5 Best Racquetball Shoes For Wide Feet

As a racquetball player with wide feet, you might already have discovered that regular-fit racquetball shoes do not fit you well. Whereas shoes determine the extent of mobility on the court, regular-fit shoes cause pain and make it difficult to play comfortably. So, if you do not choose the right shoes for your feet, you won’t be able to make those quick, random, vigorous movements necessary in racquetball.

Besides, you will likely get foot problems such as bunions, blisters, and calluses with the wrong shoe size. With such injuries, you diminish your physical abilities. Moreover, there is always a growing risk of plantar fasciitis from unfit shoes.

This article samples some of the best racquetball shoes for wide feet. If you have wide feet, consider reading this write-up. We have researched some of the best wide racquetball shoes that wide-feet men and women can use to play.

Why regular racquetball shoes are not suitable for wide feet

If your feet are wide, you will feel that your feet are contained in every pair of regular-size shoes you wear. Remember, you cannot comfortably wear any ordinary shoes with such feet, losing desired grip and traction. For instance, if your feet measure 4 1/16″ wide and you wear a size nine shoe, you have wide feet.

Wearing narrow shoes causes one or more of the following:

• Foot Pain and Deformities: Narrow-fitting shoes will cause lesser toe deformity or hammer toe, corns, and calluses. Also, it might cause pressure on the irregularly shaped bony areas of your foot, worsening pain.
• Ingrown Toenails: Narrow shoes put a lot of pressure on your toe, which leads to the edge of the toenail growing into your skin. This causes the skin around that area to redden or get an infection.
• Aggravate Foot Conditions: Narrow-fit shoes cause severe foot conditions such as bunions, flat feet, inflammation, numbness, and pain in the heel or ball of your foot.
• Toe Deformities: Wrong-fit narrow shoes grow toe deformities, producing blisters between the toes and aggravating structural issues such as mallet toes, bone spurs, and hammertoes.
•  Cartilage Loss: Cause long-term cartilage loss in your toe and foot joints.
• Unstable Movement: Shoes like these make you unstable; your walking style can be affected or changed on regular use.

These problems will reduce the quality of your life. That’s why you need to find the correct size of shoe on the racquetball court.

Difference Between Regular and Wide Feet Racquetball Shoes

Consideration in playing racquetball with wide feet

Your foot can be naturally wide (E) or extra wide (EE). In both cases, you need extra room around your forefoot to allow for swelling during the racquetball matches. In addition, cramped feet in narrow shoes result in blisters, calluses, corns, and bunions. Therefore, do not just choose any shoe; instead, get your feet measured and test each shoe before you decide to buy.

Some manufacturers offer sizes of 4E (X-wide) and 6E (XX-wide), apart from E and EE. So, try this option if you feel your feet can fit in an ordinary extra-wide shoe. Remember, racquetball has a wide range of movements, and the wrong shoe size can immensely limit your actions, in turn leading to low performance.

How to choose the best racquetball shoes for wide feet

Whether you are just starting or already a pro, the right racquetball shoes for your wide feet will guarantee the best performance. There is an overwhelming range of wide racquetball shoes. But you must pick those shoes that offer comfort, stability, and injury prevention. Plus, such shoes offer ultra-flexibility, ensuring balance on the court.

Here are five essential features of women’s and men’s wide racquetball shoes. Consider these before you buy a pair:

• Consider User Reviews: Having first-hand information about racquetball shoes from popular online stores will help you make an informed choice. These users give their real-life experiences with the shoe, which sheds light on everything you need to know.
• Durability: Most shoes are designed to last at least six months. However, prolonged durability depends on the type and quality of the materials and artistry. To avoid buying racquetball shoes more often, purchase a durable pair.
• Amount of Ankle Support: You can move swiftly on the court with the proper ankle support. Besides, it helps keep the feet firm on the court, thus preventing injuries. So, find a shoe that offers adequate ankle support. However, never pick a tennis shoe to support wide feet.
• Weight: Avoid heavy shoes even if they are designed from high-quality materials. Racquetball demands faster movements and a heavy shoe will hinder such movements, thus affecting your performance.
• Comfort: Being comfortable in a shoe is a most sought-after virtue. Comfort determines how long you can play, how well you play, and how healthy your feet remain in the shoe. Check for features that enhance your comfort, such as cushioning, ankle support, and breathability.
• Closure Systems: Shoes with Velcro straps or laces allow you to adjust the width, and the shoe fits appropriately.
• Shoe Flexibility: Any shoe you select must adjust flawlessly to the natural movements of your feet. With such a shoe, you can easily move on the court without the risk of injuries.
• Play Type: Your play type can help you choose the right shoes. For instance, if you are hard-hitting, you will need more ankle support than light-footed fellows who prefer better traction.
• Insoles and Linings: These parts should be removable to allow you to adjust the shoe to your comfort.
• Budget and Cost: A premium shoe can be worth your money. However, it’s best to work with a budget. Before setting out to the market, plan a budget range and draw up all the features you need in a shoe. Search until you find what’s right at the correct price.

