Badminton shoes—your most important piece of equipment

While most players spend the majority of their badminton budget on the fanciest racquet they can afford, the most important piece of equipment is actually your shoes. I cannot stress this enough. Proper badminton shoes will improve your speed and movement around the court and significantly reduce foot pain and injury. Sneakers, running shoes and cross trainers are completely unsuitable for badminton, as are basketball shoes, even though they might be designed for indoor use.

Why are real badminton shoes so important? The first reason is that they have completely flat soles made of gel rubber. This gives the maximum possible contact area and grip on indoor surfaces to minimise slipping which may lead to injuries. The flat sole also eliminates protruding bits of tread that can catch on the floor and lead to falls. Complex tread patterns like that are common on cross-trainers and off-road shoes and are excellent for running on uneven surfaces, but no good on the badminton court.

Secondly, badminton shoes are generally thin soled, giving better feel, as well as lowering the player’s centre of gravity which increases stability and balance. The smaller height will also reduce the risk of sprained ankles.

Thirdly, badminton shoes are designed to be flexible in all directions. They bend easily across the instep, but can also be twisted in the opposite plane. Running shoes and trainers tend to be stiffer and more structured, as they are designed for activities where the motion of the leg and foot is generally fairly linear, and other movements are not desirable. In badminton, you need to be able to move in many different directions and change directions very quickly. A flexible shoe allows this to happen freely, whereas a stiff shoe can actually be dangerous.

So having good badminton shoes is imperative if you’re serious about playing badminton. But almost as important is using them properly. They’re shoes, I hear you say, How hard can it be? Not hard, but my poor old feet have taught me a few lessons over the years which may save you some aches and pains.

Firstly, wear your badminton shoes only for playing badminton. That will help preserve the grip for as long as possible.

Secondly, invest in a set of really good insoles to replace the ones that come in sports shoes as standard. The better you get at badminton, the more of a pounding your feet will take and the little extra you spend on insoles made of a highly shock-absorbent material such as Sorbothane will reward you tenfold.

Thirdly, relearn the art of tying shoelaces. Most good sports shoes come with double lacing holes near the top designed for ‘lock-lacing’. Lock lacing is much firmer, doesn’t come undone, and ‘gives’ less when you move so your shoes stay firmer and more stable. And a firmer (though not overtight) shoe usually means less blisters, which are usually caused by a shoe that’s sliding about a little. But don’t try to use lock-lacing as a remedy for poorly fitting shoes, Get shoes that fit well, then lock-lace them.

And lastly, be prepared for the fact that badminton shoes tend not to last very long. As soon as they start to split or the stitching tears, throw them away or give them to your dog and get a new pair. After all, you only have one pair of feet (usually).