In 1917 Converse put out a shoe it called the Non-Skid, and the company's own timeline says it was one of the first shoes specifically designed for the new game of basketball. Coaches asked for darker canvas because the light tan showed every scuff, and by 1919 the dark version was branded the All Star. That is the whole family tree of basketball shoes in one paragraph, and it started with a coach complaining about dirt.

I like that the story keeps repeating. A player asks for something the market is not making, a brand listens, and a few years later everyone is wearing it to the grocery store. The latest chapter belongs to women. Sabrina Ionescu's Nike Sabrina 1 was the 12th signature sneaker franchise in WNBA history, and the Stewie, the A'One and the Caitlin 1 all followed that door opening.

So this first set is the women's signature pairs, and in October they make sense as an everyday shoe too: low profile, grippy, easy over tights or with a cropped wide-leg jean. I would start with the Caitlin 1 in hot punch and neo pink, which is a loud, bubblegum-soled pair for a gray-sweater day. The Sabrina 4 in red is a low-cut mesh shoe that I would wear with black denim and a camel coat. The Jordan Heir Series 2 comes in two moods, pink and purple in Oh Sheila, true blue with a mint heel in Queen Phee. And the two Stewie pairs, white and silver with a frosted outsole or vivid blue with a mint sole, are the ones I would pick for sweatpants and a bomber.

Tip: if you plan to walk in them all day, check that the heel holds when you lean forward on your toes, then press the midsole near the arch. A low-cut court shoe should feel snug at the ankle, not loose.

The Air Jordan 1 hit stores in April 1985, and Nike's own history says the league's rule at the time was that shoes had to be at least 51% white and match the team's color scheme. The black-and-red pair broke it, and Nike turned that into an ad. Every loud, color-blocked shoe here owes it something.

The easy wins are the black ones. The G.T. Cut 4 is an all-black low-cut with a sculpted sole, and the Ja 4 in Dark Mode is black metallic with a chrome heel detail. The Impact 4 keeps black mesh against a white speckled midsole and an oversized swoosh, and the notes say Max Air sits in the heel with rubber wrapped up the sides. I would wear any of them with a long gray coat.

For color, the Sabrina 3 in red and white is a low-top with an oversized white swoosh, and the A'Two in regency purple and royal blue has a glossy molded upper. Wilson's first shoe, the A'One, was two years in the making, and the A'Two follows it. The Triangle in bright concord and lilac is the lightest-looking. The LeBron XXIII in white and tan with a burgundy collar and the Air Jordan 40 in wolf gray are the quieter options, and the Jordan is a mid-cut with a navy toe.

Test: lace each pair fully and stand on one foot. If your heel lifts, the upper is too roomy, and a half size down beats thicker socks.

What I would skip: a matte black pair if you want it to read in photos. Dark shoes on dark pavement disappear, so pick chrome or speckle.

Puma's own announcement called the Stewie 1 the first new women's signature basketball sneaker in over a decade, and the heel counter is marked with scars for Breanna Stewart's two Achilles surgeries. I love a shoe that carries the player's story in the part you never see from the front. The pink pixel Stewie in this set is the loudest one: a bright pink pixel-print low-cut on a white sole.

The adidas pairs run darker. The Crazy Energy in silver metallic has black three stripes and a red heel accent, the D.O.N. Issue 8 fades from white to black with mesh panels, and the Dame X is black and red with a tan gum sole. The Harden Volume 10 in black and blue is the most sculpted of the four. If you want a pair that works with jeans in October, the Dame X and its gum sole is my pick.

New Balance is the calm corner. The P400 Low in soft pink with a cream midsole is the one I would wear with a gray hoodie dress, and the black P400 mid-top with a dark gray N is the sleeper. The Puma Rebound Layup Mid in red and white leather with a gold formstrip is the retro one.

Buying test: flex the shoe at the ball of the foot. Court shoes bend later than running shoes, and a pair that creases in the wrong place will bother you by the second lap around the block.

What I would skip: the metallic silver if your closet runs warm. It looks best against cool grays and black.

Converse sponsored the Edmonton Grads, a women's team that held the world champion title from 1923 to 1940, so the idea of women in basketball sneakers is older than most people think. That is partly why the Chuck Taylor in this set feels so natural on everyone. It was built for the court and walked off it.

The two Converse pairs are the anchors. The Chuck Taylor All Star Leather in black is a high-top with a white toe cap and the star patch, and the natural ivory canvas high-top is the pair for a white tee and a long wool skirt. The low-top Chuck came out in 1957, so if you prefer less ankle, you have history on your side.

From the Nike and Jordan side, the Dunk Low in pale ivory and brown has a burgundy swoosh and an animal-print heel, the Air Jordan 1 Low in pink and cream is pink suede with a brown swoosh, and the Court Vision Low is white leather with pine green overlays. The adidas Hoops Mid Classic in white and clay pink and the Front Court with a clear outsole are the cleaner ones. The Puma Rebound Layup in black and white has a gold chain charm, which I would wear with a slip skirt and tights.

Test: leather ages differently from canvas. Press a thumb into the toe box and see if the leather springs back, and wipe white soles with a damp cloth the day they get marked.

What I would skip: a high-top under a skinny trouser. The shaft bunches, and a low or mid pair sits better.

Low-top court shoes were made for players who wanted to move fast, and that is exactly why they suit a long day on foot. The set here is the lightest in the edit, and I would reach for them when the weather is still mild enough for cropped trousers.

The Kobe 9 Low Protro in peach-orange is the standout, a lightweight low-top with a bright orange swoosh. The G.T. Cut Academy 2 in gray and teal has a teal sole and a swoosh outline, which looks great against gray denim. Two adidas pairs stay on the white side: the Basketball Legends Low has halo blue stripes and red heel accents on a white mesh upper, and the Bounce Legends has black stripes and a blue sole edge.

Converse shows up again with the Malden Street Low Top, in darker gray and in obsidian navy, both with a black and white striped sole. The New Balance P400 Low comes in black and in gray and cream suede with mesh, and I would choose the gray pair for office floors and weekends away.

Test: take out the insole and look at the footbed. A flat footbed means little arch support, so add your own insole if you walk a lot.

What I would skip: white mesh in rainy weather. It darkens and stays damp, so keep it for dry days.

I would decide by where the shoe lives. For a daily walk, pick a low-top in black, gray or navy. For a statement, take a signature pair like the Stewie or the Caitlin 1. For something that works with everything, a Chuck Taylor in black leather is hard to beat.

Then I would check the lacing, the heel hold and the toe room before anything else, and leave the color for last.

Basketball shoes started as a coach's note about scuffs in 1917. It is nice that a pair can still be loud, or still be an easy gray, and nobody will ask you to explain it.