I am very enthusiastic about making sure I have all the gear for whatever my latest special interest might be. My 24 year old is the same - blame our neurodivergent brains- but we both like to have the correct gear for each hobby. This certainly paid off when we started ice skating together while my home educated youngest was having lessons.
Within a couple of weeks all three of us were proud owners of our own skates, even though with my health conditions I can't manage very long on the ice. Anyway, turns out good ice skates are waaaay better than rentals and make it easier, and in my view, safer to skate. We go every week so it's been worthwhile.
There's a reason serious runners spend a lot of money on their equipment and visiting experts who can advise the perfect running shoe for their gait and requirements. I've seen the state of my running pal's feet - even with top notch trainers they are not pretty, blackened and bruised.
Really, for anything beyond the most casual sports you need to think about investing in quality sportswear. If you are anything like me you not only want to look the part but want the best chance of beating your opponent(s) or personal best achievement.
You could look to your favourite sports personalities for inspiration. For instance if you check out what top tennis players wear you'll see that adidas tennis shoes feature highly in the top five most popular shoes worn by professionals and keen amateurs alike.
And footballers shoe preferences might be partly biased by lucrative sponsorship deals but the top players are hardly going to wear boots which they don't believe gives them a sporting boost are they?
Of course if you are just playing down in the park with your mates at the weekend or picking up a racquet for fun and fitness you don't actually need to be dressed from head to toe in potentially expensive branded clothing. Cheaper chain store activewear is probably advanced enough for your needs but never underestimate the importance of looking after your feet. Good quality footwear is essential to avoid damaging feet and joints. Even your back can be affected by badly designed and produced footwear and no-one needs a bad back.
Having said that, if wearing the same designer as your fave sporting hero brings you joy and makes you feel like a better sportsperson, go for it. Most branded sportswear nowadays, including shoes, transfer from sports pitch to high street to party effortlessly. Take my 18-year-old as an example. He is not a fan of organised sports by any means but his "fit" is almost entirely sports-related big names (mostly vintage and/or paid for by himself).
And anyone with school age children knows that many playground pick-ups feature parents wearing skin tight fitness leggings and running tops. It can be a good look even when the furthest they walk is from the car to the school door or a quick lap round the block with the family pooch.