How to Restore Grip on Basketball Shoes - 2025

It’s basketball season! You’re spending a ton of time at gyms and courts playing or watching your kids play.

The bad news is, everyone is spending a lot of time at the gym and on the courts!

Community events, pep rallies before the holiday break, school dances, gym classes, shoes worn outside on that same court you’re playing on.

This covers the court in dust, dirt, and debris. Unfortunately, basketball courts aren’t swept or cleaned nearly enough. Now when you play, they’re dusty, making them slippery, increasing injury risks!

How can you enhance your basketball shoe grip?

Your options are limited.

Sticky Pad

Your coach or team may have a sticky pad.

These are expensive, so they’re not always guaranteed. Plus, you have to rely on the coach to get one! A player is never going to show up with one for themselves.

If your team does have one, you’ve probably realized they don’t do a ton when the court is dusty. Stepping on something sticky, then going on a dusty court isn’t a long-term fix!

That’s why you see players wiping their shoes with their hands all game long

Water

We’ve all been here! Stepping on the wet towel next to the bench any chance you get.

This is at least free, unlike the sticky pad!

The downside? If you don’t sub out, your basketball still slip until you have another chance to go to the bench.

It’s also a super short-term fix. Odds are, you’ll probably be wiping with your hand again!

Grip Spritz

Unlike a sticky pad, you don’t need to rely on your coach to buy it for you. Grip Spritz is meant for individual players so they can travel with it anywhere they play!

It also isn’t sticky. Your basketball shoes want to be grippy, not sticky! Otherwise, they’ll pick up the dust and dirt on the court.

Lastly, it lasts way longer than water, so you don’t need to worry about subbing out to get more grip on your shoes.

It’ll last about a game! On super dusty courts, you can spray another spray or two at halftime and be good to go. If you’re playing on a better court, it can last 2-3 games!

Listen to these players, not us!

And, no more wiping your shoes with your hand. Or worse, licking your hand, then wiping your shoes.

(Basketball moms, we know it’s gross, we’re with you!)