Most NBA players wear custom-molded orthotics built specifically for their feet, though a growing number also use high-performance retail insoles from brands like VKTRY and Move. The stock insoles that come inside basketball shoes are almost always removed and replaced with something better, whether that’s a fully custom orthotic made by a team’s podiatrist or a premium aftermarket insole designed for explosive movement.
Custom Orthotics Are the Standard
At the professional level, custom orthotics are the baseline. NBA teams employ sports podiatrists and work with orthotic labs that create insoles matched to each player’s exact foot structure. The process typically starts with a foam impression kit or a digital scan of the foot. The player presses into the foam (or stands on a pressure plate), capturing the contours of their arch, heel, and forefoot. That data is then used to engineer an insole with a deep heel cup for stability, arch support contoured to the player’s natural shape, and targeted cushioning under the ball of the foot where impact forces are highest during cutting and landing.
These custom insoles address the specific demands of each player’s body. A 7-foot center who weighs 260 pounds needs a completely different level of support and shock absorption than a 6-foot point guard who weighs 185. Custom orthotics let athletic trainers dial in the rigidity, cushioning density, and arch height for each individual, something no off-the-shelf product can replicate.
Carbon Fiber Insoles for Performance
One of the most visible trends in pro basketball is the carbon fiber performance insole, with VKTRY being the most prominent brand. Their Gold model uses an aerospace-grade carbon fiber baseplate designed to store energy when your foot strikes the ground and release it during push-off. The idea is similar to the carbon plates in modern running shoes: the stiff plate acts like a spring, supporting more efficient energy transfer during explosive movements like sprinting and jumping.
VKTRY markets heavily to professional athletes and says their insoles have been worn at the highest levels of professional and collegiate sports. The insoles are sized by body weight and sport, so a basketball-specific version is stiffer than one designed for a distance runner. It’s worth noting that research on carbon fiber insoles in general has produced mixed results. One study found no significant differences in vertical jump height or sprint distance when comparing carbon fiber insoles to standard ones, though athletes did perceive improved performance. That gap between how it feels and what the numbers show is common with equipment changes, and perceived responsiveness still matters when you’re playing 82 games a season.
Brand-Endorsed Insoles
Some NBA players have public endorsement deals with insole companies. Damian Lillard, for example, has promoted Move Game Day insoles as his go-to on-court insert, pairing them with his signature shoes. These endorsements signal that at least some players prefer branded performance insoles over (or alongside) fully custom orthotics. In practice, many players likely use a combination: a custom orthotic base with a performance top layer, or different insoles for games versus practice.
Why Insoles Matter in Basketball
Basketball is brutal on feet and lower legs. Between 58% and 66% of all basketball injuries occur in the lower extremities, and ankle sprains alone account for roughly 25% of all injuries in both men’s and women’s basketball. The repetitive jumping, lateral cutting, and sudden stops generate enormous forces through the foot, and insoles are one layer of protection against that stress.
Insoles help in two primary ways. First, they distribute pressure more evenly across the foot, reducing hot spots that can lead to problems like plantar fasciitis, metatarsal stress fractures, and blisters. Second, a well-fitted insole with a deep heel cup locks the heel in place and reduces excess side-to-side movement inside the shoe, which contributes to ankle stability. Prophylactic interventions for ankle sprains in basketball have been shown to reduce injury risk by more than 50% in meta-analyses, though that data covers braces and training programs rather than insoles specifically.
What You Can Actually Buy
You can’t get the same bespoke orthotics an NBA player receives from a team podiatrist without visiting a specialist yourself, which typically costs $200 to $500 or more. But several of the insole categories NBA players use are available to consumers at much lower price points.
Carbon fiber performance insoles like VKTRYs retail in the $100 to $150 range. High-quality sport insoles from brands like Superfeet, Sole, and Currex run between $50 and $60. Budget options from Powerstep and Dr. Scholl’s sit between $17 and $50. The key features to look for in a basketball insole are a structured heel cup (not just flat padding), arch support that matches your foot type, and responsive cushioning under the forefoot.
If you’re a recreational player, a mid-range sport insole in the $50 to $60 range will be a significant upgrade over stock shoe inserts. If you have a specific foot issue like flat feet, high arches, or recurring plantar fasciitis, a custom orthotic from a podiatrist will give you the closest thing to what NBA players actually stand on every night.