How Long Do Badminton Shoes Last?

How long a pair of badminton shoes will last depends on various factors. They include things such as:

1. Your activity level
2. Type of court
3. When you wear them
4. Your play style
5. Quality of your shoes

You see… there is no cookie cutter answer for this question. Everyone is different and how long your shoes last can vary from 6 months to 2 years.

Badminton shoes are like racket strings, they lose elasticity over time. In fact, they will toughen up as time goes by and lose its initial flexibility.

Factors Affecting Their Lifespan

I will elaborate on the factors that will determine how long your badminton shoes can last. At the very end of this article, I will put all these factors together and estimate how long a pair of badminton shoes can last. But first, let me explain what each of these factors mean.

You Activity Level

How long your shoes last depend on how actively you play the sport. How many times a week do you play? How long is each session? These are the questions that you have to answer before someone can estimate you how long your badminton shoes could last.

Obviously, the more you play and use your badminton shoes, the shorter lifespan they will have.

Type of Court

The type of court could also have an impact in determining how long your badminton shoes will last. These shoes have soft soles made of gum rubber. They wear out much quicker than rubber since they are softer and thinner.

There are basically 3 types of courts you could be playing on. The most common 2 are polished wooden courts and another is synthetic courts which are usually green in colour. The last court which is much less common nowadays is concrete courts made of cement.

Wooden courts and synthetic courts are usually the ones people play on. They have a similar impact on your badminton shoes while cement courts will be much harsher.

If you are always playing on harsh surfaces, your shoes will last significantly shorter.

When you wear them

When do you wear your badminton shoes? Do you wear them all the time everywhere you go?

This links back to the first point of your activity level with the shoes. If you are wearing them everywhere you go on every surface you are on, they will obviously last a lot shorter.

It is not a good idea to wear your badminton shoes everywhere. A good pair can be quite expensive, use them exclusively for badminton. That way, they will last much longer.

Furthermore, the more you wear your badminton shoes, the looser it will get. These shoes are made to expand and it will continue to expand until they are loose and don’t fit you well anymore.

Your Play Style

This is important because different play styles will determine how much footwork and impact are you going to have on your shoes.

For example, if you are an aggressive player and play single, your shoes are going to last much shorter compared to a defensive doubles player.

Generally, singles players move a lot more around the court since they have to cover the whole court themselves. Meanwhile, doubles players usually move less since they only need to cover half the court most of the time.

Similarly, if you are an aggressive player, you will be jump smashing a lot more compared to a defensive player. Obviously, jumping and landing will cause a lot more wear and tear on your shoes.

Quality of Your Shoes

I think this is no surprise. When buying badminton shoes, you usually get what you pay for. More expensive badminton shoes such as those on this list will cost you a little more but also gives you the quality that is expected.

The craftsmanship and built quality is instantly noticeable if you have a budget badminton shoe on one hand and an expensive one on the other.

Don’t get me wrong, shoes that are cheaper does not mean it’s bad quality, they are just not as good when compared, which is expected.

At the end of the day, if you want your badminton shoes to last longer, get a better quality pair. Keep in mind that this also comes with a greater cost.

Estimate Lifespan of A Pair of Badminton Shoes

As promised at the very beginning of this article, I will give you an estimate of how long a pair of badminton shoes will last given answers to these factors.

These answers are from my own experience:

1. Your activity level

4 to 5 times a week with an average sessions of 2 hours or so.

2. Type of court

Usually synthetic (green courts)

3. When you wear them

Only for badminton (smartest choice)

4. Your play style

Aggressive singles player

5. Quality of your shoes

Mid range (pretty average)

Given this example, the badminton shoes should last about 6 months to a year if you stretch it.

How do I know when it’s time to get a new pair?

Well, sometimes it’s hard to tell when the badminton shoes are done for. Most of the time, you just need to feel it.

In fact, you can feel your shoes getting looser and looser, it’s pretty noticeable. Another way to tell that it’s time to get a new pair is whether your shoes are still flexible.

When your shoes get older, they tend to lose their flexibility and stiffens up. It will give you an awkward feeling of discomfort when you are moving around. It is hard to describe but you will understand what I mean as you keep using your shoes.

Can I continue using my shoes even if they get stiff and loose?

You should never continue wearing badminton shoes that get stiff and loose. This will affect your performance and at the same time, exposing yourself to a higher chance of injuries.

Conclusion

To conclude, badminton shoes last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years give or take. As you can see, they vary in how long they last. There is no absolute answer to this question, even if it’s the exact same pair for 2 different people.

When your badminton shoes stiffen up, losing its original flexibility, or start to get loose, then it is time to change them. Doing so will keep you performing at your best and lower the chances of getting injured.

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