ASICS Men’s Gel-Rocket 9 Volleyball Shoes

The ASICS Men’s Gel-Rocket 9 Volleyball Shoes were designed for volleyball. However, it is one of the best shoes you can find for racquetball. Their lightweight nature makes them ideal for the sudden movements common in racquetball.

Its lacing closure allows you to adjust the shoe to a perfect fit. For example, you can decrease or increase its width to suit your feet precisely.

Highlights

Unique Features

• Mobility: Gel Rocket 9 offers better mobility than its predecessor. Thanks to the improved traction, you can stop and start when needed. Besides, its lightweight profile makes carrying the shoes on the court much easier. At the same time, the EVA midsole gives enough bounce for effortless movement.
• Traction: It has a gum outsole that is sticky enough. However, its herringbone tread pattern, medial outer sole pivot, and suction cup design have better traction than most racquetball shoes.
• Cushion: The EVA midsole offers decent midsole cushioning. But the shoe also features a forefoot cushioning system that reduces the shock generated from impacts. Besides, there is proper padding around the shoe’s interior to prevent friction.
• Cooling Down: The mesh upper does a great job of dispersing heat. Similarly, gel cushioning provides a cooling effect on those hot days. However, the shoe can retain heat, especially on hot days.
• Durability: Asics Gel 9 is a well-made shoe. These shoes will last six or more months with great care and proper use.
• Comfort: Apart from a decent cushion around the shoe’s interior that prevents friction, this shoe features a side support construction that offers additional support. Also, its EVA sockliner conforms to the shape of your feet’ movement, allowing faster and painless motions.

What Needs Improvement

• Durability could be better
• Low on ankle support

Python Wide (EE) Width Indoor Mid Racquetball Shoe

The Python Wide (EE) Width Indoor Mid Racquetball Shoe is a workhorse for sports. This shoe was designed to handle all indoor games—think of squash, indoor pickleball, racquetball, badminton, and volleyball.

This shoe always gives a snug fit for the right foot size. That ensures that you receive the right amount of comfort while playing. Also, its gummy sole performs exceptionally well on indoor courts. Any racquetball player will feel in control while using these shoes.

Highlights

Unique Features

• Mobility: The gum soles offer some traction, but the tread patterns allow you to start and stop whenever you want. Besides, this pair of shoes is ultra-light, meaning less load on your feet.
• Traction: The rubber sole isn’t the stickiest around, but it allows decent traction. With herringbone tread patterns, you can easily control your lateral and forward movements.
• Cushion: The thick EVA (Artholite) insole offers decent cushioning beneath your feet. This is important in absorbing the shock from the impacts of your movements. Also, the padding along the sides of the shoe eliminates friction when playing.
• Cooling Down: This shoe has mesh inserts to allow hot air out for breathability. While they do a great job, there is still a chance of heat buildup on hot days.
• Durability: Python EE Mid Racquetball shoes were designed to last. The non-marking gum sole is durable, as are the high-quality synthetic leather uppers. This guarantees you hours of play without quality deterioration.
• Comfort: Python racquetball highly regards players’ convenience, so they designed this shoe to be very comfortable. Aside from the generous cushioning on the interior, it features die-cut Artholite insoles. These proprietary insoles offer superior shock absorption, deodorization, and breathable comfort.

What Needs Improvement

• The shoes are pretty unfashionable
• Breathability could be better

Reebok Men’s Bb4500 Hi 2 Sneaker

The Reebok Men’s Bb4500 Hi 2 Sneaker should be your next shoe if you want durability, better support, and sturdy shoes. This footwear is designed from a leather-textile blend and comes with a mid-cut design to offer more stability and support to your feet. 

Apart from being a sports shoe, it is perfect for casual wear, athletics, or even athleisure.

