The 9 Best Table Tennis Shoes

Check Also: Best Pickleball Shoes

Women’s Ping Pong Shoes

Virtually all of the shoes featured on this list fall under unisex. Little footwear falls solely under the category of women’s table tennis shoes. However, we feel certain color pathways are certainly better suited to a female audience than a male one.

1. Lezoline Vilight in Navy

Specifications

• Size: 4.5-10
• Weight: 1.4 lbs
• Color: Navy, red, turquoise, yellow

Pros:

• Super grip
• Comfortable
• Lightweight
• Stylish
• Breathable
• Available in four colors

Cons:

• None

You might like the Lezoline Vilight ping pong shoes in navy. We rated this shoe as the best looking and think all of the colors look great. You’ll have to be quick if you want this color though, they are selling out fast!

Our Rating: 9.4

2. Xiom 4 Footwork in Pink

Specifications:

• Size: 3.5-7
• Weight: Unlisted
• Color: Pink, navy/red, white/navy

Pros:

• Very grippy
• Lightweight
• Comfortable
• Snug fit
• Attractive design

Cons:

• Expensive

It’s immediately apparent that the Xiom 4 Footwork shoes are highly attractive and a great choice for female table tennis players. They use a beautiful white one-piece outsole and a side lacing form for a snug fit. There’s also plenty of mesh throughout for breathability.

Our Rating: 9.3

3. Lezoline Sal in Pink

Specifications

• Size: 4.5-10
• Weight: 1.7 lbs
• Color: Blue, lime green, gray, pink

Pros:

• Super grip
• Comfortable
• Highly breathable
• Available in four colors

Cons:

• Not as light as some shoes

Another great choice for women is the Lezoline Sal in pink. They are a little more muted than the Xiom 4 Footwork’s pink, and a solid pair of quality shoes for any budding female player.

Our Rating: 9.2

Useful Size Comparison Chart

FAQs

What is Special About Table Tennis Shoes?

Table tennis demands a unique set of body and foot movements that aren’t common in other sports. This is why shoes for table tennis exist. They are specifically designed for the intricacies of table tennis and help enhance your game more than another sports shoe would.

For very casual games, you can use any old sports shoes, but try to get ones that are as low to the ground as possible. Also, quick movements and side-to-side steps can quickly lead to injury for shoes that use high supports. So if at all possible get a pair of dedicated shoes. There are designs to suit everyone. Very few are advertised exclusively as men’s table tennis shoes. Most are unisex and come in a range of different colors.

Are Table Tennis and Badminton Shoes the Same?

While probably the most similar type of sports shoe, badminton shoes do differ from table tennis shoes. Badminton shoes are heavier and sturdier than table tennis ones. This is because badminton involves more sharp runs and they need adequate support for jumping. In my opinion, weight is the biggest obstacle for badminton trainers. You need your ping pong trainers to be light for quick lateral movements.

Are Volleyball Shoes Good for Table Tennis?

Volleyball shoes are much like badminton shoes but worse when it comes to table tennis. They are heavier and even more sturdy, as jumping is very prevalent in volleyball. This makes them a pretty poor choice for table tennis.

Are There Other Sports Shoes You Could Use?

Below we’ve listed some of the other types of shoes and their features that make them not suitable for playing table tennis:

• Running shoes don’t have enough lateral support and they can be heavy too.
• Squash shoes don’t offer much cushioning and support but you can use them at an intermediate level.
• Tennis shoes are too heavy and don’t provide enough lateral support so you should avoid them.

What Non-Table Tennis Shoes Do You Recommend for Table Tennis?

We always recommend choosing shoes specifically designed for table tennis if at all possible. However, there are some okay choices from other brands.

• Our Ascis table tennis shoes pick: Asics Upcourt 4. Great indoor shoes, good tread for table tennis.
• Our Adidas table tennis shoes pick: Solematch Control. Designed for tennis but light enough for ping pong. Highly breathable, sub-optimal rubber sole tread.
• We were, unfortunately, unable to find a viable pair of Nike table tennis shoes. None of their footwear seems suited to table tennis.

What Table Tennis Shoes Do the Pros Wear?

The pros use a variety of footwear, and many have been spotted sporting the shoes featured on this list. The high-end models such as the Lezoline Rifones and Mizuno Wave tend to be the most popular.

Will Table Tennis Shoes Help Me to Improve My Game?

Table tennis shoes can certainly help improve your game, but don’t expect to turn into Jan-Ove Waldner overnight. You might consider shoes a relatively boring part of table tennis relative to other equipment, but they play their part in improving your game. A good pair of table tennis shoes are light which helps prolong your gas tank and are comfortable enough to allow you to train for many hours at a time. Most importantly, the right table tennis shoes prevent injuries. This is super important as acquiring an injury often means you can’t train which will certainly hurt your game.

Does My Type of Foot Matter?

You should really pay attention to what type of feet you have as this will affect whether you need to buy supports or not. There are three main types of feet:

1. Normal
2. High arch
3. Flat foot

For those of you with normal feet, you’ve hit the jackpot! You have no need for additional support. However, if you have either flat foot or high arches you should purchase some custom insoles. These will provide support so that your foot morphology resembles the standard arch. Search for either “flat foot insoles” or “high arch insoles” depending on your feet.

How Often Do I Have to Change My Shoes?

This is dependent on the quality of shoes you buy. Poor quality = early replacement. You also have to consider how much you use them. A player who trains every day will need to replace their shoes far more often than someone who plays once a week. For most people, there is no reason you shouldn’t get at least a few years out of the best table tennis shoes. To know when it’s time to change, just take note of how they feel. If the cushioning has deformed, parts are starting to rub that didn’t before, or the grip is lacking, it’s time for a new pair.

To Conclude

We hope you found our guide to buying table tennis shoes helpful. Again, if you are a casual player or a beginner just getting into table tennis, you probably don’t need to invest in a pair of these shoes. Any sports shoe should be okay to start out. But once you’ve developed a sufficient amount of skill and want to take your game to the next level, we highly recommend picking up one of these awesome pairs of trainers.

For us, the best table tennis shoes are the Lezoline Rifones. They may be the most expensive, but with this added cost comes quality. When it comes to shoes, they are going to get a ton of use just like your rubbers and blade, so you really shouldn’t cut corners by buying a cheap pair if you care about your performance. With the Rifones you know you are getting the latest shoe technology, super support, and you harshly minimize the risk of any foot-related injuries.

Other Interesting reads:

• Table Tennis Benefits
• Best Table Tennis Paddles