Badminton shoes, for me, are the most important piece of kit you need for Badminton. It’s vital to get a good pair of quality shoes for safety and comfort. Your shoes will provide much-needed protection for your feet, legs and joints from all the pressure and impact they take from running, jumping and twisting whilst playing.
I’ve only ever bought one bad pair of Badminton shoes. I didn’t have much money and got a cheap pair that weren’t very good and I ended up suffering from shin splints. I had to stop playing for a month for my legs to recover. After that, I got a top quality pair like I always did and never looked back. I would say save most of your Badminton budget to pay for the best shoes you can.
Having said that, not everybody has a lot of money to spend on equipment. If you’re new to the sport you might want to get some quality equipment without breaking the bank. The good news is you don’t have to, you can get quality Badminton shoes for great prices if you know which ones to buy. So here are the seven best Badminton shoes for any player on any budget.
- Adidas Essence Court Shoes
- Yonex Power Cushion 35 Mens Badminton Shoes (Black-Blue)
- Mizuno Wave Fang SL Indoor Court Shoes
- Asics Gel Rocket 8 Mens Court Shoes (Black-White)
- Yonex Power Cushion 03ZMX Mens Badminton Shoes (White or Coral Red)
- Yonex Power Cushion Aerus 2 Mens Badminton Shoes (Navy, Red or Pink)
- Yonex Power Cushion Aerus 3 Mens Badminton Shoes (Black or Blue)
The list goes from lowest to highest price. All of these shoes are top quality, the prices vary as some have extra features that are nice to have but not essential. Some of these shoes are designed for more advanced players looking to gain every little advantage they can get. Let’s have a look at each pair to see what makes them great.
Adidas Essence Court Shoes
Adidas isn’t a brand known for it’s Badminton gear. I had to include this pair on the list because my father uses them and he absolutely loves them. They’re actually designed for multiple indoor sports such as Squash, Badminton, Handball, Hockey and Volleyball. With all those sports you know you’re going to have enough protection for all kinds of activity and movement.
A comfortable shoe that breath well thanks to Adidas’ Air Mesh technology. They provide plenty of support with shock absorbing EVA technology called adiPrene in the midsole. Padded collar and tongue provide comfortable support to the foot and heel. This pair will practically pay for themselves with their durability. Adidas’ adiWear technology protects the front of the shoe from drag friction to prevent tearing.
The cheapest pair on this list they’re an absolute steal for the quality at such a low price. You’ll be hard pressed to find another pair of shoes matching this quality for this price. Find them here on Amazon.
Yonex Power Cushion 35 Mens Badminton Shoes (Black-Blue)
Yonex features multiple times on this list and for good reason. Yonex makes top quality Badminton shoes. While they do tend to focus more heavily on the premium high-end pairs a bit more, their lower priced shoes offer some of the same great technology found in those shoes at a lower price.
The Yonex Power Cushion 35 is one of those shoes. Only slightly more expensive than the Adidas Essence Court Shoes they’re in the low budget range. You get Yonex’s famous Power Cushion technology in this shoe. Power Cushion provides the best shock absorption to reduce the impact on the knees and provides rebound for increasing speed and explosive power. Combine that with Yonex’s Hexagrip sole which provides incredible grip on all surfaces and you’ve got one hell of a shoe.
All of Yonex’s best technology in a budget-friendly pair of shoes. You can’t go wrong with this pair. It provides all the necessities for a Badminton shoe at a great price. Buy them here on Direct Badminton.
Mizuno Wave Fang SL Indoor Court Shoes
Another brand not widely known in the Badminton community but have started to gather support. Mizuno has some top talent sporting their products such as Nozomi Okuhara, Mohammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan and Kenichi Hayakawa. If this brand is good enough for them it’s good enough for anyone.
The Mizuno Wave Fang SL has plenty of features. They have intercool ventilation technology to allow your feet to breath. They have plenty of abrasion protection for foot drag as well as a rounded bottom medial sides to smooth the drag with the trailing foot. Mizuno Wave is Mizuno’s unique technology which provides both cushioning and support.
With all these features and more you got everything you need all in one pair of shoes. Buy them here on SportsShoes.com.
Asics Gel Rocket 8 Mens Court Shoes (Black-White)
Asics have a long history of making shoes for all kinds of sports. A proud history in innovation and a multisport brand, Asics have started to do more and more Badminton shoes. There are many pairs that could be recommended but this pair fits nicely into this list for price and quality.
