The best squash shoes in 2021

If you’re looking for the best squash shoes in 2021, you’re in the right place. We’ve picked our favourite shoes from across the market and brought them all into one place. Whether you’re looking for an all round shoe, a performance shoe, a shoe that offers plenty of support, or a pair that won’t break the bank, we’ve got you covered.

The shoes featured in this article are the most recent season’s models. If you’re feeling savvy and want to save money, shopping around for previous season’s colourways is a great idea. More often than not, these will be functionally identical to their replacements. This means you can get the same shoe for a considerably cheaper price.

If you’re looking for your first pair of ‘proper’ squash shows, promise us one thing? Avoid the Hi-Tec squash shoes. These are straight out of the 80s – heavy, flat footed, uncomfortable and fall far behind their modern counterparts. I don’t like to slate products, but I see so many new players in these shoes who inevitably buy a different pair two weeks later.

While you’re here, make sure to check out our best squash rackets in 2021 list if you’re looking to upgrade your squash racket as well as your shoes!

The best squash shoes for all round performance

These shoes offer a little bit of everything. They’re generally quite hard to ‘go wrong’ with – expect good levels of comfort, durability and support across the board.

Asics Gel Tactic 2

These are my personal favourite squash shoes. No matter how many other shoes I test, I always revert back to these. They just do the job, and they do it really, really well.

They’re really comfortable, with plenty of cushioning, backed up with ample support – they’re rigid in the right places and flexible where they need to be. As with most Asics shoes, the rubber outsole is really durable, which is great for those who drag their toes (guilty!). Amazon and Asics Outlet often have different colour variants of these for just over £40 – a relative bargain if you can find them. Make sure to read our full review of the Asics Gel Tactic 2.

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDHSports | Asics Outlet

Salming Kobra 3 

Updated in 2020 with an all white colour scheme (always a winner in my book!), the Salming Kobras are a popular squash shoe for a broad variety of players. They’re packed full of ergonomic design features to support the natural movement of the foot, all while ensuring great levels of grip, stability and comfort. At between £100-120, they’re a significant investment, though at the time of writing, they do come with a free Salming hoodie on PDH Sports and TennisNuts. Silver linings!.

Overall, these shoes offer both form AND function – if you can stomach the cost, you can’t go wrong.

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDHSports | TennisNuts

The best looking squash shoe

Eye Rackets S-Line 2.0

Squash shoes aren’t exactly known for being the nicest looking shoes you can buy. Most squash shoes are bulky, with garish colours and unforgivingly bold branding. The Eye Rackets S-Line is a breath of fresh air, with a clean aesthetic, minimal branding and modern shape. I’d actually consider wearing these day-to-day, which is more than what can be said for most squash shoes!

They’re very popular thanks to a significant number of professional player endorsements. They also come in a wide variety of colours, from white, navy and black versions, to more adventurous colours such as turquoise and peach, to a slightly more questionable ‘hot pink’ colourway.

They fit on the small size in both length and width, so it’s worth going up a full size. Unfortunately, their biggest drawback is their long term durability. I went through these shoes far faster than any other shoe I’ve tested. Given they cost over £100, this is worth considering if have to replace your shoes on a regular basis. You can get the full low-down on these shoes in our Eye Rackets S-Line review.

Purchase now:
PDH Sports

The best low profile squash shoes

Low profile shoes give a feeling of being ‘closer’ to the court, offering plenty of underfoot feel. They feature lightweight materials and favour more faster, aggressive players. The only drawback is they won’t offer quite as much support as other shoes – something worth considering if you’re prone to injuries.

Asics Gel Fastball 3

These shoes are worn by Mohamed and Marwan ElShorbagy, as well as a sizeable handful of top PSA players. They have an ultra low profile design, though stay comfortable thanks to Asics’ Gel Cushioning. They feature a wide outsole, ensuring plenty of stability when moving around the court.

For such lightweight shoes, I was pleasantly surprised by their durability. The rubber used is really hard wearing, and the fabric outer layer has held up far better than I’d initially anticipated. For me, the only let-down is the way these shoes look – they’re a little bit excessive, I reckon a slightly cleaner look wouldn’t go amiss.

Keep your eye out on Asics’ Outlet store for these shoes, they can often appear around the £50 range for previous seasons’ colourways. To read the full review of these shoes, click here.

