HOW TO CHOOSE BADMINTON SHOES

Badminton is a fast-paced game. Badminton players move around the badminton court at an amazing pace, dashes and changes directions on every stroke of the rally, twisting and turning and lunging. All these movements are supported and made possible by the biggest unsung hero, the badminton shoes.

It requires quick direction changes and more lateral movement. Badminton shoes have a thinner sole, and this lowers your center of gravity, therefore reducing the risk of injuries. 

And whatever you do, do not wear running shoes or any other thick soled shoes. They keep your feet too high up in the ground and all it will take is one deep lunge to have your ankle sprained. From then on, you will be in excruciating pain for days and the injury will affect your badminton game for years to come. For this reason, you should avoid buying regular running shoes or trainers if you play badminton.

Badminton shoes are designed for badminton movements; a thin but well supported sole with good lateral support keep the player's feet close to the ground, this allows for fast and ankle bending directional changes with lower chance of injury; light weight for faster feet movement; surface hugging gummy soles to grip the indoor surface without slipping.

A good badminton shoe will ensure that:

- Performance is maximized during the game.

- Injuries are prevented.

All badminton shoes need to have some basic qualities, which are listed as follows:

- Traction and grip

- Good cushioning

- Light weight

The amount of torture we subject our lower body to can clearly be seen in people's badminton shoes. A good pair of badminton shoes used by a decent player sometimes last only 3-6 months. At the end of its short life, you will find soles that are worn to the inner support, insoles that are worn through, strong upper leather that gave up and split due to the immense force exerted at it.

The excessive lunging and jumping you do on the court can quickly aggravate the area around your shins. Having well-padded insoles will help you avoid this complication.

Good cushioning will help you move quickly in different directions. The primary function of the cushioning is to absorb shocks. A good cushion can absorb the impact. Some shoes have specially designed cushions to do a better job here. If the original insoles of your shoes are not sufficient, you can purchase some separately. Along the same lines, monitor the condition of your insoles so you can replace them before they become ineffective. Don’t underestimate the value of quality insoles; having a firm foundation will go a long way towards preventing injuries.

You can buy badminton shoes, depending on the surface of the badminton court. Most people play on a wood or PU court, and some use a cement court. For those who play on a wood or PU court, shoes with gum rubber soles(non-marking) are the best. 

They provide ample traction and grip. When buying shoes with gum rubber es(non-marking), you must remember that the sole accumulates dirt easily. This will reduce traction.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind to avoid dirt accumulation:

- Wear your shoes only when you are on court.

- Have a moisturised towel by the court, step & rub on it from time to time to keep the soles clean.

- For those playing on a cement surface, a normal rubber sole is ideal.

If you want a pair of shoes that are sufficiently good for a good badminton game, consider buying a shoe with the following technologies in it : 

Ergoshape - It is a contour, the way the shoes are shaped. It provides comfort and stability at the forefoot area and toes for efficient and organized badminton footwork.

Power Cushion - It acts as a shock absorber. It enables the wearer to perform quick reverse movements. It is also excellent for maintaining body balance.

Double Russel Mesh –  It is the best breathable material available. They are super lightweight and durable. It provides 8 times better air-exchange when compared to normal shoes, so that sweat does not get accumulated around your feet. It prevents blisters.

These shoes are reasonably priced and quite affordable.

If you want to maximize your performance in the game, there are more technologies available in the market today.

MsLite – It is lightweight and provides great support for fast paced footwork to make the shoes durable.

HQ-Eva: High Quality moulded EVA for better shock absorption and joint protection.

Lateral Claw – It adds to the power and quickness of your foot movement and improves stability by strengthening the sides of the shoe.

Lateral Shell - It is located on the outside of the forefoot prevents sliding at the edge of the sole. It reduces power loss, increases footwork response and creates smooth, fluid and offensive foot movements.

Hexagrip Sole – It is created for agile and stable footwork. The hexagrip pattern is made from a newly-developed material that provides 3% more gripping power and is 20% lighter than an ordinary material.

Bounse - It has a higher rebound than ordinary midsole material. Bounse assists foot propulsion by providing better resilience and reducing loss of energy during dynamic movement.

As you move up in price, you get additional features, like:

Super MsLite – This super performance construction features a polymer-based midsole 10% lighter than MsLite.

Round sole – It provides a feeling of natural comfort under the foot and maximizes the transfer of body energy into movements around the court.

ProBar LOC - It provides superior mid-foot protection, stability and support during each step, reducing fatigue to help maintain a high level of athletic performance

Vented Carbon Fiber Shank - It protects the arch from collapsing when you power through your step while reducing the overall weight of the shoes and provides ventilation keeping your feet cool.

ToughBrid Light - It retains the exact performance as ToughBrid yet is 11%* lighter, generating a significant reduction in leg and knee stress.

Tuff Tip - It adds an extra layer of reinforcement along the inside front and toe area of the shoe to help extend the life of the shoes and provide superior product performance. 

pavTRAC - It features a superior anti-slip compound in the outsole. The pavTRAC material is also more durable than conventional rubber providing superior performance.

Power Graphite Light – This 3D graphite sheet sole plate provides high stability, reduce weight within the shoe and it cushions the impact on landing.

Power Cushion(3 layer) - The hard top and bottom layers absorb 30% more shock than our original Power Cushion and provide 5% more repulsion for enhanced transfer of energy. The soft middle layer quickly returns to its original shape after receiving a shock load, converting the shock energy into power for fast and light footwork.

Power Cushion Insole MC – It provides instant resilience that minimizes shock. 

These shoes can be slightly expensive, but worth the money since they last for a long time.

The badminton shoes for both men and women share almost all the features as far as the make is taken into consideration. They just differ in style, shape and color. They come in cool colors for men and tend to be feminine when it comes to ladies badminton shoes. Badminton shoes for kids also have the same features, but they are of limited-edition and come in smaller shoe sizes. Please refer to the shoe size chart for the most accurate sizing information. If ordering online, rely on the mm specs, for example: 255mm or 25.5cm; Do not rely on the EUR, UK, US numbers. They all vary.

Some brands you can rely on - Yonex, Li-Ning, Asics, Carlton, (for beginners - Nivia, Kanton). 

Some shoe models you can use - Yonex SHB series(SHB01LTD, SHB-01-MX, SHBF1NMX, SHBSC6EX etc), Li-Ning MEN'S LIN DAN HERO-II, Li-Ning Saga Series( Saga Tour, Saga Pro, Saga Evolution, Saga Ace), Asics Gel( Gel Domain, Gel Rocket).

Thats all. Hope to see you in the court.