THIS GUIDE HAS RECEIVED 9 UPDATES. THE LAST WAS MADE ON 27TH MARCH, 2025
- The cushioned + lightweight shoe recommendations were updated
- I've added recommendations for players in western countries with limited shoe availability
- I've removed the outdated budget option (I rarely test budget shoes)
I was down at the badminton court one morning comparing notes on the best badminton shoes with the other players.
I realized that we are often so focused on expressing our opinions that we don’t realize we are talking past each other.
One player argues shoe A is best as it offers the best value for money. Another says shoe B is best because it’s ultra-lightweight regardless of its price point, while a third suggests that the most important thing is to protect your body, making shoe Z the best.
When comparing the best badminton shoes it’s hard to compare apples to oranges like that as they fulfill different needs.
Instead, we’ll have to look at them as different categories and find the best badminton shoe within each of them.
- Shoes tested for this guide: 16
- Hours testing shoes on court: 160+ hours
- Updated: 27. March 2025
Notice to my US, Canada, and European readers
The majority of the badminton shoes I like are only available in Asia, it appears.
To save you from the -- excuse my language -- shitty experience of drooling over awesome shoes that are a headache to get, here's a quick overview for you based on what I've seen be available.
1. My favorite cushioned shoe: Yonex Eclipsion Z3 (not Yonex Comfort Z3)
2. My favorite for stability/injury prevention: Yonex Eclipsion Z3
3. The lightweight option: Yonex Aerus Z2
4. The all around choice: Yonex SHB 65z4
(Full disclosure: I haven't been able to test the brand new SHB 65z4 edition yet, but it's gotta be better than the old z3 model. If you're getting your first badminton shoe and aren't sure what to pick, I'd start with that one.)
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The best badminton shoe brands
There are plenty of shoe brands out there making sports shoes, and in theory, you could use any of them if you’re playing outdoors.
But, if you’re like most other badminton players and prefer indoor courts, you’ll need shoes made for that. I know some players who prefer to play in more casual trainer-type shoes and all the more power to them.
The critical part is that it’s a non-marking shoe made for indoor sports, which usually means that the outsole isn’t black underneath. Everything else is based on your preferences and you could use a shoe from another indoor sport.
There are several brands that make badminton shoes and there isn’t one that’s simply better than the others as many compete across the same subcategories, like being budget-friendly, most lightweight, best to prevent injuries, etc.
That being said, players tend to favor one of the big three as the best badminton shoe brands: Yonex, Li-Ning, or Victor.
To find the best badminton shoes, let’s dive into the following five shoe categories:
1. The best all-around: Victor A970Ace
2. The best protector: Yonex Eclipsion Z3
3. The best cushioned: Lining Thunder Pro
4. The best lightweight: Lining Mirage Pro
Table of Contents
The best badminton shoes in 10-hour tests on court: review summaries
Let’s dive into the shoes!
1. The best all-around: Victor A970Ace
The best all-around shoe is its own category among the top badminton brands and I recently changed my opinion about the best performer overall.
Since getting the Yonex SHB 65Z3 I’ve loved the pair, but now that I’ve had a chance to test the newly competing shoe from Victor, The A970Ace used by Lee Zii Jia and Anders Antonsen, I find that one better suited for my feet.
It’s slightly narrower at the front of the shoe and feels a tad more protective at the bottom of the big toe along with at the very front where the toes bump against the shoes when explosively lunging to defend a tight net shot. I especially noticed this during front court drills.
At the same time, the midsole feels like it’s providing a slightly nicer cushion underneath the foot compared to the 65Z3.
Many of the other areas they compete on, such as the grip underneath the outsole, felt equally good despite being made with different technology.
Update: I’ve been going back and forth between this model and the Li-Ning Yun Tin being my favorite.
I actually prefer the Li-Ning, which is why I believe it’s the model with the best cushioning I’ve tried, but after playing with it for a while longer I discovered something annoying that didn’t appear during my initial test. Scroll down to the ‘best cushioned’ section to find out what that was.