Highlights

Unique Features

• Mobility: In racquetball shoes, mobility starts with gum soles and tread patterns. Reebok Men’s Bb4500 Hi 2 Sneaker features a gum outsole that is tricky enough on indoor courts. This allows you to break without sliding or sprinting when you want.
• Traction: The gum sole alongside the lightweight road tread pattern is grippy enough on indoor courts. This gives you confidence. You sprint, break, or move sideways when the need arises.
• Cushion: This is one of the best wide men’s racquetball shoes when it comes to cushioning. Reebok placed a generous layer of cushioning around the interior of the shoe. Besides, its thick and bouncy sockliner is removable, meaning that you can insert a sockliner of your choice. While playing in these shoes, there is a very minimal chance that you will have soreness or blisters.
• Durability: This shoe is 85% leather. That is reason enough to tell you that it will play like new for a long time. Besides, the high abrasion gum outsole can hold up for a long time, but only if you use it on indoor courts. So, if you are looking for a shoe that will last a long time, consider this product from Reebok.
• Comfort: The mid-cut design that injects stability and support around the player’s ankle makes this shoe more comfortable. The generous layer of cushioning along the interior boasts comfort, while the lace-up system allows you to get a comfortable fit.
• Cool Down: The mesh upper allows a free flow of air into and out of the shoes. This is a measure to mitigate heat buildup within the shoe.

What Needs Improvement

• The leather is hard; not flexible
• The toe box is narrow

New Balance Men’s 623 V3 Casual Comfort Cross Trainer

The New Balance Men’s 623 V3 Casual Comfort Cross Trainer is a pure leather shoe. That means it’s highly durable but can get a little inflexible. Apart from that, these New Balance shoes have decent cushioned support in the midsole. This prevents damage from daily impact as well as any discomfort.

Besides, the collars are reinforced to offer extra comfort which is important for all-day use. So, if you are training for your next match, these are the shoes to be in.

Highlights

• Compatible Sports: Racquetball, Squash, Volleyball
• Brand: New Balance Athletic Shoe
• Sizes: 7 to 9 UK
• Upper: 100% Leather
• Sole: Rubber
• Department: Men’s
• Category: Sneakers
• Country of Origin: UK
• Color: Chocolate, Black/Black, White/White, White/Navy, Camo/Camo, Charcoal, Gray/Orange

Unique Features

• Mobility: The non-marking rubber sole offers decent traction, enhancing mobility on indoor courts. Moreover, this is a lightweight pair of shoes; thus, you can quickly move across the court without feeling an extra burden on your feet.
• Traction: Most players get enough grip from these non-marking rubber soles. Additionally, it has a suction cup, a herringbone tread on the outer sole, and a pivot on the medial outer sole. The three structures work together to enhance traction.
• Cushion: The footbed cushioning is provided by EVA foam, while its midsole is designed from injection-molded EVA foam, which offers firm but flexible cushioning. Also, the collar is padded to increase comfort.
• Cooling Down: Although this shoe is designed from pure leather, it has enhanced breathability with its mesh tongue and small holes on the upper sides. These structures will dissipate most of the heat generated while playing.
• Durability: This shoe is designed from pure leather and rubber sole. Therefore, it is expected to last much longer with proper use.
• Comfort: The extra cushioning and flexible footbed immensely contributes to the comfort. Any wide foot will feel well-padded in this shoe, eliminating the occurrence of sores and blisters between fingers.

What Needs Improvement

• Flexibility could be better
• Poor arch support

FitVille Wide Pickleball Shoes for Men

The FitVille Wide Pickleball Shoes are stylish yet highly functional shoes for any indoor game. They feature a new design that makes them beautiful on any pair of feet. FitVille sneakers were specifically designed for individuals with wider feet. So, you will find them as wide or extra wide.

Highlights

Unique Features

• Mobility: The FitVille Wide racquetball shoes boast a highly enhanced non-slip design that allows players to move effortlessly on different surfaces.
• Traction: The rubber outsole in itself is grippy on different surfaces. It features herringbone track patterns that decently adhere to racquetball courts while breaking or sprinting to make it even grippier. This gives you confidence.
• Cushion: Cloud-like cushioning on this shoe makes playing very comfortable. The insole is a thick padding layer that offers cushioning against shock generated from the impacts of your steps.
• Cooling Down: Since the upper is designed from mesh and super soft microfiber, the airflow into and out of this pair of sneakers is not impeded. That means your feet remain comfortable during your gaming period.
• Durability: With proper care, the shoe can exceed the six-month lifeline. However, since the uppers are simple mesh and microfiber, they might give in much sooner if you frequently use them.
• Comfort: The cloud cushioning alongside unmatched breathability makes these shoes comfortable. Besides, the insole features an Ortholite material that enhances natural foot motion and stability, resulting in pain relief and shock absorption. In addition, the arch support and anti-pronation features offer maximum support and avert foot sprains.

What Needs Improvement

• The shoes wear out faster

FAQs

Final thoughts

Having wide feet must not hinder your game performance. Humans have varying anatomical features, which may offer particular advantages for gaming. For instance, players with a longer big toe than the second toe are better sprinters.

So, if you have a wider foot, just find the right-fitting shoes. Such selected shoes will enhance your playability on the court, which means more wins.