The Asics Gel Rocket 8 has specialised silicone placed right at the forefront area to provide shock absorption to reduce the risk of injury. They have the Trusstic System which is a moulded component used in the mid-sole area to provide stability and control the torsion of the shoe. They have specialised rubber outsole to provide extra grip on court surfaces than regular rubber.
All in all these shoes are a good middle-ground shoe. They have everything you need, some nice extras and come at a good price. You can buy them here on Amazon.
Yonex Power Cushion 03ZMX Mens Badminton Shoes (White or Coral Red)
The first pair of premium high-end Yonex shoes on this list is something special. They came out during the 2017/2018 season so they’re not the latest model in the Yonex range but they were at the time they were released. This means you can get this top of the range shoe for last seasons price! They were sported by the likes of Lee Chong Wei and Kento Momota, two players with incredible speed and footwork so you know they’d need good shoes.
Packing all the latest Yonex technology including the 3-Layer Power Cushion for ultimate impact protection and rebound power. The first pair of Badminton shoes I’ve seen to have asymmetrical lacing to fit the form of the foot. This reduces the pressure applied to the top of the foot and provide a more comfortable fit. The shoe has an inner bootie to reduce overlap and pressure points on the foot.
The Yonex Power Cushion 03ZMX has everything you need and some amazing extras you never knew you needed. I have a pair of these myself and you can feel the quality through every inch of the shoe. Yonex has done something a little different and that innovative thinking makes for an incredible pair of Badminton shoes. They’re dropped at least a quarter of the price since their initial launch so are a no brainer if you have the cash. Buy them here on Amazon.
Yonex Power Cushion Aerus 2 Mens Badminton Shoes (Navy, Red or Pink)
The next pair of premium Yonex shoes, the Yonex Aerus 2s, have become a worldwide favourite. These pair are the lightest pair of Yonex shoes they’ve ever made. Made using a patented material that is ten times lighter than their other materials you can practically glide around the court in these shoes.
It’s not just for how lightweight they feel but also that they’re still very robust and surprisingly so. I have a pair that I can wear although I use them more as a spare pair now. I used these shoes for two years of training, playing and competing, singles and doubles and they’re still in good shape. They’ve lasted twice as long as any other pair I’ve ever owned so that’s saying something.
You can get them a little cheaper now the newest Aerus 3 model is out and I’d encourage anyone who has the money to do so. You’ll earn that money back in comfort and for how long they last. You can buy them here on Amazon.
Yonex Power Cushion Aerus 3 Mens Badminton Shoes (Black or Blue)
If the Yonex Aerus 2 shoes aren’t good enough for you or you simply have more money in your pocket, the Yonex Aerus 3 shoes are for you. Improving on the amazing Aerus 2s that came before Yonex stepped it up again to get an even better shoe.
They went back to a design that’s more seamless like the original Yonex Aerus shoes were. Problem with the first Yonex Aerus shoes is that they were too light and too thin and suffered durability problems because of it. The Yonex Aerus 3 gets the old look back with the newer durability of the improved Aerus 2. They’ve also improved the fit of the shoe as some people complained that the fit of the Aerus 2s was too narrow and tight. The last big improvement is an improved Power Cushion technology called the Power Cushion Plus. This improved version of Yonex’s shock absorption material is said to provide 25% more shock absorbency and 12% more resistance.
With all of these Yonex has created a nearly perfect Badminton shoe. The priciest pair of Badminton shoes probably on any list but they’re one of the best pair of Badminton shoes around. You can buy them here on Amazon.
Related questions
Which brand is best for badminton shoes? There isn’t one single brand that is best for Badminton shoes. There are a lot of Badminton brands in the world that have top quality Badminton equipment.
Can you use badminton shoes for running? You can’t use Badminton shoes for running. Running shoes are designed for forwards and backwards movement. They’re not designed for lateral (side-to-side and diagonal) movements. You’re at risk of injuring yourself wearing running shoes for Badminton. Instead, get one of the quality pair of Badminton shoes listed here to protect yourself.
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Written by Liam Walsh who lives in Manchester, England. Working as a Software Engineer but moonlighting as a dad, Badminton player/coach and creator of BadmintonsBest.
