It’s Gotta Be The Shoes – Mars Blackman
At least once a month (or so it frequently seems), someone will come to the Reddit Racquetball forum and ask “what shoes should I get”?
For example:
July 26, 2025
July 5, 2025
May 5, 2025
November 2, 2024
September 25, 2024
March 6, 2024
November 25, 2023
November 9, 2023
October 9, 2023
In the ensuing discussion, not a lot new gets said. 🙂
In general, all higher end (think $200+) indoor court sport shoes will perform very similarly.
Things you can think of when considering shoes:
1) Was it designed for an indoor court sport? i.e. basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash, racquetball, indoor soccer, etc. My experience is that cross-training and running shoes and outdoor first shoes (like generic tennis shoes) do not hold up well to the shuffling and quick stops and starts that racquetball players require.
2) Does it have a gum rubber sole? Personally, I find that gum rubber works best on courts that are slippery from dust. This covers most racquetball courts that I’ve ever been on.
3) How long will it last if I only wear it on-court when practicing or playing? How fast will it be destroyed by walking on outdoor surfaces like parking lots or concrete sidewalks? My court shoes are only worn on court and are removed before visiting the locker rooms for a shower. I never wear them outside. They tend to last multiple years in that situation, playing multiple days per week and multiple hours per day during that week.
Brands that I’ve worn with success in the past:
Squash – Salming
Basketball – Under Armour
Volleyball – Mizuno
The model that I started with and returned to again and again (and use currently):
Asics Gel Rocket 12
During some of the discussions online, endorsements have come up and mentions of particular players. Rocky Carson wore Head racquetball shoes as well as Mizuno shoes for a number of years. Many of the male pros will wear Nike basketball shoes. Many of the female pros will wear Asics volleyball shoes. Kane Waselenchuk wore a specific Nike model for a number of years, that model no longer appears to be manufactured. Paola Longoria had a Nike sponsorship. Conrrado Moscoso has a Nike sponsorship. Samantha Salas had a sponsorship with New Balance.
During the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, Coby Iwaasa wore the Yonex Badminton shoes, the Power Cushion 65 Z3 model.
https://amzn.to/4mPlXzw
During the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, Jake Bredenbeck wore New Balance Two WXY v5 shoes.
https://www.newbalance.com/pd/two-wxy-v5/BB2WYBK5-D-05.html
Kane Waselenchuk’s Shoe Endorsement for 2025
Kane Endorses Kanso
Kane’s match videos:
397 match, highlight, and interview videos on YouTube
What are your thoughts on the best models of shoes for racquetball? What do you wear? What do you recommend when asked?
Share your thoughts on the Facebook post or the Reddit post or Threads.
