Best Squash Shoes for 2024

In this article I’m going to tell you what I think are the best squash shoes on the market today:

Here’s a video of my thoughts on the best squash shoes and what I’m testing as of October 2024. Keep reading for links and info!

Here’s a list of the shoes mentioned below.

• Salming Viper Pro – fast / high performance
• Asics Upcourt 6 – fast / great deal
• Asics Gel Rocket 11 – fast / good deal
• Asics Gel Renma – balance of speed / cushion / price
• Asics Powerbreak FF – cushioned / high performance
• K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 – cushioned / high performance
• Asics Gel Tactic 12 – cushioned / midrange
• Salming Recoil Ultra – the most cushioned

I’ll also list out the main squash shoe brands and answer some frequently-asked questions below. But for now, let’s get to the list.

How I Pick the Best Squash Shoes

It’s a little tricky to put together a list of the best squash shoes and I’ll tell you the first reason why:

Feet are weird.

For starters, some people have large feet and some people have small feet. That’s why the brands manufacture shoes in different sizes. But you knew that.

Beyond that, there are all sorts of different feet out there, on all different types of players:

• Wide feet
• Narrow feet
• Big toes
• Small toes
• Flat feet
• High arches
• Young player
• Old player
• Fast mover
• Slow mover
• Heavy-set
• Ali Farag
• Foot dragger
• Not a foot dragger*

*just kidding, doesn’t exist

There’s another problem I’ve got to deal with when making shoe recommendations.

Shoe manufacturers are weird.

I want you to imagine, for just a second, the *perfect squash shoe* — one that is popular with squash players at both the amateur and pro levels, that sells well year after year, that is just the right blend of cushioning, weight, comfort, durability, and style.

Ok, are you imagining the perfect shoe?

Now, let’s pretend you are in the shoe business, and not only that, but this perfect shoe happens to be in YOUR product lineup. 

What would your next step be?

Simple: you’d stop making the shoe. 

I’m not kidding. 

This happens ALL THE TIME. I’ve been running this blog for over ten years and I’ve seen it over and over again. A shoe will come out. Squash players will test it out, and it will gradually become popular. 

Suddenly people all over the world are buying it. Pros, club players, everyone. And then, like clockwork, the shoe company stops making it. Or they release an updated design that’s significantly different from the design that everyone loved.

Why does this happen? I don’t know. Maybe there’s a good business reason for it. Maybe they’re inhaling a little too much glue down at the shoe factory. Whatever the reason, we can’t control it, so we just have to roll with it.

I’m now going to give you a few of my top picks, but considering everything I said above, please remember two things:

• Whatever shoes you might buy, you’ll need to test them out for yourself. There’s no substitute for this. Shoes that work for my weird feet might not work for your weird feet.
• If you like a particular set of shoes, buy multiple pairs! That way you’ll have a backup in case the manufacturer stops making it.

One more thing. You know how the whole pandemic situation messed with manufacturing supply chains across the entire world? Well that was especially true for squash shoes. For one thing, the manufacturing is done mostly in Asia, which has been greatly disrupted by coronivirus infections and shutdowns. And with their suddenly limited resources, shoe companies have been redirecting their efforts to making outdoor shoes like running shoes and so on, which are selling better in the pandemic and post-pandemic. So basically I’m gonna repeat myself and say it again except in bold caps: IF YOU LIKE A SQUASH SHOE, BUY MULTIPLE PAIRS!

OK, before I get to the list, let me tell you a couple more bits of info.

First, there’s no secret shoe that’s simultaneously cheap and fast light and comfortable and cushioned and durable. Generally, the more cushioning the shoe has, the heavier it’ll be, which makes it feel a bit slower around the court, at least to me. So Tradeoff #1 is between cushioning and speed.

Tradeoff #2 is between cost and durability. Higher-quality contruction is going to lead to higher cost. For example, higher-quality shoes have the pieces of the shoe fused together, whereas lower-quality shoes are stitched together, the downside being that as you drag your feet over time, the stitches will wear away and the shoes will come apart earlier. It’s not a perfect science trying to determine which shoes are going to be durable, because it depeneds on the player and how you drag your feet or move around the court, but roughly speaking, that’s the tradeoff.

