Top 10 Top Table Tennis Shoes

My partner's favorite table tennis shoes were the Yasaka Gatien Pro shoes. They were comfortable right from the start (as she proceeded to tell me all the first week!), and gave her excellent grip on the floor. They have also lasted pretty well, since in the past she has tried other shoes and returned to her old favorite pair again.

The Yasaka Gatien De Luxe are the upgraded model of the Gatien Pro shoes (click on the link for a full review), and promise to be just as popular. With a new design but retaining the best features of the old model, I can guess which shoes I'll be buying for my partner pretty soon!

Update 15 Feb 2008 - I got a pair of the De Luxe shoes for my partner a few months ago - needless to say she loves them!

I've worn my Stiga Speed-Grip table tennis shoes for many months now (as of 15 February 2008), and I'm happy to report that they are very comfortable, being nice and light but with adequate cushioning and excellent grip. As one of the less expensive table tennis shoes around, I was not expecting them to last forever, but as it turned out they are very durable, and I'm still using them as my training shoe. Excellent value for money in my book.

Note as of September 2007: Now that I've been wearing these shoes for several months, I've got a full review of the Stiga Speed-Grip shoes now available.

Over here in Australia, adidas aren't well known for their table tennis shoes. But that may change in the future, since adidas now have a whole range of table tennis shoes that provide excellent support and great shock absorbing qualities (through the use of a material called adiprene).

Many table tennis shoes are a bit lacking in good cushioning for bigger people, so heavier table tennis players may want to give serious consideration to adidas shoes that use adiprene, such as the mi-TT-enium and NewTTanglin. The joints that you save may be your own. My own aging knees are putting in a request to try a pair!

According to the Table Tennis Pioneers website, Donic Waldner Flex is the model that Jan-Ove Waldner prefers and wears. But what about the Mizuno shoes that he is supposed to be using? Beats me. It's not uncommon for players to be supposed to be using one brand and actually using another.

Regardless of whether Waldner really uses these shoes or not (you can guarantee he hasn't worn yours if you buy a pair!), the Waldner Flex table tennis shoes is another good shoe, with a grippy shock absorbing sole, breatheable material, and without too much weight.

Killerspin have been a breath of fresh air on the American table tennis scene, and the Killerspin Kinetic table tennis shoe is their entry into the shoe market.

While the claims made about the shoe on their website and how it will improve your game may be a little over the top, they appear to have a very nice table tennis shoe on their hands (or should that be feet?). Features include a non-marking rubber sole, rounded outsole grip for better traction, ultra-light mesh for breathability, and light-weight suede on the toe and heel for durability.

One of the local players in my area uses this shoe, which is an excellent mark of approval since he is meticulous in his search for the perfect table tennis blade, rubbers and shoes. The Stiga Wasps are the shoes that he has settled on as offering the right blend of grip, lightness, support and value for money. Knowing his high standards I might just have to try a pair for myself!