From an indoor competition perspective, good grip and traction for racquetball shoes are compulsory. You can’t make quick directions if you slide like an ice rink on the court. That said, racquetball shoe manufacturers make sure to produce the leading racquetball shoes with adequate grip.
You must invest time in research to find a pair of shoes with an effective grip. It’s no less crucial than finding the best-fitting shoes for your racquetball. Racquetball shoes lose traction and grip with poor maintenance or use for a long time. Here’s how to make them better.
What is Shoe Grip
Every shoe, especially sports shoes, is designed with a grooved surface with an atmospheric tire. It is the part that gets into contact with slippery surfaces like wooden floors, sidewalks, roads, and icy driveways. This is especially important on a racquetball court, where you need extra traction.
Do Shoes Need Grip
As mentioned earlier, your shoes, whether they are a pair of men’s shoes or women’s shoes, need good traction to move around the court at speed. It would help if you had a grip to ascend, descend, change, and move direction. Your experience improves when you’re not sliding as you shoot the ball.
It’s exhausting and frustrating to try moving forward only for your shoes to slip when you are about to shoot your shot. You could also hit your colleague since you lost focus while returning the ball. No one would appreciate that, would they? Considering how fast racquetball balls travel.
So, to get a good level of traction against racquetball court surfaces, manufacturers are competing to develop the latest tread design. Moreover, shoes without a dedicated grip and traction feature or shoes that have lost grip over time can cause several foot issues, like blisters, bunions, sores, and even plantar fasciitis.
What Makes Shoes Have a Good Grip?
New racquetball shoes can frustratingly wear out their grip and traction after wear and tear. Fortunately, several features make racquetball shoes resistant, which include the ones below:
Material Controls Shoe Grip
Shoe soles are divided into three parts- insole, midsole, and outsole. The outsole is made of rubber, which is more resistant to oil and water than the other components. Also, it is softer than the insole and midsole to grab hold of a slippery court surface. The insole and midsole don’t contact the ground, so the outsole’s material quality is the only one that determines the grip quality.
Design Affects Shoe Grip
Racquetball shoes are designed to work on slippery wooden surfaces. Sole treads are developed with an enclosed pattern as a barrier to any slippery liquid. With that, it allows the sole to have good slip resistance.
How to Know If a Shoe Has a Good Grip?
What makes a racquetball shoe or any other sports shoe good is its sole, made of synthetic rubber. But when purchasing one, identifying a slip-resistant is still no easy task. And for obvious reasons, you can’t try them out on the court without purchasing them first.
The big question remains, how can you identify a non-slip shoe? First, you can check the box for the slip resistance indication before purchase or in the product description if purchasing online. You would also want slip-resistant shoes with slightly rounded sides for the outsoles and midsoles.
Another thing, ensure the soles aren’t flat. Flat soles allow liquid to get beneath them, so they are prone to falls, trips, and slips. Racquetball shoes don’t trap liquid underneath the soles. They have a high-grip design that allows players to play on oily and wet surfaces.
Lastly, choose a lightweight sole. One common mistake racquetball players make is choosing shoes with heavy soles, having the idea that those kinds of heavy racquetball shoes will last a long time. Well, there is no lie about it. But a flexible and light sole that absorbs shock and will not exhaust you is worth it.
About the tread, the tread pattern is equally important. You will see patterns with small hexagons and circles, creating traction. The trick is getting a sole with smaller patterns.
How to Get Better Grip & Traction on Racquetball Shoes
There are many ideas about enhancing grip and traction on racquetball shoes. Here are some common tips that have proved to be the best solution:
- Wipe the Court Continuously: Mopping the court makes the difference. Though time-consuming and expensive, using a mop with a wet cleaner is the best way to clean the surface. On the other hand, cleaning only with a dry cleaner moves the dirt but doesn’t remove it. It is the best for drying liquid spills on the court surface.
- Keep Your Soles Clean: Clean soles increase traction since no substance is a barrier against friction. And for that obvious reason, you must wash your racquetball shoes after each game.
- Apply Grip Spray or Gel on Soles: Grip spray is sticky and will boost your shoes’ grip level.
- Use a Slipp-Nott Traction Mat: A Slipp-Nott mat grabs dirt from your soles when you step on it. You can just set it on the courtside and remove the dirt when you get a chance.
- Replace: If you have tried all the above and still make no progress, or there are no treads at all, it’s time you get a new pair.
Difference Between Grip and Traction
Traction is the friction that clings between the sole and the court surface. Though grip and traction are an unending comparison, here is how you can differentiate the context:
| Grip | Traction |
| Clings onto the surface | Draws the shoe along so that it prevents sliding |
| Defined by the material and nature | Defined by their design and teeth arrangement |
| Outsoles are softer, a factor that makes them wear faster | Outsoles are more brutal and can even cling in uneven areas |
| Its smoothness allows the shoes to play on hard flat surfaces | Its toughness allows shoes to play on any surface |
Best Sole for Grip
The footwear industry has experimented with various materials over time for the best outcome. While most of them have yielded promising results, polyurethane (PU) has proved the best. It’s durable, has a good cushion, is light, and is less slippery. Other alternative materials include leather, rubber, EVA, and PVC.
PU may lose to leather because of its natural elasticity, texture, and stylish aesthetics. But PU beats it in breathability, durability, insulation, and water resistance.
Like PU, rubber soles make the shoes waterproof and keep feet warm and dry. On the other hand, Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA) has a low density, making it softer and more elastic. But PU outstands it in withstanding compression for a long time.
Best Brands With Good Grip Shoes
If you are looking for the most suitable court shoes to enhance your success in racquetball, you must work on finding the best brand. For racquetball, tennis, and other indoor competitions, Nike and Reebok offer the best shoes with a good grip. Other companies like Merrell, Hoka One, Altra, Brooks, ASICS, and New Balance also provide many athletic shoes. Remember, although all the leading brands produce indoor and outdoor court shoes, you should still not use a tennis sneakers in racquetball.
Shoes With The Finest Grips
Choosing the best racquetball shoes is one thing, and choosing one with the best grip is another. Since manufacturers are on the run from making more exceptional racquetball shoes every day, the market is filled with all varieties of racquetball shoes. As a result, racquetball players get confused about finding the right one. Here are four top-rated racquetball shoes for 2022, available on Amazon.
Ektelon NFS Classic II
- Gum rubber sole
- Maximum traction
- Superb shock absorption
Dunlop Ultimate Tour
- Enhanced traction
- Maximum comfort
- Lots of grips
- Allows scuffing and abrasion to prevent shoe and court injury
Prince NFS Indoor II
- Lightweight for stability and comfort
- Breathable
- High cushioning level
ASICS Gel Blast 6 Indoor Court Shoes
- Lightweight
- Secure your midfoot for stability
- Provides maximum responsiveness and support
FAQs
Why Do My Racquetball Shoes Have No Grip?
What is Traction Spray?
What is Slip, Nott?
Final Thoughts
Since indoor competitions were invented, the shoe’s outsole traction was meant to avoid slipping while running. However, racquetball shoes with good grip and traction allow players to have high-traction maneuvers on any surface much faster. So, it does not prevent slipping but enhances direction changes and acceleration.
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