While I’m no big man, I know shoes and performance pretty well. It doesn’t take a big man to know what one needs. Similarly, most performance footwear designers aren’t even athletes. At least not in the field in which they design shoes.
With that said, these are my current top 5 cushion picks for big men as of right now. Meaning, if you go into a sneaker store then these are the top 5 options that you’ll see on shelves currently. There have been other cushion setups more geared toward larger players in the past, but the big man is evolving into a more nimble athlete, which requires a more nimble setup.
To those that may wonder why the Air Max Audacity isn’t featured. The main reason is their performance is fairly weak, and the cushion is pretty dense. Especially at the forefoot. They’re a good option for the traditional big man, but for todays big man, they might be better suited with one of the options listed.
These are just my picks, but feel free to share your top picks from shoes currently available below in the comment section.
Great list, Boost definitely the best bigs-friendly cushioning on the market today, the KD9 a great vintage-allrounder, the only shoe I’d drop is the LeBron 13, they ‘pose’ big, but especially when you demand a lot(while weighing-in at 250lbs) they’re too soft in the mid-foot, the GR are at least(has been a problem since the LeBron 5. Kenzo got it, Petrie still doesn’t).
Interesting.
I lose some explosive capability in really cushy shoes. It seems as if that setup will absorb output, instead of giving back while remaining stable. This is the reason why I prefer the more dense setup, something akin to really good, flexible, power lifting shoes, of which only give but so much upon eccentric movements. Upon your recommendation I copped the Rose shoe and unfortunately, it did not work for me. After switching insoles, they got a bit better, but just like with Full length Zoom Air, full Boost made my feet feel a bit slow during movements, but did not have me feeling sore as Zoom does after playing. The dense cushioning setup in a shoe like the AdiPower Howard was perfect for me, and I pretty much can play any position on the floor.
Nice write up.
I’m not a big guy by any means, but I’ve always liked a cushier setup. I loove the soldier 9 and how they play and now the hyperrev 2016 are back on my radar. However, I was a huge fan of how cushy the D Lillard 2 felt. So much so that I think it deserved an honorable mention. Either way, great list I can’t argue with either of those choices but I am absolutely salivating when I can get my hands on the D Rose 6
How close would you say the Air Max Audacity was to making this list?