OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi friends...

Could you recommend some high-top shoes that are also good for table tennis?
This is all in an effort to protect my ankles which are subject to sprains.
We all know how one bad move can cause a lot of pain and what is worse being months away from playing.

I thought of getting a basketball shoe ( like the good old Adi-das-top-ten from the 80s) which is a high top.
It appears to me high-top shoes should help from being strained. It's just a theory of mine. But on the other hand, I have not seen any prominent table tennis player with a high top, even once. Does that mean they need to be avoided at all costs for some reason or is it only because it may be negatively affecting moving capability? If so, I would prefer protecting my health at the expense of limiting my reach to a few shots here and there. But it could be that the theory is off and those high tops may be actually triggering injuries for table tennis. You do not want to learn this the hard way.

If you have experience with high tops and in this area, and it is OK to wear high tops, could you share some brands that you have tried and found to be worth the money to try? If sharing links are not allowed, please write to me privately halukkaramete at g., would you?

I just sprained my ankle a few days ago and I do not want to live with this fear.

Thank you

I have the same problem with my ankles from playing a lot of other sports growing up. I’ve tried high top shoes though each one felt very cumbersome and awkward in a match situation. My feet felt extra sore afterwards which may be down to not wearing high tops in my day to day. I also stood higher than usual as the soles were beefier compared to my work/gym shoes. I lost confidence and enjoyment during tt and it was just not practical to wear high top everyday to test out my theory.

Probably off topic, I’ve gone a different way by wearing a thin ankle sleeve and experimenting with lightweight skate shoes. Working well and I really recommend checking out Vans Ave Pro when on sale. Not unusual @ 50-70% off.

When you think about it, skaters need support to land from extreme heights, flat soled with enough but not too much board grip and be able to take punishment on different surfaces when things don’t go to plan haha

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ZFT

Most "high top" shoes aren't high enough to give enough or any support. If your ankles are prone to needing a lot of support you need a shoe that has a collar that is several inches above the ankle joint. I found some Under Armour Women's volleyball shoes that probably would work. They come in different colors including black. Women's sizing is about 1.5 to 2 sizes different than men's shoes. They also tend to have narrower heels than men's but could actually be to your advantage in this case by controlling your heel location better. The other type of shoe that might work is a wrestling shoe. They have very high collars and should be lite, low profile and have good grip.

I don't normally need ankle support but if for some reason I've injured mine (normally playing soccer on dodgy pitches), I've learned to tape them myself. This is the best and most secure way to reinforce your ankle, IMO. After you learn how, it doesn't take more than ten minutes or so.