Badminton is an incredibly fast-paced sport that requires sudden movements and quick changes in direction. Choosing the appropriate pair of shoes is crucial in meeting the challenging conditions or demands of the game, so you should invest in a good quality pair of badminton shoes.
A common mistake by beginners is that they buy regular training shoes or running shoes to play badminton, which can hinder their performance and increase the chances of injury during the play.
Badminton shoes feature a thinner sole that minimizes the risk of injury because it lowers the center of gravity. While purchasing badminton shoes, it’s important to consider factors like the type of the sole and how often you play. Here are some key points that will help you to choose the best pair of badminton shoes.
Things to keep in mind before buying badminton shoes
1. Non-Marking Sole:
Non-marking shoes are designed with special soles to reduce or entirely avoid leaving marks on the surfaces. This makes them a perfect fit for indoor sports or environments where floor protection is important such as gymnasiums or dance studios. It is made of gum. You can typically recognize the non-marking shoes by their soft, smooth soles, which leave little to no residue when rubbed against a piece of paper.
There are also marking shoes, which are standard footwear that can leave noticeable scuff marks on floors when worn.
How do you find the Non-Marking Shoe?
If you want to test whether a particular shoe has a non-marking sole or not, the best way to identify it is by making a dent in the sole with your thumbnail. If the dent recovers quickly, you have the right non-marking shoe in your hand with the softest sole.
You can also recognize it by rubbing your shoes on a plain and clean piece of white paper. What you should look for is clean white paper without any scuff marks.
Additionally, you can draw a line on the paper instead of rubbing it and see if you are left with some marks on the paper or not. There should be no marks or zero visible lines on the paper.
