Why Non-Marking Shoes For Badminton?

Do you know, why players mostly prefer non-marking shoes while playing badminton or any other indoor sport like volleyball?

Most of you out there might not be aware of it. But don’t worry, because today I’ll mention all the basic features and factors regarding, why players prefer such type of shoes, especially while playing badminton.

You might have seen some badminton players playing with some kind of sports shoes and normal shoes. But some of the players, especially professionals and intermediates use non-marking shoes, which helps them to improve their game and play perfectly. You will get to know every basic thing regarding these shoe mentioned below.

But before starting, let us discuss some basic factors regarding the sport badminton:

Non-Marking Shoes For Badminton

As you know that badminton is one of the indoor games, which is played on a court, with the proper equipment and with the help of fine footwear (non-marking shoes).

With the passage of time, technology, and the sport badminton has been so developed, that in today’s date non-marking shoes have become one of the basic necessities for a badminton player. And if we talk about professional-level badminton, then you won’t even be allowed to enter the court without a non-marking shoe.

The indoor courts are a bit sensitive and are made up of synthetic surfaces, so if you play with some hard sole shoes or leather sole shoes, then they can easily get damaged. So to prevent such damage you require non-marking shoes.

If you are a badminton player and looking for perfect footgear, then you need to keep these three factors in mind:

• Traction
• Cushioning
• Grip

If we talk about badminton singles. In which there are only two players on each side of the court hitting the shuttle with the help of a racket simultaneously, trying to land the shuttle on the opponent’s court to win a point. But playing badminton singles isn’t that easy because the player has to run back and forth and have to cover the whole court, which requires a lot of energy and stamina. And to run this fast a player requires perfect non-marking footgear, which helps him to perform such frequent moves.

Even for playing badminton doubles and mix you require proper non-marking footgear. And in the next paragraph, I will explain to you what exactly are non-marking shoes?

Playing badminton with non-marking shoes provides you with an excellent grip, comfort, and perfect foot movements. Also, it helps you to improve your game, flexibility and reduces the risk of injury.

What Are Non- Marking Shoes?

As in the above paragraphs, I have mentioned the words non-marking shoes continuously. You might be wondering, what exactly is this stuff? So now let me reveal it.

Non-marking shoes are slightly different from the other badminton shoes, as they do not leave black scuff marks on the court or we can say on the floor while moving. You must have seen shoes which leave their prints and scuff marks on the floor, especially the one with black sole and the one which holds a leather sole. So in comparison to them, the non-marking shoe sole is made up of a gum rubber material, which prevents marking. They even prevent the floor or the court from getting damaged as some of the indoor floors are made up of synthetic materials and surfaces.

How To Choose Perfect Non-Marking Shoes For Badminton?

You can easily identify a shoe whether it is marking or non-marking by examining its sole. Or else here are some of the tacts mentioned below, that you can apply while choosing one for you:

• Check the sole of the shoe, whether it is soft or not, or just press the sole with your nails and check if the mark stays or recovers. If it recovers, then you are holding the right one if not then go for the other one.
• Also, keep in mind that it should not hold a large tread.
• If you still find it confusing, then take a clean sheet of paper and rub the sole on it and check if it leaves the scuff marks or not.

And you should know that the sports shoes designed for indoor sports like badminton, basketball, and volleyball are always non-marking.

Features of Non-Marking Shoes

Non-marking shoes provide you with some basic features, which help you to move freely in the court and perform some frequent moves. Also, they help you to improve your game. Now take a look over its basic features:

Tips to Maintain Non-Marking Shoes

It seems a bit tough to maintain non-marking shoes. But it is not, all you need to do is read the points which I have mentioned below and follow them accordingly:

• Do not use them elsewhere, rather than playing badminton, especially outdoors.
• Always keep them dry and clean.
• Also, clean the sole of the shoes regularly.
• You can use a non-gel toothpaste or a wet cloth to wipe the sole of these shoes.
• Avoid running and walking outside the court.

Beneficials Facts, That You Should be Aware of:

In case if you don’t have any non-marking shoes for playing badminton, then you can make or convert your regular shoes into non-marking for a match or temporarily using these methods:

Sole Protectors

Sole protectors can be referred to as a very thin layer of rubber or rubber sheets, which are indulged at the bottom of the sole to protect them from getting damaged. Rather than, these sole protectors also hold some benefits, which I have mentioned below:

• Grip from rubber protectors.
• It is water-resistant.
• Keeps its sole durability for a long period.
• Allows the sole to stay and work firmly.

Gaffers or Duct Tape

Gaffers tape is also one of the best alternatives to sole protectors. But if we compare both then we get to know that graffer or duct tape creates a slippery and smooth surface on the bottom of your shoe.

Also, have a look at its benefits:

• Is water-resistant.
• Prevents the floor from getting damaged.
• One of the effective ways to convert usual shoes into non-marking, temporarily.

Overall

I hope you liked the article. As I have explained to you why non-marking shoes are mostly preferred by badminton players and I have also mentioned all the basic and important features regarding it. So if you play badminton or are willing to indulge yourself in this sport, then now you might have to know what kind of footgear you must opt for and if you buy or purchase a non-marking shoe, then do check it out, whether it is the right one or not. And if you have any problem regarding it or still if it feels confusing, then do not hesitate to ask or question us in the comment section below.