Most competitive badminton is played indoors. But if you are looking to dabble and want to just play for fun outside, it is worth knowing what type of tennis shoes/sneakers you need to wear to a casual badminton sesh, however competitive it may get.
Why not wear my badminton shoes outside?
Badminton shoes look great. They are comfortable and when you put them on you probably think, “I could wear these for everything!”
But you don’t want to wear these out on outdoor surfaces. Badminton shoes are mostly made for indoor badminton courts. If you wear them in an intense game on the blacktop or on a dirt field, they will get worn out very quickly.
So if you are planning to play outside, I would keep your Yonex Power Cushion Badminton shoes at home.
It’s all about the surface
It’s tough to know what badminton shoes to wear unless you know what surface you will play on. Football players wear different cleats on an astroturf field than when they are playing on real grass. Badminton players are no different.
Now I know that not all of you will be able to afford 10 different pairs of badminton shoes for each surface you hypothetically might play on. But different surfaces will necessitate differing levels of ankle heel support, grip on the sole of your tennis shoes, and a differing level of a few other factors. So let’s break it down by the most common surfaces a casual badminton game will be played on.
Lumpy grass
When it comes to ankle support badminton shoes might not cut it on certain outdoor surfaces. This is especially true on crappy, lumpy grass. If anyone has ever played organized sports on their school’s crappy football field, then you’ll know you not only need some shoes that can grip onto the grass but some sneakers with high ankle protection that will give you some lateral support so that you don’t roll your ankles.
That’s why it’s best to wear some high ankle cleats on a surface like this. If you don’t have cleats, at least wear the highest ankle-protected pair of sneakers that you own as temporary badminton shoes on this surface.
Recommended shoe for playing badminton on a lumpy grass field:
Green, beautiful grass
Ah yes, now we have a more ideal grass. Picture the grass that the Philadelphia Eagles or the San Francisco 49ers play on. Or better yet, imagine playing badminton on the perfectly curated south lawn of the White House. The perfect grass.
The truth is you probably don’t need any shoes to play on a surface like this if the grass is nice enough. If you are just playing a fun game of badminton with friends on your perfectly mowed, feel free to go barefoot.
But if you want to perform to the best of your ability, I think wearing shoes made for tennis on the grass would be a good choice to make. However, I think any outdoor sneaker you would use for running or physical activity would suffice.
Recommended shoe for outdoor badminton in beautiful green grass:
- Men: Asics Men’s COURT FF2
- Women: Asics Women’s COURT FF 2
Sand
While clean, beautifully-leveled green grass might be an option to go barefoot during a casual game of badminton, or beach sand, it might be the preferred option. You are basically playing in the same conditions as a volleyball player here. If you are to wear some shoes, make sure that they are very breathable water resistant type of shoes. But if you would play volleyball barefoot on the beach, you should do the same here.
Recommended shoes for outdoor badminton on the sand – barefoot
Dirt
Unlike the sand, the dirt is a little bit rougher and you wouldn’t want to go and set up for a badminton game without some proper foot attire. Think of a dirt field with some patches of grass, but mostly just hard dirt packed into the earth. you might even find a nail or two.
-Most Badass Badminton Player Ever
If this is the best field you have to play some badminton outdoors, so be it. But it is best to lace up in some shoes that will have some good traction on this type of surface. I would go with a pair of tennis shoes that are made for cross-country running. If the field has a good amount of clumpy dry grass, you might want to go with some cleats.
Recommended outdoor badminton shoes for a dirt field –
- Men: Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra Trail Running Shoes – Men
- Women: Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra Trail Running Shoes – Women
Blacktop / Concrete
We all know that blacktop pavement isn’t the most ideal playing surface for any sport. The concrete makes everything hotter, it puts more impact on your knees and legs, and when you take a spill it downright hurts.
But some of us city dwellers don’t have a ton of green space to operate with. What we do have in the city are parks with blacktops everywhere. All you might need is some chalk to draw the lines, and a badminton net without stakes to set up.
As for you’re sneakers, I would wear some tennis shoes with good ankle support. Outdoor basketball shoes might be a good go-to as for the type of shoe that you can find at most sports stores or online. You’ll want the most ankle support and traction for a flat playing surface you can get.
Recommended shoes for playing badminton on the blacktop –
Turf
The last surface we come to is one that is very common nowadays – turf. Public turf fields are everywhere in our country whether you are in NYC or in the most suburban suburbs. It’s not terribly hard to find a turf field if you prefer playing badminton on one.
Most athletic sneakers should be fine on a turf field, so if all you have is your running shoes or some basketball shoes, you should be good. But for the best traction, you’ll want some turf cleats. These will make sure you don’t slip on that turf fall and get the dreaded turf burn, or worse slip and cause a more serious injury. Turf shoes/cleats have great lateral support and if you are playing competitively on turf, they are recommended.
Recommended shoes for playing Badminton on a Turf Field:
- Men & Women: Adidas Adizero Avanti Tokyo Shoes
In conclusion – know your surface and leave your indoor badminton shoes at home
Badminton outdoors is the same sport, but we need to prepare our feet for all of the different surfaces that outdoor sports present. Your typical badminton shoes won’t cut it here, and we need to consider the surface we are playing on. This will differ for each person, but if you follow the guidelines above you should have no problem acclimating.