9 Best Squash Shoes for 2022

In this article I’m going to tell you what I think are the 9 best squash shoes on the market today:

• Asics Gel Fastball 3
• Asics Gel Rocket 10
• Asics Gel Renma
• Asics Gel Tactic
• Salming Kobra 2
• Adidas Stabil Bounce
• Harrow Typhoon
• Adidas Stabil Next Gen
• Eye S-Line

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.

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 has messed with manufacturing supply chains across the entire world? Well it’s 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. So basically I’m gonna repeat myself and say it again except in bold caps: IF YOU LIKE A SQUASH SHOE, BUY MULTIPLE PAIRS!

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Asics Gel Fastball 3

The Asics Gel Fastball 3 is my pick for the best overall shoe right now. It’s the shoe I’m personally using at the moment and it’s also the choice of several pro players.

The Fastball offers 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 good cushioning because Asics has put some of their more advanced technologies into this shoe.

I’ve been using the Fastball 3 for over six months and so far found them to have very good durability. 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. They have some bright color choices, so they are far from boring, but at the same time the designs aren’t crazy over the top. 

This shoe has some of the nicest insoles I’ve seen. They are removable, so if you wear orthotics, or just want to let your shoes air out after playing, you can slide them out. The insoles are a little more rigid than others on the market, so it’s easy and quick to slot them back into the shoe.

Another nice thing about these shoes is they are available in the US, UK and Europe. So I can be fairly confident that they’ll be available to most Squash Source readers.

If there’s one drawback to these shoes it’s the price. They are on the expensive side, but in my opinion they’re worth the extra cost.

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Asics Gel Rocket 10

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 9, which came out from 2019 to 2021, was a huge seller. There have also been a bunch of pro players using the Rocket 9, which is a good sign. The only problem is they’re hard to find now.

For 2021, Asics redesigned the Rocket and we’re now on the Gel Rocket 10. That’s right, they’ve done it again — taken a hugely successful shoe and messed with it. 

I’ve been testing the Asics Gel Rocket 10 for several weeks now and I’m happy with it. I actually like it better than the previous Rocket 9. The new model grips the court better, and I also happen to like the design a little better.

This is the least expensive shoe on my list. If you want something even cheaper, try the Asics Upcourt, but beware that those shoes are not very durable (or at least the original version that I tested was not durable).

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Asics Gel Renma

The Asics Gel Remna is a new model from Asics that 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 Asics Gel Fastball. If you want the speediest shoe, get the Fastball. If you want a little more cushioning, try the Renma. Another issue that’s on my radar is the toe of these shoes is not very breathable, which might result in some stinky shoes. I’m going to be keeping an eye on that over the course of the next few months to see how it pans out.

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Asics Gel Tactic

OK, I know this is the FOURTH Asics shoe I’ve recommended already. Asics is a huge player in the court shoe market and they have a ton of good models. I’ll get to some other brands in a sec.

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

The Tactic has a fairly basic design — no special bells and whistles — but what sets it apart is a bit of extra cushioning in the sole. You can find cheaper shoes (see the Gel Rockets below) 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.

One caveat on the Gel Tactic: they keep changing the design (of course). Here are the design iterations you can still buy.

2018-2019 Version

I played with, and loved, the 2018 version of this shoe, but these are mostly out of print.

2019-2020 Version

Next came the 2019/2020 version and although I didn’t play with this version of the shoe, I still feel comfortable recommending these for a few reasons. First, I can see that the design didn’t change all that much. Second, a lot of the guys around my courts used this version of the Tactic and were happy with them. Finally, even more pro players used this newer model than the 2018 model.

Note: some versions of this shoe were called the Asics Gel Tactic 2, but the online retailers didn’t seem all that committed to the numbered naming convention. I’ll just call them all Asics Gel Tactic for simplicity.

2021-2022 Version

In 2021, Asics made yet more changes to the design of the shoe. 

I’ve been testing these out for a few weeks and am pretty happy with them. The’ve stayed true to the usual promise of the Tactics: you get extra padding for your knees, without blowing through your budget. The build quality of these shoes is also quite nice in terms of the materials and other little touches.

The main drawback of these shoes is they’ve gotten a little bulky. With that extra padding comes extra weight and these shoes now top out just over 400 grams in my shoe size. If I’ve got a competitive match, I’ll probably wear my Fastballs. If I’m playing a friendly, I’ll probably wear my Tactics for the extra cushioning.

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Salming Kobra 2

I’m putting the Salming Kobra 2 in here for a few reasons. 

Firstly, I played with an earlier version of the Kobra and although they were high-priced, they felt amazingly comfortable.

Secondly, some pros use them. Always a good sign.

Thirdly, they are a good choice for slightly wider feet, according to my experience plus some reviews I’ve read. If you have wide feet and want more ideas, check out this article on squash shoes for wide feet.

Note: Salming recently announced the Salming Kobra 3 will replace the Kobra 2. At the moment, the Kobra 2 is easier to find, but that will gradually start to tip in the direction of the Kobra 3.

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Adidas Stabil Bounce

The Adidas Stabil Bounce are a nice little choice. I played with them a few years ago and found them very cushioned. I also love the designs. The only downside of these was they weren’t super durable.

These are going out of print soon but you can still find some available.

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Harrow Typhoon

I played with these a couple years ago primarily, but I’ve kept them in my shoe bin to this day because they are comfortable to wear. They have good cushioning and a roomy toe box. 

These shoes had good grip on the squash court. Nowadays they are serving occasionally as my clay-court tennis shoes. 

These are available in the US.

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Adidas Stabil Next Gen

This one’s a bit of a wildcard. I have tried these shoes on court but never played with them in a game. 

These are the highest-end shoe in Adidas’s range and it’s hard to tell from the photos but they feel high end in the hand. There are little design touches around the shoe that feel really well thought-out, from the lacing down through the design of the sole.

Just looking at the photos, I thought these looked quite bulky, but in person and on my feet, they actually felt very light despite having a promising amount of cushioning.

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Eye S-Line

The Eye S-Line models come in a variety of bold color options and are very popular on the pro circuit.

I tested these out and I’m gonna be honest, these shoes hurt my feet after a while. The soles are not cushioned enough for my 45-year-old feet.

The reason I’m including them on this list is SO many pro players use them that it would feel almost weird not to mention these.

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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.