Tennis Shoes vs Badminton Shoes (Everything You Need to Know!)

Tennis is a very aggressive game that requires a frequent change in direction and agility when you’re running or sprinting to get your next shot. There are a lot of quick starts and stops, lateral movements along the baseline, running back to retrieve a lob and many more moves on the court. That’s why tennis shoes are designed with great shock absorption, heavy padding, raised heels, and a protrusion on the side of the shoes for ankle support to prevent sprains.

When it comes to badminton, you don’t run a lot or make quick stops and turns because you don’t have to sprint across the court. However, you have to make fat stretches and intense jumps, and sudden lunges. This requires badminton shoes that have a low heel with less padding to lower your center of gravity so that you don’t roll your ankles and sprain them and soles that can play on a wooden or taraflex badminton court.

Tennis

Tennis is a racquet sport that you can play against a single opponent which is called singles or have two sets of players on each side which is called doubles. Tennis can be played by men and women of all ages and is a great way of keeping fit while still having fun with friends.

You get to meet new friends and it helps to improve your eye-hand coordination. The tennis court is rectangular with a net running across the center and the aim is to hit the ball over the net so that the ball lands within the margin of the court and if your opponent is unable to return the ball within the court, you win a point.

A tennis court has four main surfaces that include hard, clay, grass or carpeted, and indoor courts. The indoor court isn’t used very often. Each tennis court has its specific type of shoe that you should wear that will provide you with excellent grip, support, and comfort when playing the game.

Tennis shoes are designed specifically for the tennis courts to provide lateral support for your quick side-to-side movements, running back and forth to the net, and jumping. The soles of the shoes also should provide excellent grip depending on the surface of the court and added padding to help absorb the shock impact with every step you make.

Badminton

Badminton is the fastest racquet sport and a game that is played with a lightweight racquet and a shuttlecock instead of a ball. This sport is played indoors and is very popular in Asian countries. The main aim of this game is for you to hit the shuttlecock over the net that is a few feet above the ground (higher than the one on the tennis court) in specific areas on the court. If your opponent doesn’t return the shuttlecock a rally occurs which means you force your opponent to hit the shuttlecock into or out of the net so you win a point.

In badminton, there is less running and more chasing. The shoes are made with lightweight material to help you feel light on your feet. Because badminton you’re going to be moving in all directions on the court, the soles have a very strong grip no matter which direction the friction is applied.

Differences between tennis shoes and badminton shoes

Tennis and badminton are two very different sports that both have very different styles of play and different skill sets that you need to play each game. Here are some of the differences you will notice in the shoes you should wear in the different courts.

Shoe designs

Tennis shoes are heavier, raised heel, and have more padding around the heel area which will help support your joints on impact as you run on the court, but it can make it difficult for a badminton player to arch back when making overhead clears and smashes. On the other hand, badminton shoes are lightweight and versatile on wooden courts are specifically designed for indoor court surfaces and the unique movements for the game.

Type of soles

You can play tennis on a variety of court surfaces like the hard, clay, or grass courts and each court has specific shoes that you’re required to wear on that particular surface to allow for more or less grip depending on the court surface. That means the soles of your tennis shoes can either be harder or softer than your badminton shoes depending on the court you’re playing on. Badminton shoes have a thinner sole that helps to lower your center of gravity which helps to reduce injuries you get when making sudden movements and made with a gum rubber sole to provide great traction on wooden or PU courts.

Grip patterns

The grip patterns are different in tennis and badminton shoes because of the different types of courts. For badminton, you will be moving in all directions so the grip patterns are designed to be radial to allow for good grip in all directions where friction is applied. Tennis shoes have a variety of grip patterns. The soles for clay courts tennis shoes are made with a herringbone pattern that prevents the clay from sticking on the shoes provides ample grip and prevents you from sliding on the court when trying to make shots. The grass-court shoes have a pimple pattern that provides an excellent grip on the slippery grass and can only be used on grass courts.

Weight

Badminton shoes are designed to be lightweight because this sport focuses more on agility so you want shoes that will not slow your movements. The weight of the shoes is the key to fast footwork. Tennis shoes are a lot heavier because they have more padding and have a raised heel to provide support for your joints and cushion you from the impact when you’re running and making quick and fast movements on the court.

Flexibility

Badminton requires shoes that will allow for free movement of your ankles so that you can move better, but when it comes to tennis the opposite is true. Tennis shoes are designed to provide support for your ankles and to ensure there is less movement of your ankles when making lateral movements to avoid injuries.

Playstyle

As a badminton player, if you love attacking you need to have agility at the net combined with your athletic skills to be able to fire dangerous shots at the net. The shoes you wear should have a low profile and great responsiveness to help with your speed and agility. A snug fit will also ensure that all your power is utilized on the court. If your game is to play near the baseline to make well-placed shots over the net, you need shoes that will provide support and stability for quick turns on the sport and short sprints and also good shock absorption when you make the jumps.

If you’re an aggressive baseline, pusher or a serve-and volleyer in tennis, your style of play will determine the type of shoes you wear to the court. As a baseline player, your shoes should have strong lateral support, great cushioning, and a durable sole. If you’re charging the net most of the time after serving, your shoes should be more lightweight for fast movements, have a durable toecap and more flexibility at the balls of your feet.

Conclusion

Tennis and badminton are two great racquet sports that require good skills and a lot of stamina to play the game. However, they require very different sets of rules, shoes, and even the technique of playing. In the tennis shoes vs badminton shoe comparison, you will realize you need very different types of shoes to play on each court and getting the best shoes will help you in playing a great game.

FAQ

Can you wear badminton shoes outside?

Badminton shoes can’t damage your feet if you wear them for casual purposes, but you will damage the soles of the shoes because they’re designed to be worn indoors. It also doesn’t provide good resistance on rough surfaces.

Can you wash badminton shoes?

You can use a cloth and some soap to wash the shoes and for the hard to reach places, you can use a toothbrush to reach those spots. Just dip the toothbrush in warm water and rub gently over the targeted areas.

Can you use tennis shoes for badminton?

Yes, you can but it’s not recommended. Tennis shoes don’t have non-marking gum soles that are needed for an indoor wooden badminton court. Tennis shoes are also heavier with thicker padding at the heels which will make it harder for a badminton player to arch back for overhead clears and smashes.

Are squash and badminton shoes the same?

You can wear badminton shoes when playing squash since they’re both designed to play indoor sports. However, tennis shoes shouldn’t be used to play squash.

How do I choose a badminton racquet?

There are four things you should consider naming the handgrip, string tension, balance point, and weight of the racquet which should be a large number since a smaller number means a heavier racquet.