Last bit of info before we get to the list of best squash shoes. I always try to provide a range of brand options here, but you’ll notice that most of the shoes are ASICS. The reality is they are a huge player in the court shoe market, they have a ton of good models, and they are fairly available worldwide so they get a lot of the slots on my list. Note: I’m based in the US, and some models of Asics (an other brands) are only available outside the US. I’m not sure why Asics does this. But my point is, it’s difficult to try EVERY shoe in the world. There are just too many!

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Salming Viper Pro

Fast / high performance

The Salming Viper Pro is my pick for the best overall shoe right now. It’s the shoe I’m personally using at the moment. Salming sent me a pair of these to review, and I decided to make them my go-to shoe this year so I bought myself a second pair.

The Viper Pro are light and offer a low profile, meaning a relatively thin sole, so you feel “close to the court” as you’re scrambling around. Despite the thin sole, it’s still got decent cushioning.

Since I just switched to I don’t know much about the durability of these shoes. They have a strong but lightweight plastic reinforcement around the toe to protect against wear from foot drag. There’s not too much visible stitching on the shoe — meaning there are fewer weak points for the shoes to come apart. 

I personally like the cosmetics of this line of shoes. There’s one in white and gold that looks very demure, very mindful. Then there’s the yellow one, if you want a bit of flash.

This shoe has removable insoles, so if you wear orthotics, or just want to let your shoes air out after playing, you can slide them out.

If there’s a downside to these shoes, it’s that the plastic around the toe box is maybe a little too rigid and bunches up a little.

At $150, these are on the pricey end, but in my opinion they’re worth the extra cost.

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Asics Upcourt 6

Fast / great deal. See more colors.

The Asics Upcourt 6 is the least expensive shoe on this page. If you just want an inexpensive pair to get you out onto the squash court, these are a great option.

The Upcourt 6 is not very cushioned, and not very durable — especially the stitching around the toe box, which is vulnerable to coming apart due to toe drag. But the styles are decent and they are perfectly playable.

One downside of these shoes is they’re a bit narrow. Asics shoes in general are on the narrow side, but these feel even a little bit narrower than most, especially in the toe box.

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Asics Gel Rocket 11

Fast / good deal. See more colors.

The Asics Gel Rocket range has been hugely popular over the years because you get a decent shoe at a very reasonable price. The Asics Gel Rocket 11 continue that trend.

The Asics Gel Rocket 11 is pretty similar to the Upcourt 6: it isn’t very cushioned, and it’s not very durable, because the stitching on the toe is easy to wear down. In my opinon the Rocket design is a little better-looking than the Upcourt 6. It also has a small piece of Asics Gel in the heel, which may provide some additional cushioning. Finally I think the Rockets are not exactly wide, but they’re a bit less narrow than the Upcourts.

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Asics Gel Renma

Balance of speed / cushion / price

The Asics Gel Remna first appeared in 2021. This is a shoe aimed at the pickleball market, but I have tried it out for the squash court and found it to be excellent for the price.

The grip on court is very good right out of the box. There was absolutely no break-in time for these. The stability of these shoes is also very nice. Your foot feels very secure in the them. Finally the Renma also have good cushioning for your knees. All in all, they’re a great option.

The downsides of these are firstly that the extra cushioning means they are a little bit heavier and higher off the ground than the ‘fast’ shoes mentioned above. Another issue that’s on my radar is the toe of these shoes is not very breathable, so they don’t air out all that well.

Although these first appeared several years ago, they seem to still be available, which is rare!

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Asics Powerbreak FF

Cushioned and stable.

I purchased the Asics Powerbreak FF in 2024 on the recommendation of one of my affiliates. So far I have tried it out a few times on court and felt the cushioning, stability and grip were excellent.

These shoes have good cushioning, so they’re not low-to-the-ground like say the Viper Pros above, but the tradeoff is they feel nice and cushy on your knees and body.

The build quality on this was really nice. I just added these to my shoe collection, so I haven’t seen the true durability yet, but the materials and construction appear high quality to me.There’s zero stitching around the toe box, and a bit of armor on the outside for pushing off side to side.

The cosmetics on these are plain, but I think they look classy.

