I played basketball in high school, college and a little bit of pro ball in Europe, then I played for years in the Y leagues and at the parks. I would tape my own ankles, wear braces and it really didn't prevent a thing.
JOHN STARKS AND NEW BASKETBALL SHOE EKTIO
Recently I got a chance to help create and direct 6 different videos and a commercial for a new basketball shoe called EKTIO in Brooklyn NY. Former Knick Superstar John Starks is in a couple of them and is currently recruiting NBA players to wear them.
It was created Dr. Barry Katz who happens to be a former ballplayer. I tried them and played a few games during the shoot. They really make you feel safe. Your foot feels like it is always moving with the shoe. I never felt like I could sprain my ankle. I wish I had them when I played for real.
Check out a couple of the videos at my Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/CBTWEAK
Click on "Play Anywhere" and then check out "Spraining your ankle is F'd UP"
You can learn more about the shoes at their new website: www.ektio.com
Here is an press story with John about the shoes:
Ex-Knick superstar John Starks has unveiled a new basketball sneaker he says he wishes he had during his heyday playing against Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller.
The shoe is billed as the first kind of sneaker to prevent ankle injuries, Starks told the Daily News recently.
"It's 99.9% effective against ankle sprains," Starks said.
The shoe is tightly secured to the foot with a strap, and the side features a protruding bumper designed to keep players from rolling their ankles.
"Once I put the shoe on, and strapped it in, immediately you feel secure in the shoe, and you feel like this is the shoe that's going to protect your foot," said Starks, who now works in the New York Knicks front office.
"I had many ankle injuries, some that put me out a day, some that put me out a week or two," said the 6-foot-2 former shooting guard. "I wish this shoe was out on the market at the time that I was playing."
The sneaker, made by a new company, Ektio, is the brainchild of New Jersey radiologist Dr. Barry Katz. He knows first firsthand what it's like to suffer an ankle injury while playing ball.
Katz played college basketball for the State University at Binghamton, and suffered three serious ankle sprains. His son also sustained a serious ankle injury on the court.
"We're very confident we are going to protect people," Katz said, noting 25,000 ankle sprains occur every day. "It keeps the foot and the shoe together, kind of like a ski boot."
Starks and Katz are working to push the sneaker to high school ball players, with hopes of picking up interest from colleges and the NBA.
"We want to grassroot it through the high school system, and bring it up through college," Starks said.
The $199 sneaker, which comes in high top and three-quarter styles, will be available for purchase online in time for the start of the NBA season on Nov. 1. Sizes will initially range from 8 to 14. A women's version will be available next year.
Katz and Starks are confident the sneaker can compete with the Jordan brand, or sneakers named after LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
"People are going to want to wear our shoe, not necessarily because of the name, but because of what it does," Katz said. "It's the real deal."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/10/06/2010-10-06_exknick_superstar_john_starks_his_new_basketball_sneaker_is_999_affective_agains.html#ixzz15zCyVgxK
