Basketball is officially back as of this past Tuesday – which I’m super excited about (and how about them Raptors last night?) – but I’ve been playing a lot more basketball as of late; something I used to do a lot when I was younger. I’m happy to be back into it even though it’s for fun and fitness, it’s a great form of exercise that helps you get in your cardio, without feeling like doing cardio – y’know what I mean?

Nowadays, with all the ‘adult’ responsibilities and such, it can be hard to get together a group of guys and play some ball. Everybody’s busy and such – so yeah, you get it – but I was fortunate enough to find a few friends downtown and join a recreational league a few months ago – and although we’re not always winning, it’s lots of fun.

Outdoor basketball has been my go to because of accessibility, but now that fall is beginning to feel like winter – almost suddenly – indoor basketball is definitely the way to go. I decided to try a new pair of basketball shoes, and try out Under Armour this time around. I had a great experience with the Hovr line of shoes – they’re extremely comfortable and great for working out; and they even go as far as being a stylish option for some casual athleisure looks.

As a fan of high top basketball shoes, I went for the Hovr Mid – a shoe that also looked unique. The silhouette is one of the biggest reasons I was excited about this particular shoe. Initially, as with most new high top shoes, they were stiff around the ankles. After trying them for a little while, that got better, and I’ve found them to be really comfortable on the court.

Having played with them outdoors and indoors, I prefer them as indoor basketball shoes. They provide great grip, as well as a snug fit around your foot. That said, they don’t get too warm or stuffy – given that you’re wearing a decent sport sock. Some thicker sport socks made the shoe feel too tight (as expected). They’re fairly true to size though, but if you have wider feet, I’d say go up a half size or full size up. Although you don’t really need to break in to them, it does take some time to get adjusted to the overall feel of the shoe.

The Verdict

Overall – I’m a big fan of them, as they’re my go to basketball shoe now. I’ve gotten used to them and their overall feel, so it’s a personal choice that I’ve grown into. Otherwise, I’ve heard that the widely popular UA Curry 5’s are just as great, so I’ll be looking forward to trying those as well to compare and see how they match up.

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All photography is courtesy of Julie Yeh (@julie_yay).

Thank you to Under Armour Canada for the great basketball shoes!