Table Tennis Shoes – What Makes a Good Shoe?
It is essential when playing a sport like table tennis to have the proper equipment. Generally, when a person thinks of table tennis equipment the first few items that come into their head is a table tennis bat, a table tennis ball and a table tennis table. However, there is one piece of essential equipment often overlooked by players that is not given enough attention and that is table tennis shoes.
The 3 main aspects you should look for in a table tennis shoe
1. Brand and Size
First of all you need to search for a particular brand of shoe that you like. There are a number of prominent table tennis brands including Yasaka, Butterfly, Donic, Sportcraft and Nittaku to name a few, who each produce their own shoes. If you’re unsure of which brand of shoes you like try on a pair from each brand and see how they feel.
2. Weight and Flexibility
Generally, ping pong shoes are designed to be very lightweight enabling you to move quite quickly
to return the ball. Speed is essential in table tennis so it is important that you can move quickly on your feet.
3. Non Marking
This heading is self explanatory, but briefly don’t buy shoes which are not non marking. If you play on wooden surface then the last thing you want to do is leave a long black mark on a nicely polished wooden floor. I have seen it happen before and it is not a pretty sight!
4. Price
Prices will range depending on the brand and type of shoe that you are buying but overall look for a reasonably priced shoe. If you find a shoe that you like but find it too pricey at the store (often due to heavy mark-ups placed on items) then conduct a search for the shoe online. In the past I have sourced a number of table tennis related items online and have managed to buy them at a much lower price compared with what was for sale at my local table tennis club. Buying online also makes it easy to compare prices between online stores which is a good way of checking to see whether you get the lowest price.
From my own personal experience I have found that quality table tennis shoes are one of the most important pieces of equipment a player can have. I owned a pair of butterfly table tennis shoes and I found them to superb, but what might suits me might not suit somebody else. Remember, everyone has different preferences towards what type of shoe that they prefer. Don’t be influenced by other opinions , instead try them for yourself and make your own judgment as you are the one having to wear them.
Table Tennis shoes may feel uncomfortable at first, but over time after you have worn them in you will find they will mold to the shape of your feet and feel a lot more comfortable to play in.