Complete Guide Choosing Best Badminton Shoes: What to Look For and What to Avoid?

Most beginners make this mistake that significantly affects their performance on a badminton court – They use running shoes or walking shoes while playing badminton. While this might not seem wrong at all, it is bad for so many reasons.

Why do you need badminton shoes?

Because without proper badminton shoes:

• You don’t get the flexibility needed to move swiftly around the court.
• You are prone to injuries due to improper shoe balance.
• If it’s a wooden court, you could leave scratch marks.
• You don’t get the lateral support required for lateral movements.

That’s why you must buy badminton shoes. But that doesn’t mean bringing home any pair of badminton shoes that fit you. There should be other factors involved in the choice. We are going to look at all those in this article.

And if you know what you are looking for, head to my article on Best Badminton Shoes for Beginners.

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What to Look For in Badminton Shoes?

Go online and search for badminton shoes. You’ll see so many options with different features, sizes, and colors. But which among them should you buy? That decision is very tricky, especially if you don’t know what you should be looking for. So, here I am going to tell you what you should look for in good badminton shoes.

Sole

The soles of badminton shoes are very different from regular walking or running shoes. These soles are thin, flexible, and made of gum rubber.

The most distinguishing quality of this sole is its brown color. Some manufacturers add hues of different colors, but mostly they are brown.

When you take the shoe in your hand and try to bend it in the middle, it should easily bend. That accounts for its flexibility. You need this flexibility in the court to make swift movements.

Another important characteristic of the sole is the design on it. This is very important because it decides how much traction you get on the court. Many shoes will have horizontal curved lines parallel to each other. But, some might have small hexagons arranged in a repetitive pattern. You should prefer the hexagonal pattern because it’s the latest technology.

Support and Cushioning

Suppose the opponent sends the shuttlecock your way at a high angle. You jump high in the air and hit an excellent smash that lands directly on the ground on the opponent’s court, and you land back on your feet.

All of this is cool, but this puts a lot of stress on your knees. If your shoes lack proper cushioning and support, the risk of injuries significantly increases. Now, proper cushioning does not mean a thick layer of cushion. Badminton shoes must thin, soft, and extended cushioning.

Here are some of the popular brands with their cushion types that I recommend.

• Yonex: Power Cushion, Power Cushion+, TruCusion
• Victor: Cushion+ Energymax, Cushion+ EC
• Li Ning: Bounce, Bounce +
• ASICS: Gel

Fit and Comfort

Check the size of your shoe in terms of length and width. Many players check the length but totally ignore the width. This won’t make much of a difference if you have proportionate feet. But if you have wider feet than most, you will need shoes that won’t feel suffocating.

Nowadays, ergo-shaped shoes are widely available on the market. These are designed to accommodate most types of feet. Try them on and walk around your house to test them. Never wear your court shoes outside the house where they could come in contact with dirt.

Even when you buy online, you have the option to return and replace the pair if the size isn’t correct.

Also, make sure there isn’t much space near the toes. Extra space means the toes have more room to move and wiggle. While this is comfortable for regular shoes, in badminton, this extra movement of toes can cause blisters.

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Weight

Badminton shoes are usually available in the weight range of 250 to 330 grams. These should be lightweight, as heavier shoes can slow down your movements. But some lightweight shoes have less cushioning and wear down faster.

So, select shoes that are lightweight as well as durable. Weight is usually not provided in the specifications, but you can get an idea by picking them up in your hands.

Flexibility

Badminton shoes have two types of flexibility.

1. Vertical Flexibility
2. Twisting Flexibility

Vertical Flexibility is the flexibility near the toe box. You need to bend your toes a lot while playing and if your shoes don’t have vertical flexibility, it will become a bit difficult.

Twisting Flexibility is the flexibility of the midsole. This is required for rapid lateral movements on the court.

You can check for both types of flexibility by bending the shoes with your hand at the midsole and toe box.

Durability

Durability isn’t something that is mentioned in the shoe specifications. It is something you have to judge on your own.

We commonly wear shoes all the time so we have an idea about which shows are going to last and which aren’t. You can apply the same logic to badminton shoes. Use your instincts and rely on reviews from people who have actually worn these shoes.

Platforms like Amazon have a review section for each product where you can find how people like them. Read those reviews and make a judgment call for durability. Of course, the more durable, the better.

Design and Material

Badminton shoes should be made from durable materials. The material should also be malleable so the shoes hug your feet perfectly.

You shouldn’t fret much on the design, but a good pair of badminton shoes should have:

• Reinforcements around the ankles for extra support.
• Air vents and breathable material to pass the generated heat and moisture.

What to Avoid While Choosing Badminton Shoes?

Now, here’s what you are not going to do while buying badminton shoes. These factors are not just something that salespeople say to get you to buy a pricier model. These are genuine factors that you need to consider.

Looking at Aesthetics Only

Never judge a book by its cover, and never buy a pair of shoes by its looks. Aesthetics is not going to help you in any way. I understand the appeal to look good on the court or wear colors matching your clothes to complete the look.

But the aesthetics of your shoes should be secondary. If you get all the good features like proper fit, cushioning, etc., along with the look you want, that’s well and good. But don’t ever compromise on features for the look.

Low-Quality Materials

If you ask a professional badminton player how often they go through a pair of shoes, they’ll say 3 to 4 months. And that’s absolutely true. A good pair of shoes lasts about 3 to 4 months with daily use.

But if the quality of your shoe material is not good in the first place, you could blow through your pair in a month. If you ask me, you will waste money by buying low-quality shoes more often than buying high-quality shoes.

Also, poor material will not do its job of providing the necessary support to your feet. You will ultimately end up hurting your feet. You won’t notice it at first because the impact is very minor. However, such minor impacts over a period of time could lead to serious injuries.

So, never compromise on the quality of materials of your badminton shoes.

Cheap Price Over Support

This goes hand in hand with the quality of materials that we just discussed. Cheap badminton shoes usually use low-quality materials, which do not provide the support a badminton player needs.

So, instead of putting yourself in harm’s way by buying cheaper shoes, invest in good quality badminton shoes. They will provide the necessary support and last longer.

Buying Badminton Shoes – Brands I Recommend

Now that you know what to look for in badminton shoes, you should start looking at options. I always suggest buying badminton shoes from reputed brands. These brands ensure all the quality checks are passed, so they are trustworthy. Plus, branded shoes are also more durable.

Here are some brands that I highly recommend for buying badminton shoes:

• Yonex
• Li-Ning
• Victor
• ASICS

You will frequently see famous badminton players wearing shoes from these brands. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, but I have personally worn and liked shoes from these brands.

Conclusion

You are smart enough to make the right choice by considering all the points we discussed above. One more thing you should consider is the frequency of your games.

If you practice daily or five times a week, you need very sturdy shoes. It’s best to spend a bit more for such regular use. But if you are a recreational player who plays one a week or less, there’s no point spending a substantial amount. You can go for shoes at lower price ranges because you are not going to use them as harshly as they are intended to be used.

I hope you have understood how to choose badminton shoes by now. If you still have doubts, don’t hesitate to drop your questions in the comments. And keep an eye out because I will soon be releasing new articles in which I recommend the best badminton shoes for various categories of players.

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