9 Best Squash Shoes for 2023

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 (my favorite but hard to find)
• Asics Upcourt 5 (great deal)
• Asics Gel Rocket 11 (good deal)
• Asics Blast FF 3 (comfortable and secure)
• Asics Gel Tactic 12 (midrange)
• Adidas Crazyflight (it’s adidas)
• Salming Recoil Ultra (most cushioned and supportive)
• Asics Gel Renma (older midrange)
• Eye S-Line (pros use it)

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.

Here’s a video I put together covering some of the best squash shoes for 2023-2024. You can watch it here or read a transcript below.

I’m still updating the page below with my advice from the video. Stay tuned.

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!

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Asics Gel Fastball 3

My favorite but hard to find.

NOTE: this shoe is in very low supply right now. In the US, you can only buy it in the smaller shoe sizes. If you have normal to larger feet, one option is to click Search > eBay under Sponsored Links above and choose your local eBay site. There are some sellers from Japan selling the latest colorways and delivering internationally. I have purchased two pairs this way (to the USA). I know this won’t work for everyone, especially for returns etc., but since it’s my favorite shoe I’m keeping it up here until it’s no longer available.

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 decent cushioning because Asics has put some of their more advanced technologies into this shoe.

I’ve been using the Fastball 3 for years and overall have 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 Upcourt 5

Great deal.

The Asics Upcourt 5 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 5 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.

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Asics Gel Rocket 11

Good deal.

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 5: 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 5. It also has a small piece of Asics Gel in the heel, which may provide some additional cushioning. Finally I think the Rockets are a bit less narrow than the Upcourts.

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Asics Blast FF 3

Comfortable and secure.

I purchased the Blast FF 3 recently on the recommendation of one of my affiliates. So far I have tried it out multiple times on court and felt the comfort and grip was excellent.

The Blast FF 3 has a sock-like liner that holds your foot securely and feels super soft and comfortable too. The construction is high quality, with zero stitching around the toe box, and a bit of armor on the outside for pushing off side to side.

At this point, for my own use, I alternate between the Blast FF 3 and the Fastball 3, depending on whether I want to feel a little speedier (Fastball) or a little more comfortable (Blast FF).

In addition to the recommendations I’ve heard and my own initial testing, I’m also aware that this particular Blast FF range has been used by several pro squash players, so overall I feel confident in recommending it.

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Asics Gel Tactic 12

Midrange.

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 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.

One caveat on the Gel Tactic: they keep changing the design (of course). The older versions are good shoes too, if you can find them. The previous model was called simply the Asics Gel Tactic.

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Adidas Crazyflight

It’s adidas.

The Adidas Crazyflight. They look cool and Paul Coll plays with them. They are well cushioned, and have good grip on court.

My main beef with these shoes is they are a little too small in the heel. Never had that problem before with shoes.

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Salming Recoil Ultra

Most cushioned and supportive.

These guys are very soft and cushinoned. Bit expensive, but you get great cushining and ankle support.

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Asics Gel Renma

Older midrange.

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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Eye S-Line

Pros use it.

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 40-plus-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.

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Best Squash Shoes 2023-24 Video Review Transcript

Transcript

What’s up guys it’s Pierre and in this video I’m gonna go through what I think are some of the best squash shoes for the current season which is 2023 to 2024.

I don’t have all of the shoes out there in the world. I haven’t tried them all but these are the ones that I’ve tried myself and that I like and that I can recommend to you guys. We’re gonna do this in order of weight. I’m gonna go from the lightest to the heaviest and I’ll explain why as I go.

The lightest of the bunch is the Asics Gel Fastball 3. This shoe has been around for a while and it’s actually difficult to buy right now but it’s still my favorite squash shoe and it can still be purchased. I bought this pair, this cool colorway from Japan. That’s not for everybody but I’m including it on my list anyway. This is 330 grams. It’s my normal size which is 11.5 (US) and these cost about $120. They were more when they were uh available in the US but that’s what it costs to order it from Japan. These are light, grippy, fast, durable. They’re not the most cushioned, but…they just have that right balance of feeling fast around the court. They don’t have a lot of stitching…visible…on the front of the shoe and the toe. So even though they don’t appear to have a lot of armor out up here, they have a decent amount. They still hold together reasonably well. They’re just fast. You see a lot of pros using this particular shoe. It’s going out of stock. I don’t know what’s gonna replace it but for now it still holds the title. You can buy this on through Squash Source if you just go to search eBay, and then click US or wherever your market is and see if they’re available. How cool is this purple color scheme? Let’s gooooo…I also own the Fastball 3 in white and black just because, hey if you have good shoes, buy multiple pairs. That’s my advice to you. Shoe companies are always changing their designs. If you like a pair, buy multiple pairs.

Next the Asics Upcourt 5. These are the least expensive shoe on my list at $60 and they are only ten grams more than the Fastball 3: they’re 340 grams. These shoes are not that cushioned. They’re very light. They’re fast enough. They’re grippy enough. They work perfectly well…on the squash court. They have a lot of stitching up on the front of the shoe here that is going to tend to come apart when you drag your toes but if you’re just looking for an inexpensive pair…to get into squash or you just don’t have the budget for it, the Upcourt 5 is totally fine. Actually this fifth iteration of the Upcourt has a lot of decent styles and I actually kinda like think it’s a good shoe. Um it’s definitely a good option for if you’re looking for the budget shoe choice.

