Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Badminton shoes are an irreplaceable part of badminton, but they are often a forgotten part of the equation.
Players often think about getting the best racket or the best shuttlecock but they forget the importance of the shoes.
Moving from point to point inside the badminton court to intercept a shuttle or to get in a better position are some of the reasons to get better badminton shoes.
During training sessions, I see some players with rackets that cost hundreds of dollars but with ordinary pairs of sports shoes, this is sadly a big waste of money and potential in my opinion.
There are hundreds of badminton shoes available on the market right now, but following my experience, only a handful of them are suitable for badminton players.
Any contenders to be the best badminton shoes should follow and respect some basic conditions:
- Very comfortable.
- Designed with badminton in mind.
- Tailored for all types of players.
- Capable of performing well in all gameplay situations.
In this guide, We listed some options that many badminton coaches and professional players choose for themselves or their teams and are considered to be the best badminton shoes.
We tested each one of these shoes to check their manufacturing quality and durability.
Design and look are a nice factor to check too, but performance on the court was the most important factor for us while writing this guide.
ASICS Men’s Gel-Blade 7 Best Badminton Shoes
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The ASICS Men’s GEL-Rocket 7 is our first pick in our list of the best badminton shoes.
You will find many ASICS shoes in this guide, mainly due to their long history and experience developing shoes for many racket sports including badminton.
These particular shoes are designed for men, the women’s version is slightly different than this one (it is also included in this list).
The front part of the ASICS Men’s GEL-Rocket 7 is curved in a way that absorbs shocks and helps the player to put less effort into movements and twists.
The part Gel in the name of these shoes is about the new and innovative gel cushioning system inside.
In summary, we like these shoes because of their affordable price and improved performance.
They are also very comfortable and offer a great badminton experience.
ASICS Women’s Gel-Dedicate 6 best badminton shoes
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
These shoes are designed for both badminton and tennis.
They are, without any doubt, a great choice for any female badminton player (even some male players buy these shoes due to their multiple colors and high quality).
The weight allows you to move faster from any point in the court to intercept the shuttlecock, you can also leap faster and higher.
The rearfoot gel (very similar to the previous shoes) helps in absorbing shocks.
While the pads increase comfort during difficult matches or simply during training.
Running in these shoes is also possible thanks to the comfortable pads.
YONEX Power Cushion Eclipsion X Men’s best badminton shoes
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Yonex is one one the best badminton brands out there, it manufactures a wide range of badminton gear, mostly known for its high quality (and sometimes expensive rackets).
Yonex made the new Power Cushion Eclipsion be a performance augmenting shoes, they are very popular among my students for their comfort level and shock minimization.
They are not curved like the previously mentioned shoes, but rather flat, which makes turning a little difficult, but will add a lot to the speed.
Power Cushion Eclipsion shoes are available in a color combination of black and white with some yellow and green.
Suitable for many ages, these shoes are available in a wide range of sizes, so whether you have big or very small legs, you can enjoy these shoes.
Babolat Men’s Shadow Spirit Indoor Court best badminton Shoes
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Babolat is also one of the best badminton brands that we included as one of the top ten suppliers of badminton gear.
Designed for both indoor and outdoor badminton, the Babolat Men’s Shadow Spirit is optimized for performance and great user experience.
Its active sculpture Technology (developed by Babolat) grants huge performance and durability boost, the thing that gives these shoes a high value per price ratio.
Similarly to the other badminton shoes in this list, Babolat Shadow Spirit is very comfortable and has high hits and chokes absorption capacity.
The only negative point about them is that they are somehow limited in the available sizes, so if you don’t find what you are looking for, check the other shoes on this list.
Adidas Men’s Grand Court best badminton shoes
- Court-inspired suede shoes with pillow-soft cushioning for casual comfort
- Regular fit; Lace closure
- Cloudfoam sockliner for comfort and lightweight cushioning
- Rubber outsole for excellent grip
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Adidas does also make badminton shoes, and yes it is not famous in this niche like Yonex or Babolat or Li-ning, it produces some court sneakers that can also be used for badminton.
100% leather, Adidas men Grand court sneakers have the biggest number of versions, if you follow the link above, you can choose between nearly 30 versions, each one with a different color scheme, an absolute dream for players who love a high degree of personalization.
They have a rubber sole and a pillow-soft cushioning system included inside them.
Sadly these shoes are very underrated in the world of badminton.
But during our test, we found that they are comfortable, ensuring good air circulation inside the feet to keep it fresh even at high temperatures.
They are also the cheapest shoes on this list, so if you are on a tight budget and you need a pair of badminton shoes under 100$ dollars then the Adidas Court sneaker might be the best choice for you.
Yonex PC SHB01LTD best badminton shoes
- Upper: P.U. Leather, Polyester Mesh
- Midsole: E.V.A.
- Outsole: Rubber
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
SHB01LTD is the codename for these shoes that they were once part of the Lee Chong Wei’s limited edition, and if you don’t who this man is, simply he is one of the greatest badminton players in the world, and he introduced these shoes as sponsorship and he used them in a lot of competitions.
These badminton shoes have a combination of TPU upper and a double Russel mesh, in addition to a rubber outsole to make them more suitable to indoor badminton players.