That means I’m back to preferring this Victor model as the shoe I currently play with. Here’s my detailed test and review of the Victor A970Ace.
2. The best protector: Yonex Eclipsion Z3
If you’re looking for the best shoe to protect your feet, you might like Yonex’s new Eclipsion Z3.
The color scheme of the newest edition looks hella fresh and is known for firm stability, some cushioning, and durability.
It felt decently cushioned, but nothing crazy, and I wouldn’t mind it having slightly more. For this shoe it’s all about stability, meaning your feet are locked in to avoid moving around to cause you issues. I found it to be extra snug, almost like a badminton boot if there ever was one as I share in my review play-testing the Eclipsion Z3.
It comes with the grippy radial blade sole, which is awesome, and my current favorite outsole as it’s like glue without being too much.
The Eclipsion Z3 has ventilation holes underneath the shoe, which is especially nice if you get hot feet while playing (I play in what feels like a sauna, so for me it’s critical). That being said, it’s still a fairly hot shoe to play in–hotter than performance shoes like Yonex’s SHB 65Z3 or Victor’s A970Ace.
One downside to this shoe is that the heel area is extra tall and caused some irritation against my skin for the first 10-15 hours of playing, but that did disappear afterward.
Overall, it’s a great badminton shoe for the player who wants to prioritize protection and staying injury-free over speed and performance. It’ll be a good fit for the casual adult player, rather than the ambitious tournament player.
3. The best cushioned: Lining Thunder Pro
When it comes to the best badminton shoes for support, as opposed to a balanced all-around or being lightweight, I notice two subcategories. One is stiff and injury-preventive, especially towards the ankle, while another is all in on cushioning and comfort.
The latter is what I’m looking at here, and Lining’s new Thunder Pro does that well.
I’ve previously liked Victor’s P9200III because of the superbly comfortable and bouncy midsole, but it had other issues like a heel area that’s too low.
Lining’s Thunder Pro isn’t as comfortable in the midsole, but it’s close. On the other hand, I prefer it for comfort when looking at the rest of the shoe.
The sides, heel, upper, and tongue are super comfortable and powered by a thick cushion. This cushion makes it forgiving when your feet are twisting within the shoe as you’re moving around the court.
Many players seem to like this, especially if they are new to badminton. Other players feel that it makes them inclined to angle rolls and other types of injuries that are less likely in stiffer and more snug-feeling shoes. I’ve moved into this second camp the more I’ve been playing.
It isn’t cushioned in the toe box like I’d expect, but it has a bit of room for your feet to move forward without changing the size. On the surface, this might not sound nice, but after testing it on court, I actually don’t mind. It keeps the weight a bit lower while achieving roughly the same outcome: no toe destruction if you’re late to the shuttle and are forced to do a deep lunge, pushing your towards forward within the shoe (this is suitable if you, like me, don’t have the world’s best footwork).
The Thunder Pro can feel a touch heavy, bulky and even hot, but nothing out of the ordinary compared to similar shoes. The main thing that has annoyed me about this shoe is the flat shoelaces, as they have a habit of untying themselves during games — or if you double-tie them, they go slightly loose underneath the knot.
Some players don’t care about this or prefer a looser fit around the angle and upper, and if that’s you, perhaps this shoe will be a great fit.
Here’s my in-depth review of the Lining Thunder Pro after testing it for ten hours on court and keeping it in my shoe rotation for even longer.
4. The best lightweight: Lining Mirage Pro
In the best lightweight shoe category, I previously liked the Yonex’s Aerus Z2… and that was until I tried Lining’s new Mirage Pro.
Let me put it simply: the Lining Mirage Pro is my favorite badminton shoe when it comes to performance.
If I’m only playing once in a while, or if I’m playing a tournament, this is the shoe I choose.
