The search for the perfect table tennis shoe - An advisor:

Nowadays, table tennis shoe manufacturers offer a wide range of products which often makes it hard for you to find an appropriate shoe. In table tennis, it is not always easy to find that optimal shoe. For this reason, we want to show you some factors which are important when buying TT shoes.

Purchase criteria for table tennis shoes

In order to find the perfect table tennis shoe, let us first take a look at the initial conditions:

Table tennis is a fast-paced rebound sport characterized by fast movements in all directions, sudden stops, and sudden accelerations. Commonly, this sport is performed indoors: The floor is even (at ground level), smooth - but may also be slippery due to dust or other substances.

The structure of table tennis shoes - This is how they look like:

• outsole
• midsole (sometimes with pronation support and metatarsal bridge)
• insole
• heel cap
• upper material with lacing system

Now there is of course the question how the sports shoe is able to influence our game, and performance?! To answer this question, one should take a look at the functions of the different layers/structures (which is also decisive when buying).

Outsole:

Since the outsole has direct contact to the floor, its main task is to provide friction, grip, and slip resistance. This enables fast movements, and fast changes in direction. Although in halls the floor is quite smooth, table tennis shoes should exhibit a certain level of tread/profile.

Of particular interest are very smooth floors. These are often made quite slippery by dust or other substances, such as sweat, or water. The tread of the shoe´s outsole may help to reduce the risk of slipping. Note that too "coarse" treads are also inadequate.

Midsole:

The midsole of the sports shoe is probably one of the most influencing parameters. Its structure and properties directly influence the stability of the foot and ankle, and also influence the cushioning properties of the shoe. How is this achieved? By means of material properties.

In case the TT shoe is too soft and loose, there is not sufficient stability in the ankle area. However, ankle stability is very important when doing fast side movements, cuts, or stops. Otherwise, ankle twists and other traumata may occur. On the other side, too tight/stiff shoes negatively influence the natural order of movements, and limit natural movements of anatomical foot structures with respect to each other. This can also lead to injuries, and definitely deteriorate the overall comfort. Hence, your game is affected in a negative way.

Often, there is a metatarsal bridge in conjunction with the midsole. This bridge consists of a tighter, quite stiff material which makes the shoe harder to deform in its middle region. This construction aims to support the foot.

In the rear-foot region of a table tennis shoe there is sometimes a pronation support. Pronation (= lifting the outer foot margin whilst lowering the inner foot margin) itself is a natural movement, and a natural damping mechanism. However, if this movement is too large (overpronation), injuries will likely occur in the course of time. For this reason, sporting goods manufacturers try to minimize overpronations (and try to keep the natural amount of pronation) by means of pronation supports.

Please notice:

Metatarsal bridges and pronation supports are not generally integrated in every table tennis shoe. This also depends on the shape and material properties of the midsole. Hence, you should always carefully read the product details. A table tennis shoe is not necessarily better in case it has these features, and vice versa!

Insole

The insole is placed above the midsole, is placed into the shoe (as the name already suggests), and can easily be removed. The insole provides additional cushioning, support, and protects from seams. The insole also significantly influences the comfort perception, hence, it also influences your performance.

Upper material and lacing system

The upper material of a TT shoe is commonly (and ideally) made of easy to care/clean materials. It is important that these materials are breathable.

In order to provide additional stability, the heel area (heel cap) of a table tennis shoe is usually stiffer than the other parts of the upper material. For this reason, the fit of the rear-foot region might feel a bit tighter compared to the other shoe regions. However, the shoe must not exert unpleasant pressure.

The lacing system is another option to provide optimal stability. The laces, which are usually placed over the dorsal foot regions, support the whole foot-shoe system. Hence, you should not tie your laces too loose, or too tight. This is highly dependent on your individual comfort feeling, and the overall fit. Also, different lacing techniques may significantly influence the above mentioned.

Conclusion - What table tennis shoes really depend on

Above we briefly explained to you the most important factors which are important when buying your table tennis shoes.

First of all, TT shoes should provide sufficient cushioning, support, and stability. At the same time, it is beneficial to buy low-weight shoes. There should also be sufficient space for your feet, however, without losing stability.

The functions of table tennis shoes aim to support, keep and protect the natural motion sequence of the athlete, as well as to provide a feeling of safety. It is important to know that the optimal shoe is not a universal model. Whether or not a shoe is good/optimal is dependent on biological initial conditions, such as the shape of the foot, the performance of large lower leg muscles and intrinsic foot muscles (they provide stability, protect joints etc.), and the individual subjective feeling of comfort. So in case you are not sure what shoe to choose, try various models, and meet your purchase decision based on this.