We Did a Fantasy Draft of All the Best Basketball Shoes at JD Sports
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I don't know about you, but I am ready for football. I've been doing so much research for my upcoming fantasy drafts that it feels like I'm in midseason form. It feels like it's Fall already, which makes me feel like I'm also ready for basketball. And now I'm stressing about fantasy basketball.
Now that we're mentally in autumn and the leaves are changing colors and I'm (in theory) emotionally recovered from losing Jaylen Brown to a division rival who also just happened to add the self-proclaimed Forever King on a vet minimum contract, let's talk basketball shoes.
This season is one of the most highly anticipated in years, with Caitlin Clark's signature sneaker finally arriving, Ja Morant following up one of the biggest hits in a decade at Nike, and Ant-Man introducing not one but two new sneakers at adidas.
To check out the best of what's available and what's on the horizon, there is only one place you need to go and that's our friends at JD Sports. They have the greatest selection of state-of-the-art performance models to take your game to the next level, all the hottest retros for fitmaxxing off-the-court, and the coolest lifestyle silhouettes to rock in the tunnel on your way into the arena.
I assembled some members of the Sole Retriever team to conduct a fantasy draft of basketball shoes to help you decide which pairs are top dog this season. We randomized the pick order, drafted snake-style, and determined that each roster would have to include three (3) performance models from the past few seasons, two (2) retros, and one (1) wild card for the tunnel fit that could be pretty much anything as long as you wear it on your feet.
Every selection made was available at the time of the draft on JD Sports or listed on the upcoming release calendar for August and September. Sorry, Caitlin. Clark's new model doesn't drop until October but you'll surely be able to score a pair at JD Sports when they do.
Round 1, Pick 1: Nike Ja 3
Zach Harris: The undisputed reigning champ of Nike’s Basketball lineup, the Ja 3 was an easy first pick.
Round 1, Pick 2: Air Jordan 4
Drew London: I wanted the Ja 3 but thought there was a chance it went first overall, so my backup plan was to go retro right off the bat in case the heaters weren't still around when the draft came back to me.
Shop the Jordan 4 at JD Sports
Round 1, Pick 3: Air Jordan 1 Low
Devin Robertson: Jordan 1 Low is the perfect summer shoe, you get all the hallmarks of the Jordan 1 with a more comfortable cut.
Shop the Jordan 1 Low at JD Sports
Round 1, Pick 4: Air Jordan 13
Brandon Richard: Like every GM says after a draft, this pair was at the top of my board, and I was fortunate enough to snag them at this spot.
Shop the Jordan 13 at JD Sports
Round 1, Pick 5: Air Jordan 3
Nick Vlahos: You can never go wrong with the Air Jordan 3, it’s the reason why MJ stayed with Nike after all.
Shop the Jordan 3 at JD Sports
Round 2, Pick 6: Nike Zoom Flight 'The Glove'
Nick: The first retro of Gary Payton’s Zoom Flight The Glove in over 12 years will probably go down as a favorite for many when looking back at the 2026 sneaker release calendar.
Round 2, Pick 7: Air Jordan 8
Brandon: Retros were flying off the board and being able to grab another championship-era Air Jordan was a no-brainer.
The Jordan 8 Chrome Drops 8/29 at JD Sports
Round 2, Pick 8: Nike KD 19
Devin: KD 19 taps into that retro Y2K era of Nike, evoking the Hyperflight and making it feel new yet familiar.
Round 2, Pick 9: Nike A'One
Drew: Women have been dominating the basketball sneaker game and I knew I wanted to get A'ja or Sabrina on my team, so I snagged the A'One, which is really a game changer.
Round 2, Pick 10: Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4
Zach: The Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 was revolutionary in 2004 and two decades later, it more than stands the test of time.
Shop the Huarache 2K4 at JD Sports
Round 3, Pick 11: adidas Harden Vol. 10
Zach: The Harden Vol. 10 is the standout model from adidas’ signature basketball lineup, for obvious reason.
Shop the Harden 10 at JD Sports
Round 3, Pick 12: Nike KD 18
Drew: Had to grab another performance model here and I love the KD series. For Durant to still be playing and putting out sneakers at an elite level is incredible. The 19 is so striking but it was gone, so I went with the ACG-inspired 18 that's great, too.
