Li-Ning is a Chinese sportswear brand founded in 1990. At this point, they’ve been a player in the performance basketball space for almost two decades. Li-Ning has gained a ton of popularity stateside in recent years and has become a rather popular brand among NBA players, which prompted us to create a list of the best Li-Ning basketball shoes currently available.
Best Li-Ning Basketball Shoes Show
Li-Ning is currently one of the biggest brands outside of the United States, and that’s largely thanks to the signing of one of the best shooting guards ever to play basketball, Dwyane Wade. D-Wade left Jordan Brand to join Li-Ning in 2012, which was a massive deal in the sneaker world.
Since then, Li-Ning has developed a solid roster of NBA players signed to the brand rocking Li-Ning Basketball Shoes, including Jimmy Butler, Fred Van Vleet, CJ McCullum, DeAngelo Russell, and RJ Hampton, among others. In 2018, Li-Ning also created an exclusive brand for Dwyane Wade known as Way of Wade, or WOW for short, and signed D-Wade to a lifetime deal.
WOW is quickly becoming a very solid brand of its own and has put out some surprisingly excellent performance basketball shoes. They have already had several models make our list of the best basketball shoes of the season, which is no easy feat. Way of Wade has recently launched an online store that ships internationally. So if you are interested in trying out their products, you can do so from anywhere in the world.
Li-Ning is an exciting brand and offers some excellent performance basketball models. So, without any further ado, let’s jump in and check out the best Li-Ning basketball shoes currently available for purchase.
Last updated 03.21.2024
Best Li-Ning Basketball Shoes Overall 2023
Way of Wade 10
The Li-Ning Way of Wade 10 is as tech-heavy as it gets in a signature shoe from any brand. And what’s great is that Li-Ning provides you with a breakdown of everything in the package. For support, they have a full-length carbon fiber torsional plate that also acts as a spring plate. The cushion is also beefed up with the brand’s BOOM cushion. It feels like Zoom Air took steroids and was put under your feet. These are one heck of a shoe to play in. If you’re a fan of DWade or want to try non-mainstream shoes, this sneaker is for you. The best pair of Li-Ning Basketball Shoes. See the full review. Price: $225-240
Way of Wade All City 11
The Way of Wade All City 11 is probably the most versatile shoe in Way of Wade’s arsenal. The All-City 11 features an aggressive full-length herringbone traction pattern that grips the court very well, full-length Boom cushioning, and a well-constructed upper that offers great support and containment. It’s a shoe that will work well for all positions on the floor and most body types, as well as hold up well outdoors. Another great shoe from Way of Wade. Read the full review. Price: $149
Li-Ning Speed 8 Premium
The Li-Ning Speed 8 Premium is unofficially Li-Nings shoe for guards, evidenced by Fred VanVleet and Jimmy Butler wearing them on the court. In fact, Fred VanVleet was actually an AND1 athlete before switching over to Li-Ning. He wore the AND1 Attack 2.0 which was a great performance basketball shoe.
Jimmy Butler ond the other hand moved to Li-Ning from Jordan Brand, and Jimmy Buckets is known to be a pretty demanding individual. So the brand must be doing something right to get the Raptors point guard to switch brands
The cushion, many would say, is an upgrade from the Li-Ning Speed 7 Premium. The midsole is still full-length LightFoam. However, they added the brand’s Pebax-based foam, BOOM, in the heel for added impact protection and comfort. There’s a torsional support system with an additional pillar in the middle to further prevent your foot from over-twisting. See the full review. Price: $133
Li-Ning Wade 808 2
The Li-Ning Wade 808 2 brings back a technology we all loved: drop-in midsoles. They were most popular on various Nike Kobe models and the Nike LeBron 11, as well as the Harden Vol 5. The drop-in for this pair is pure Cloud foam which is plush and comfortable. You can also exchange it for the BOOM drop-in from the Li-Ning Wade 808 2 Ultra. It’s awesome when you can customize the cushion to your preferences. One of the best pairs of Li-Ning Basketball Shoes. See the full review. Price: $119 $109
Way of Wade All City 10 V2
The Way of Wade All City 10 V2 made some upgrades from the regular Way of Wade All City 10. The original model wasn’t bad. Wade just wanted to improve it in a few areas. One of the best features is the functional midfoot strap. Most straps on performance basketball sneakers don’t work and are there for the placebo effect. However, this one locks you down to the footbed for better containment. The heel is also well-sculpted and padded. See the full review. Price: $149
Li-Ning Sonic Team Low
The Li-Ning Sonic Team Low is an outdoor basketball hooper’s dream shoe, especially if you’re a point guard. The outsole is made of what they call “Tuff RB” for tough rubber. The shoe can hold up to not only hours upon hours but also months of outdoor play. The grip was never inconsistent. It also features a full-length Light Foam midsole that’s low to the ground and responsive as well as a Cool Shell upper that’s made up of half ripstop and half mesh. See the full review. Price: TBA
Li-Ning Wade All City 10
The Li-Ning Wade All City 10 feels just as good, if not better than its predecessor, the Li-Ning Wade All City 9, and proof that Li-Ning Basketball Shoes are fighting to establish themselves in the marketplace. What you see on the outside as the midsole is just a carrier. Inside its BOOM which provides a lot of impact protection and feedback. Their Probar Loc technology is also in place, a double-layered support system. The majority of the upper is woven, plus some overlays for added resistance to wear-and-tear during play. The outsole is durable, but that’s expected with Chinese-branded shoes. See the full review. Price: $150
Most Interesting Li-Ning Basketball Shoe 2023
Li-Ning Way of Wade 9 Infinity
The Li-Ning Way of Wade 9 Infinity looks jarring from the packaging to the shoe itself, but this shoe is here to prove that Li-Ning Basketball Shoes can pack as much tech as any other brand. First off, you may notice the high arch plate that looks uncomfortable. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how they feel, even for someone who doesn’t have a flat foot. Next, there are no laces because it uses a dual BOA system, where you turn the dials to tighten the shoe. The cushion is foam, and there are two pucks of two different kinds of foam in the heel and forefoot. They both feel amazing. The shoe is a concept turned reality, and we like it. See the full review. Price: $300
So, there you have it, that’s our (current) list of the Best Li-ning Basketball shoes to date. If you think we are are we missing any Li-Ning model that you think could make our list, please let us know. DM, or tweet us with the Li-Ning basketball shoes we should add.
Li-Ning has been churning out some really top-notch performance basketball shoes and they are putting the basketball shoe market on notice. If you are bored with the same old brands and you are looking to add a new brand to your rotation, you should really consider Li-Ning.
Until next time!
