Updated: January 26, 2024

A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis can be a bad situation for any basketball player, casual or serious. This condition causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot that makes playing basketball an impossibility. While the exact cause of this condition is not known, there are multiple lines of evidence that suggest that the repetitive movements of a basketball player make them more susceptible than the general population.

So your doctor tells you have plantar fasciitis but you want to keep playing. What should you do to avoid the pain? Make sure you get the right sneaker for the job. You need to look for shoes that offer the following features:

• Sole support – Since most of the pain of plantar fasciitis is caused by stepping directly on the bottom of your foot, you want a shoe that offers good support of the sole. You may find that you need to buy removable insoles to get the right level of support.
• Ankle support – When you have plantar fasciitis, you tend to modify your gait to avoid causing pain. This can leave you walking in unnatural positions, especially if you’re wearing shoes that allow you to modify your gait too much. Find a pair of shoes that keep your ankle locked in.
• Proper fit – When your toe box is too tight, your toes will be squeezed, exacerbating the pain of this debilitating condition. Make sure you find a shoe that fits just right – not too tight but also not too loose.

The shoes below are those that have been reviewed and rated as the best basketball shoes for players suffering from plantar fasciitis.