Many people online have extremely positive reviews about these sneaker and now you know the reason why.
Yonex SHB-02LTD Limited Edition best badminton shoes
- These badminton shoes are a perfect balance between comfort, durability and weight.
- Upper Materials: P.U Leather Polyester Mesh Durable Skin
- Midsole Materials: Tough Brid Light Power Cushion
- Outsole Materials: Rubber
- Color: Red
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another limited edition badminton shoes from Yonex, the SHB-02LTD is mainly designed for indoor badminton.
They have the perfect balance between performance, durability, weight, features, comfort, and good look.
Without any compromises, this balance is a signature of the brand Yonex that is known by most badminton coaches and pro players.
Yonex SBH fits perfectly on the foot without being too loose or too tight.
They also provide high air circulation to prevent bad smells from forming on the skin due to extreme moisture and lack of oxygen.
Their nice structure makes them perfect for long narrow feet.
The performance impact of these rackets is very noticeable, mainly due to the lightweight structure.
Adidas Men’s Adizero Ubersonic 3 best badminton Shoes
- adidas male tennis Shoe
- The adidas brand has a long history and deep-rooted Connection with sport. Everything we do is rooted in sport
- Driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation as well as decades of accumulating sports science expertise, we cater for all, from elite professional athletes and teams to any individual who wants to make sport part of their lives
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another Adidas contender in the list of the best badminton shoes of the year.
The Adizero Ubersonic 3 can be used for badminton, tennis, and running, this makes them a great choice if you like to give a pair of sports shoes to someone without knowing what they are currently practicing.
First of all, the only thing that I didn’t like about these shoes is their stiff sole, but other than that they are the right and the wise choice of any badminton player, whether he is a beginner, an intermediate, or a professional player.
The insole is removable, there is a layer of an air mesh upper to ensure good ventilation.
They are also affordable, which looks like it is the strategy of Adidas when it comes to badminton shoes.
HEAD Men’s Speed Pro Lite Indoor Low-M best badminton shoes
- Lateral control: A square edge of harder rubber that provides optimum lateral stability and enables quick changes in direction.
- HEAD Radial Contact: Outsole technology ensures a constant point of traction, providing maximum flexibility and maneuverability with optimal stability.
- Head Cooling System: A dynamic "climate control" system within the shoe that maintains ultimate breathability by absorbing and releasing excess heat build-up.
- 6 month Durability Guarantee on the outsole and toe guard.
- FHD00136
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another cheap option for players on a budget, the HEAD Men’s Speed Pro Lite Indoor Low-M gives you many features that exist in shoes with a higher price, an excellent choice for many people in countries where 100$ per racket is considered to be extremely high.
The lateral control technology is the best feature of the Head Men’s Speed Pro Lite, it makes them comfortable and enhances their performance in a natural way.
This technology does also improves the way your foot and ankle contact with the shoe, and the rubber sole in the bottom absorbs most shocks that occur on the badminton court.
If you check these shoes via the link above, you can check all the colors and sizes available now.
Mishansha Men’s Athletic best badminton shoes
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Available in 8 colors, the Mishansha badminton shoes are by far the cheapest badminton shoes with the highest quality that you can get.
Synthetic leather and mesh are the main manufacturing materials of Mishansha shoes.
The high number of color combinations and patterns makes them very stylish and fashionable.
The synthetic leather is made in a way to let air get inside so the ventilation is good in these shoes too.
Ergonomics level is a check for this one too, the ankle area is designed to be curved and soft to the skin.
You can use these shoes in other sports like tennis, basketball, squash, running, and many more.
Mizuno Women’s Wave Lightning RX2 best badminton shoes
- Seamless upper
- Parallel Mizuno Wave cushioning
- Enhanced AP midsole
- Dynamotion Fit Technology
- Dynamotion Groove flex groove
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Founded in 1906, Mizuno is one of the oldest badminton manufacturers, and they create new badminton gear with love, and this is absolutely reflecting on their end products.
They look a little bit different from the other shoes on this list, they actually look like any ordinary sports shoes, and besides some losses in terms of speed, they can compete with any badminton shoes.
When I “tested” these shoes during some games in order to write this review, I was really surprised by the way they help you in keeping you balanced when you try to reach a shuttlecock before it reaches the ground, absolutely great.
But what’s are the benefit of having Badminton Shoes
As a badminton coach, I receive questions like these almost every week and sometimes every day, and here is the same answer that I and other coaches give.
Many new players who are not familiar with the way intermediate and professional badminton is played ask why they can’t just use their ordinary sports shoes to play badminton. Well, of course, they can play badminton with normal sneakers.
But if anyone is thinking and willing to improve her or his skills and performance, having the best badminton shoes is an absolute must.
Good badminton, like the ones in this list, is made specifically or with badminton in mind.
They make movement way easier inside the court, so the player can easily move around from one to another side of the court and jump and perform any other action required in a badminton game.
non-badminton shoes cannot withstand all that pressure and cannot absorb the shocks generated while jumping and running suddenly.
So in summary, badminton shoes are a must for any serious badminton player.
References
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8919011B2/en
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344912001693