It isn’t as light as Yonex’s Aerus Z2, but it’s close, and I can’t feel a difference in weight. On the other hand, it’s meaningfully more snug all around, which works better for my narrow feet in the toe box: no more fatigue on the side of the big toe as it slams against the side of the shoe.
It feels slightly less cushioned than the Aerus Z2 in the heel, but somehow it isn’t as much of an issue as I had expected. In fact, it’s pretty stiff all around.
I’ve had issues with some badminton shoes being too stiff in the toe box since my footwork isn’t great, meaning I land too heavily and push my toe forward in the shoe. There’s virtually no cushion at the front of the toe box, but there’s a bit of room for the toes to move forward without changing the size, and this has been enough for me thus far.
Now, for playing more regularly, I wouldn’t go with this shoe as it’s too taxing on my body. In this case, I’ll usually go for at least an all-around shoe, but often one leaning towards injury prevention to get more cushion in the midsole to prevent knee issues. This is a personal choice and I might be too heavy of a player to use lightly shoes in the long haul.
But if I have to win a game, Lining’s Mirage Pro is just awesome. Check out my in-depth review of the Mirage Pro here.
The best men’s badminton shoe vs. the best women’s badminton shoe
When it comes to the best men’s badminton shoes and the best women’s badminton shoes, the top brands tend to have each of their flagship shoes available in specific models for each gender.
That means the suggestions above still apply no matter your gender and some models have unique colors made specifically for each gender.
If you’re looking for suggestions for good pickleball shoes, I’ve shared some options for new players here.
The best shoes for players with narrow feet
As a player with narrow feet, here are some of the best options I’ve found in the 2024 catalogs.
If you're looking for a better badminton racket, consider reading my 'best in test' racket guides next:
- The best rackets for beginner players
- The best rackets for intermediate players
- The best rackets for smashing
- The best rackets for doubles
- The best rackets overall
10 comments
will you try the victor 55th shoes (P8500IIII) ?
I’d like to – they look great – but I’m struggling to get them in my size 🙁
hi i am from india i need something best betwen 3 thousands in indian money could u suggest some for me
I know this may or may not come as a factor. But can carbon-plated shoes give you a significant boost in performance like in running?
Hey Dirga, it hasn’t been my experience that it gives a significant boost in performance. I’ve found it helpful for stability when you’re moving around the court, so you’re better able to land as planned rather than twisting your feet. I imagine many players likely won’t notice the difference most of the time.
Asics Gel Resolution 9.. seriously, you’ll skip this?
I haven’t tested that shoe yet, so I can’t comment on it
I usually buy a size 11US for my outdoor shoes. I am looking to buy 65z3 but struggle to choose between the size, 11.5 or 10.5 since size 11 is out of stock everywheree. which would you recommend.
Hi Aske, I was wondering if you’d be able to help me decide on my next pair of shoes. I’ve used the 65z series for the last few years, however I’m unhappy with the amount of cushioning they have. When I say cushioning I’m referring to the cushioning under the foot e.g shock absorption. My main needs for a badminton shoe are as follows: similar width to the 65z series (I have wider feet) and more cushioning (like the Li ning blade max or Victor A970). The A970 is seemingly a narrow shoe because as you might know they have a v-shape 2.5 ‘last’ – according to their website. I’ve had a look at the blade max’s which seem like a great shoe but they aren’t available in the UK. Alternatively there are the Blade pros, which seem like they could be a decent option.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Good question Amir. I don’t have much experience with shoes for wide feet, but you’re correct about the A970. I haven’t tested the Blade Pros, but they felt awesome when I tried them on — if you’re like me and don’t need crazy cushioning around your feet (i.e. in the sides and upper, not under), it could be a good option. I think I’d prefer the pros over the more cushioned max edition.
Alternatively, you might like the Yonex Eclipsion z3 (usually easy to get in the UK and they’re my favorite Yonex shoes for cushion/shock absorption) or the Li-Ning Thunder Pro 🙂