One of the most common questions I get asked about footwear is 'Do I need to wear proper badminton shoes to play badminton?'
And my advice is quite simple, no matter which sport you play, it is essential to wear the correct footwear for two reasons. Badminton companies spend millions of pounds on research and development to create a shoe which;
1) is comfortable on court so you can concentrate on winning your game, and not how badly your feet ache;
2) prevents you from getting a serious injury from incorrect support in key areas.
Lots of players, particularly recreational players tend to play badminton in running shoes, or other trainers that do not provide the feet with sufficient protection and support for the movements associated with playing badminton. And this can often lead to ankle and Achilles injuries.
Badminton shoes a designed with the specific characteristics of the game in mind. Rapid forward and back movements, left and right, split steps, lunges and vertical jumps.
One of the key things for me with Badminton shoe design is the importance of lateral stability. I need to know that when I am moving cross-court quickly and stop suddenly that my ankle is going to turn over. Lateral support and anti-torque protection ensures you can be confident in your movement from side to side and front to back.
The heel is the other area that is well protected with badminton shoes which is great as the heel absorbs a lot of shock during a match.
Can running shoes be worn to play badminton?
A lot of beginners tend to wear running shoes on court which is fine for forward and backward movements, which the shoes have been designed for. However, as a player improves and begins adopting the correct sideways movement, this is where risk of injury occurs. Running shoes tend to twist during sudden sideways movements which can lead to injury. They do not give you the lateral support needed to ensure that your ankle is well protected during fast encounters and rapid sideways movements.
Can other indoor shoes be worn to play badminton?
There is a common misconception that an indoor shoe can be used across multiple sports. It is indeed true that they share similar characteristics such as rubber soles. Table Tennis, Volleyball and Badminton shoes can look similar to the naked eye, however, each shoe has been designed for the characteristics of the game.
Table Tennis involves a large amount of lateral movement, so the focus of shoe design is on avoiding sudden vertical impact force which can lead to ankle sprains from suddenly stopping.
Volleyball involves a lot of jumping so the shoes feature a higher neck design to cover and protect your ankle.
In Badminton the shoe’s tread is mainly radial; the shoes must be durable, anti-slip and provide good stability to support rapid movements in all directions.
Summary
So in conclusion, I always recommend wearing the correct footwear for the sport you play. That doesn't mean you need to spend hundreds on a top of the range pair, however, the quality of high-end badminton shoes is incredible nowadays.
As a player you need to be focussed on your task, whether that be beating an opponent or simply training at a high intensity, you don't want to worry about how your feet are feeling. And more importantly, you need to be confident that your shoes will give your feet the protection they need when playing this incredibly fast game of ours. Injury is not good for anyone!