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDH Sports | Asics Outlet

Salming Hawk 2

Another all-white shoe from Salming. Someone should give their designers a raise! These shoes have an inner-cage system that connects to the laces, meaning that while they’re a lightweight shoe, they still offer substantial mid-foot support. Their hexagrip design also ensures your feet stay planted and avoid slipping while you play your shot.

Their midsole also features an energy rebound foam, which should help to absorb impact and increase comfort.

The latest shoes retail for £120 (with a free hoodie from PDH Sports), however previous seasons’ versions can be picked up at a lower price.

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDH Sports | TennisNuts

Best squash shoes for support

Squash can be an unforgiving sport at the best of times. Many players will experience some form of injury or discomfort throughout their playing years. You can mitigate the risk of injuries by investing in a properly supportive and stable squash shoe.

Adidas Stabil Next Gen

We weren’t sure what to expect when these shoes first hit the market. For anyone familiar with the older Adidas Stabil X, these were a big move away from their old design. However, testing these shoes out turned out to be a really pleasant surprise.

Adidas took all the features of the Stabil X, and repackaged them into a more modern looking shoe. The Boost material is now enclosed in the midsole, meaning they’re still incredibly comfortable and are more durable than before. They feature an ‘inner cage’, which ensures stability when moving around the court. The primeknit also material gives you a really snug feel once the shoes are tightened.

In terms of their looks, pictures do these shoes very little justice. When I first saw photos I thought they looked really bulky, however, on-feet they looked really cool. At over £100, they’re not the cheapest, though the boost material is a huge USP that no other brand offers, making the price much more justifiable. Make sure to check out our full video review on youtube!

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDH Sports | Adidas

Salming Kobra 3 Mid

A fantastic shoe for those looking for the ultimate in support and stability. Deep pockets are required for these shoes however, retailing at £130 for the latest version, they’re the priciest on the list. For the price though, you’re getting all the features of the Salming Kobra featured above, with an additional lightweight upper ankle support.

Part with the money for these shoes, and you’ll be rewarded with a shoe that offers heaps of protection for your feet, while still retaining a lightweight, flexible construction.

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDH Sports

Best squash shoes for a budget

Okay, up until now, most of the shoes in this list have been pretty pricey. You don’t need to break the bank for a good pair of shoes though. Alongside being savvy and shopping around for previous season’s colourways, there’s a good handful of shoes that offer fantastic bang for the buck.

Asics Gel Rocket 9

A staple squash shoe. These can be picked up for as low as £35, if not lower if you look hard enough. They do everything you could ever ask of a squash shoe, they’re supportive, durable and comfortable. Some wearers report they’re a little stiff at first, though ease up over time.

It’s very difficult to go wrong with the Asics Gel Rocket 9 – you can purchase three, if not four pairs for the price of just one of the shoes in the list above. This particular white, black and gold colourway is particularly nice looking as well!

Purchase now:
Amazon UK | PDH Sports

Karakal KF Pro Xtreme

The latest top-of-the-line squash shoe from Karakal is one of the most well padded shoes on the market. You can expect a substantial amount of cushioning and support with their KF Pro model.

This shoe’s certainly not winning any beauty pageants – but that’s not what it’s destined for. If you’re looking for a shoe that offers padding, comfort and stability at a reasonable price, look no further. At £55 these are a solid offering from Karakal. They also ship with a different coloured pair of laces, for those who really like yellow.

The Karakal KF Pro Lite can be picked up for the even lower price of £40. However, the Xtreme does look to be a worthwhile upgrade thanks to more premium materials used in its construction.

Purchase now:
PDH Sports

Dunlop Ultimate Pro

The Ultimate Pro is the latest squash shoe from Dunlop. These have a solid reputation for being well built, stable and offering plenty of grip. You can also expect a great level of durability with these shoes thanks to their strong rubber outsole

These can be found for an impressively low £26 on Sweatband.com. The previous season’s model, the Evolution Pro can be picked up for £22.

What’s your favourite squash shoe?

While we’ve tried to include a broad array of shoes from different brands, we’d love to hear your favourite squash shoe. Be sure to leave a comment below to let us what your favourite shoe is and why you like it!

P.s – Links to Amazon products in this article are affiliate links – products in these links will cost the exact same as usual, and I’ll receive a small commission from any sales. This helps to cover some of the costs of running this site 🙂