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K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2

Cushioned / high performance

The K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2 are one of my favorite all-around court shoes I’ve ever tried. They are good on the squash court, and I’ve seen many other people wearing them around Philly. These shoes are nice and cushioned and stable, have excellent durability, and are non-marking. They are also my absolute favorite shoe for padel and pickleball and tennis. Personally, I tend to like a faster/lighter shoe for squash, hence those type of shoes being further up my list, but if you want a little more confort, check these out. They also have tons of color combos for you to choose from.

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Asics Gel Tactic 12

Cushioned / midrange.

The Asics Gel Tactic has been one of my go-to recommendations for a few years now because it’s a good balance of comfort and durability, for a competitive price. It’s hard to beat the value for money of this one.

The Asics Gel Tactic 12 is the current iteration of this shoe. What sets it apart is a bit of extra cushioning in the sole, plus some reinforcement for lateral stability. You can find cheaper shoes (see the Gel Rockets above) but those tend to have a bit less support and stability.

A number of pro squash players have worn prior versions of this shoe, which tells you that in addition to being competitively priced, this shoe clearly can stand up to the rigors of the pro game.

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Salming Recoil Ultra

Most cushioned and supportive.

The Salming Recoil Ultra are very soft and cushinoned. They also come in a mid-top version with extra ankle supoprt. They’re a bit expensive, but worth it if you spend a lot of time on court, or want to take it easy on your knees. The mid-top version is also a huge favorite of anyone with ankle stability problems.

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Why Trust My Opinion

I’ve been playing squash since I was a teenager, including playing 4-5 times per week and playing in leagues and tournaments. I’ve also been running this blog for ten years now, so I’ve seen a lot of squash shoes come and go.

My general approach is to test out as many shoes as I can reasonably get my hands on. I’ll play with them for a few weeks before reviewing them. For each review I’m able to do, I like to take account of the shoe’s grip, weight, cosmetics, durability, and overall comfort. I also read all the comments on Squash Source to get an idea of what other people are saying.

Squash Shoe FAQ

What are the top squash shoe brands?

Here are some brands of squash shoes I’ve covered so far on Squash Source. Sometimes these brands make squash-specific shoes, and other times they make shoes for other indoor court sports like handball, volleyball or badminton that also can be used for squash.

Adidas | Ashaway | Asics | Babolat | Black Knight | Dunlop | Eye | Harrow | Head | Hi-Tec | Karakal | Kempa | Mizuno | New Balance | Nike | Oliver | Prince | Python | Salming | Teuton | Victor | Wilson | Yonex

What is special or different about squash shoes?

The most important thing about squash shoes is they must be non-marking. Meaning, they will not leave marks on the squash court. 

Oftentimes, non-marking shoes will literally say “non-marking” on the sole. Other times you need to read the product description to find out. 

Here are some things for you to consider:

• Grip – do the shoes give you good traction?
• Durability – how well do the shoes hold up over time?
• Comfort – do they fit well and feel comfortable?
• Cushioning – how well do they protect your knees and the rest of your body?
• Weight – sometimes shoes with more cushioning will also be heavier

Can you use volleyball/handball/badminton shoes for squash?

Yes. Those are indoor court sports. Many of the bestselling squash shoes are aimed at those markets but will be non-marking and perfectly fine for squash.

Can you use running shoes for squash?

No. Sorry. There is a chance they will leave permanent black marks on the squash court floor. I wouldn’t risk it.

Can you wear squash shoes outside?

Well…. I don’t. 

I’m possibly a bit of a purist but I don’t want to get dirt and other outdoor gunk on my squash shoes. 

For one thing, I feel like that will damage or dirty the squash courts. But more importantly, I feel like that will negatively impact how well my shoes grip the court. I don’t want to risk getting injured, even over something small like that.

How long do squash shoes last?

It depends on how you drag your feet on court and whether your shoes are sturdy at those spots. 

Aside from foot drag, the other thing that can send shoes to the graveyard is foot odor. Check out my article on how to deal with squash shoe odor for some tips on dealing with stink.

But to answer the question, a good pair will last me 6-12 months playing a few times a week.

How do I convert international shoe sizes to my normal size?

Use this conversion table.