All sporting activities need the right footwear. You cannot wear football cleats to a badminton court, or a badminton non-marking shoe to a hiking trip. You’ll either snap your ankles or have a very uncomfortable experience. So, picking appropriate footwear is essential in maintaining fitness while taking up a new sport.
Badminton shoes
Fast rallies and quick turns demand stability without slowing you down. Badminton shoes are non-marking, which means they have superior grip over surfaces like wood and PVC vinyl.
These shoes are specially designed for these surfaces and cannot help you on a football field. Wearing badminton shoes for even walking might be comfortable, but they can cause twisted ankles and damage to your ligaments.
Another important aspect of the shoes is the soles. Generally made of cushioning materials, the sole is the soul of the shoe. Players can add silicon soles, memory foam soles and more for added comfort.
Stores like Decathlon have a wide range of badminton shoes to choose from, which gives you the right grip for the right sport.
Football cleats
Football boots have such a huge range of options, being the most played sport in the world, a player might become overwhelmed by the choices.
A good football shoe is lightweight, making it suitable for all terrains from concrete turf to grass fields.
Choosing the material, fit and adaptability of the shoe has to be according to your comfort. A football boot can have four variations: for grass, for turf, for artificial grass and for flat surfaces like concrete.
A good starting place is the Maidan Market on Esplanade. All kinds of football boots are available here. You can always get the high-end brands online too.
Running shoes
Running is a whole different ball game. A good running shoe provides a mix of proper cushioning, a stable platform for your specific foot mechanics, and a comfortable fit that doesn't cause blisters
It is all about cushioning when choosing a good running pair. The top of the shoe should be breathable and wrap securely around your mid-foot while giving your toes room to splay naturally.
Stores like Bata provide durable running shoes for an affordable price.
Cricket boots
A good cricket shoe provides exceptional traction, robust ankle and mid-foot stability, and impact-absorbing cushioning to endure hours of running and standing on the pitch.
It needs to be lightweight but durable enough to handle high-friction pivoting and sudden sprints. Rubber studs/cleats are best for indoor, matting, or astro-turf wickets to prevent slipping. Metal or moulded spikes are required on natural turf/grass pitches for maximum bite and stability during bowling run-ups or sharp turns
The best cricket shoes in Kolkata are in cricket-oriented online sports stores like IndiaMart.
Tennis shoes
There are two types of tennis shoes, depending on the court you play.
Grass-court shoes feature a full-length herringbone (zigzag) tread that prevents clay from getting stuck in the sole, offering the optimal grip required for controlled sliding and stopping.
Clay courts feature specialised rubber nubs or ‘pimples’ to provide traction on the slippery, soft grass surface without damaging the delicate turf.
There’s a wide range of tennis shoes at Decathlon, in offline and online stores.