Next we have the Asics Gel Rocket 11. The most popular shoe that I post about every year is the Asics Gel Rocket. This is the eleventh iteration. It’s popular because the styling is usually pretty nice, and the price is usually pretty good. $75 in the US for this one. It is about the same weight as the Upcourt and if you were to look around these two shoes, I won’t bore you with it too much in this video I have other videos comparing these two. They’re kind of very similar. The real difference is that the Asics Gel Rocket has Asics “Gel” in it which is a little bit of cushioning that Asics puts in the Gel shoes. I have another video where I cut into an old pair of Asics Gel Rockets, and you can see that the little bit of padding is very small. It’s only about this big. I don’t know how much that really helps with the cushioning. I can’t really tell the difference between the the Rocket and the Upcourt maybe a tiny bit maybe there’s a little bit more rebound. Maybe I like the styling better, whatever but I think that…between this and the Upcourt it’s like whatever you can get your hands on whatever you like the styling of I would just go for. I personally like the Rocket styling a little better and just sort of for some reason like it a little better and I’m likely to spring the extra fifteen dollars to buy the Rocket but between the Upcourt…and the Gel Rocket you know, take your pick.

Next we have the Asics Blast FF 3. These are $140 so on the pricier end, and they weigh 375 grams so they’re twenty, uh five grams heavier than the Rockets and the Upcourts. The they just feel…super…cushy. They’re actually not that thick when I measure the amount of padding in the, in the heel with uh, with a ruler. They look about the same as the Rockets just from the external view. I’ve never cut into these but they just feel more comfortable. Part of it’s this little…sock booty thing that um lives inside them. That’s part of the expense. Your foot just slides into this like a little sleeve, and it feels very secure. It’s got a little more ankle support, and it’s also got some reinforcement…down here in the sole to kind of prevent your shoe from twisting a lot and also along the outer edge of the shoe, which is, you know helping with a little bit of uh the lateral stability and keeping the shoe sort of structured. Although the measurement wasn’t there when I look at it from externally I just feel like these are nice and soft and so these are these are if you just want a little bit more cushioning on your feet than the Rockets and the Upcourts, or the Fastballs, I would recommend these. The Um the quality of these is closer to the Fastball that is to say quite high. There’s no visible stitching. They’re not gonna come apart as easily as the Upcourts and the Rockets. They’re just a higher quality shoe that’s very comfortable.

Next we have the Asics, Yes that’s right Another pair of Asics, sorry, they’re just very easy to buy. They have a lot of different options. This is my fifth pair of Asics and my last in this list but here they are: The Asics Gel Tactic 12. Actually this is not the Tactic 12 this is the prior model. I don’t have the Tactic 12 in my house I’m just using this as a stand in. They look very similar. I’ve done a review separately of the Tactic 12s which you can check out if you wanna see the difference between this that I’m holding and the actual Tactic 12. These are $100 so they’re kind of in the mid price point and they’re 385 grams so they have like… You know the weight is a proxy for cushioning pretty much I think. That’s why I’ve done these in order of weight so you can decide like do I want more cushioning or do I want less? How are my knees? How old am I? How do I feel on court? These are 385 grams. The cushioning on these is pretty nice. They have a little bit of side armor. Not as much as the Blast FF 3. They have a little bit of support to keep your sort of foot from torsioning. They’re they’re just a good blend of price point with a little bit more cushioning if you want something… You don’t want to go the cheapest route and you don’t want to also spend close to $150 like it would be for the Blast FF 3, you can get something in the middle like your Gel Tactic 12s to kind of thread the needle a little bit and give your knees something nice…and your feet something nice, but without spending quite as much.

Next the Adidas Crazyflight. That’s right it’s not Asics, these are Adidas. Uh these are the shoes that Paul Coll wears, he’s a top five uh former world number one player. So we know that these perform on court. I got a separate review of these and all these other shoes in this video. Um these are 390 grams so they’re getting up there on the scale so that’s nice cushioning good grip on court on these. The cosmetics, I think look super cool. I love the Adidas look and how these shoes in particular look. My biggest gripe with these was I just had some fit issues. The heel cup was like kinda small on my my just foot felt sort of funny in there. For me personally, I didn’t like the fit of these but Uh but I know they work for Paul Coll and they look pretty cool so you might wanna try out some Adidas. Oh the other problem I have with these is the lacing’s a little bit weird. They’re like it’s like very spread out Um I don’t know why. Made it hard to keep them laced up and feeling tight on me. But I’ve used these. I’ve been playing padel in these or “padel” as we say here in Philly and I just like them. They’re comfortable. They’re cushioned. They feel good on my feet and on my knees. Just on the squash court they just weren’t quite as maneuverable…as I like. Um I usually like to get something a little lighter and a little faster which is although granted a little harder on my body. But hey uh so but this is these are a cool Adidas option. If you like Adidas you want to try the Paul Coll model Adidas Crazyflight.

Last, I’ve got the Salming Recoil Ultra. These shoes are new this year, they just came out, I just reviewed them. They are the most expensive ones on my list at $180. And they’re also the heaviest at 400 grams but you know what? They are so cushioned. They’re they feel so nice. Look at all that cushioning back there. Oh yeah. They feel good on the squash court despite having a bit on the weightier side. They still feel…like you can push off easily and push forward easily. They don’t feel kinda like you’re up on stilts like I sometimes feel with some heavier shoes. So basically, they’ve been well designed to put that padding to work to help your feet and your knees feel better, with sacrificing as little speed as possible. So if you’re someone who wants a little more cushioning I would definitely look at this if you can um spring for that uh for that price point. They’re also very soft around the ankles and they actually come in a mid top version which has kind of that inner sock booty thing like you saw in the Blast FF that gives you a little bit more even more ankle support. So these are just a shoe that’s great for someone who wants squash performance shoes but wants a little bit more, um protection for their body to feel comfortable out on court, if you’re not 21 anymore and you just want a little bit more protection for your body.

Those are all the shoes I got in my house that I wanted to show you. Thanks for tuning in. If you wanna hear more squash shoe reviews and squash stuff and other shoe reviews subscribe and I’ll see you next video. Bye!