Round 3, Pick 13: Air Jordan 6
Devin: How could you not show love to the Jordan 6 on its 35th anniversary? It’s the first shoe MJ won a chip in so it has real legacy.
Shop the Jordan 6 at JD Sports
Round 3, Pick 14: Nike Ja 4
Brandon: The Ja 3 was at the top of my modern performance list, so going with the Ja 4 was the next best thing.
Round 3, Pick 15: Nike ST Charge
Nick: Although the only ST Charge colorways in the US are Cade Cunningham PEs, it’s one of the best new silhouettes from Nike Basketball.
Shop the ST Charge at JD Sports
Round 4, Pick 16: adidas Believe That 1
Nick: You can definitely ball on a budget, especially if you get Anthony Edwards’ first takedown sneaker, the Believe That 1.
Shop the Believe That 1 at JD Sports
Round 4, Pick 17: Nike LeBron 23
Brandon: Getting the LeBron 23 here has to feel like how the Sixers felt getting the actual LeBron James for $4 million.
Shop the LeBron 23 at JD Sports
Round 4, Pick 18: Nike Sabrina 3
Devin: The Sabrina 3 really honed in on the Kobe ethos of hoop sneakers. There’s a reason why it was one of the most worn models in the NBA last season.
Shop the Sabrina 3 at JD Sports
Round 4, Pick 19: Air Jordan 12
Drew: I thought all the iconic retro Jordans were gone but then I stumbled on a few straggler sizes of the Bloodline 12 deep on JD's site. Clutch.
Shop the Jordan 12 at JD Sports
Round 4, Pick 20: Nike Book 2
Zach: Devin Booker is a real shoe dog, and he made this pair for his dogs, so that’s my dog.
Round 5, Pick 21: Nike Shox BB4
Zach: Half Man, half amazing, all heat. Vince Carter’s retro Shox model is back for flight.
Shop the Shox BB4 at JD Sports
Round 5, Pick 22: Nike Ja Twelve Time
Drew: I don't mind this pick but I haven't actually seen or felt this shoe in-hand so this is more of a project for the future. Definitely could have taken a more surefire pprospect but no risk, no reward.
The Ja Morant Twelve Time Drops on September 4 at JD Sports
Round 5, Pick 23: adidas D.O.N. Issue #8
Devin: The D.O.N. Issue #8 is as Spider-Man as it gets, even the structural supports evoke the wall crawler with their webbed look
Shop the D.O.N. Issue #8 at JD Sports
Round 5, Pick 24: Nike A'Two
Brandon: I wanted to have a WNBA sig in my lineup, and you can’t get much better than the shoe currently endorsed by the soon-to-be five-time MVP.
Round 5, Pick 25: Nike Sabrina 4
Nick: Sabrina Ionescu’s latest sneaker, the Nike Sabrina 4, continues the design language we’ve loved since the OG model, and it’ll likely continue the Sab 3s run as one of the most worn sneakers in the NBA.
The Sabrina 4 Drops on August 28 at JD Sports
Round 6, Pick 26: Yeezy YS-01
Nick: Yeezy Slides are finally back at a big box retailer thanks to JD Sports. It’s perfect for after your hoops session or just to lounge around in.
Round 6, Pick 27: Timberland 6" Boot
Brandon: I plan on wearing them around my neck like OG Anunoby.
Round 6, Pick 28: Saucony ProGrid Omni 9
Devin: Saucony has been booming lately and the ProGrid Omni 9 has been one of the best tech style runners in a crowded field.
Shop the ProGrid Omni 9 at JD Sports
Round 6, Pick 29: Nike Air Force 1
Drew: I can't believe these fell to me at this pick. I thought for sure they would have already been taken in the Tunnel Fit round, maybe first. Honestly, I thought about taking them as one of my retros. Steal of the draft, I'm stylin'.
Shop the Air Force 1 at JD Sports
Round 6, Pick 30: Nike Vomero Plus
Zach: The best lifestyle crossover from Nike’s current stack of running heat is an obvious choice for off-court comfort and style.
Shop the Vomero Plus at JD Sports
Drew oversees content at Sole Retriever and hates writing in the 3rd person soooo I'm going to stop. Ran The Hundreds Blog in LA for a long time before moving back east to make cool commercials and funny tweets at [insert big agency]. Now I'm doing what I really love: talking sneakers, streetwear, and everything in between. Email me at drew@soleretriever.com with scoops and size 13 heat.
