the most common products available in the market that is specially manufactured in a way to improve the grip and traction of your shoe so that you can play smoothly.
What you have to do is apply a little on the top of a wet towel. You have to step on the towel before hitting the basketball court.
One of the disadvantages of B-Traction is that it does not last for a long period. So, if you are planning to play for a long time, you may have to reapply the solution during the game time. However, it is an effective option that you may consider if you are playing for the day.
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Stickum Mat
You may have heard the term stickum if you have experience of playing in an indoor basketball court. This is probably a term you are familiar with if you have ever played on an indoor court setting. A stickum mat is basically a mat that is specially designed specifically to fix different issues basketball players face on the court.
For example, if their shoes are not sticky enough, the mat helps to fix the problem. When you step on the mat, the mat will instantly give the optimum amount of grip to your shoe sole that it did not have earlier. For better results, people suggest stepping on the mat during the game.
And you may need to step on the mat for 3-4 times, depending on the length of the game. Because the good grip or sticky mats may wear off as you have to run on a smooth court in the indoor stadium.
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Alternative Approach
You might have some confusion and question about what you will do in the middle of a match, considering you do not have access to any of these products. There is a simple solution that may help you to run for a few minutes.
Some may find it odd, but this technique works for some time. You have to wet your fingers with your tongue. And then, take your finger and put it on the bottom of your shoe. This will increase the grip such as sticky mats of your shoe. You may have noticed this while watching a professional match. Players tend to do this during the match.
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Clean Your Basketball Shoe
If you have ever been to a basketball court, you can see that the court is very dirty and because of that your shoe also gets dirty. This dust and dirt sometimes makes the shoe slippery. So, what you have to do is to clean your shoes nicely. Professionals recommend cleaning your shoes often with a damp cloth before each match.
At least, you can clean your shoe in the half-time of the game. It helps you to prevent any kind of accidents. The shoe captures all the dirt, and the dust and dirt take away the grip of the shoe. If you do not take it into account, it may seriously cause you a bad injury.
So, the suggestion would be to have a separate pair of shoes for both indoor and outdoor uses. Clean your shoe on the day before your match because it gives the grip you need to play the game. There are some solutions available in the market that solve this problem exclusively.
Final Words
So, your first attempt to solve this problem would be to use a dedicated product. If you do not have any access to these, then you can make your own one with a mixture of root beer and a damp cloth.
Whatever solution you might be using, ensure that it is providing you with the necessary amount of grip. With the proper shoe grip, you can easily tackle the fastest players on the court.