Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
November 30, 2001, Washington Post

Fly High on a Shoestring Budget

Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards may be off to a slow start this season, but there is still one place where Jordan is the king of the basketball world.

The shoe store!

I went shopping for basketball shoes last weekend and it seems like a lot of kids still want to "be like Mike." The shelves were stuffed with Jordan's shoes, and let me tell you, they're not cheap. The Jordan Retro 3 -- that's the one that looks like shoes from years ago -- has the modern-day price tag of $74.99. The Jordan Team Elite in jet black costs a lot of green: $83.99. The Air Jordans are $89.98. And, finally, there are some Jordan shoes in silver and gold that feel silky smooth and go for a cool $99.99.

Other players' shoes also are expensive. Reebok is pushing its Allen Iverson model called the Answer for $79.99. Then there's Kobe Bryant's new shoe from Adidas. It's gray and looks like something that an astronaut would wear walking around on the moon. The adult shoes had the man-size price of $129.99.

Looking at all these shoes made me wonder whether these big-name models with their out-of-this-world price tags are really worth the money. After all, kids just need the shoes to play basketball.

So I talked to Richard Needleman, an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist who knows a lot about kids' feet. He provided a few tips to remember when you are buying shoes for the upcoming basketball season.

• Most of the popular companies make good shoes for a lot less money than the celebrity models. You can get a solid pair of basketball shoes for $50 or less. And, remember, the shoes that are on sale, or last year's model, are usually just as good as this year's expensive shoes.

• The most important thing for kids is to get shoes that fit properly and feel comfortable. If the shoes don't feel right in the store, they will hurt on the court. A good-fitting shoe will be about one-half inch longer than the longest toe and not too tight on the sides.

• Your feet grow fast. So always try on a pair a half-size larger to be sure that you are not buying shoes that will be too small and too tight. If the larger size feels good, get those.

• Sometimes kids hurt their feet because of too many practices and games early in the season. Good shoes should have well-cushioned soles and good arch support to help kids avoid these injuries.

So this season, dribble past the big names and big price tags and just get a pair of good-fitting, no-nonsense basketball shoes. If you want to "be like Mike" you don't have to spend a lot of money to buy his shoes. But you do have to spend a lot of time practicing your jump shot.

Fred Bowen is the author of sports novels for kids. Write to him at KidsPost, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Or e-mail (with "The Score" in the subject field): kidspost@washpost.com.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company