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This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and researchers publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified coach or for medical advice.
Rules, not protection claims
The rules below concern the court and the event. This page does not present any shoe as preventing injury. Racquet sports injuries and the research on them are in the safety section; an injury needs medical care.
Tennis: the Grand Slam Rulebook 2026
No shoe rule from the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 was recorded for this site. The four majors set one, in section C (Dress and Equipment) of the Grand Slam Rulebook 2026. ATP and WTA rulebook equipment sections were not read for this site.
All four majors
Players must wear tennis shoes generally accepted as proper tennis attire, and the shoes must not damage the court beyond normal wear. The Referee may order a player to change shoes.
Wimbledon: grass-court shoes (C.1.a.i and Appendix B)
Only rubber-soled grass-court shoes without heels, ribs, studs or coverings may be worn. Special grass-court shoes need the express approval of Grand Slam Tennis (GST), and a player who wants them approved must send GST a sample at least 90 days before Wimbledon. The rulebook sets out what approved grass-court soles look like:
| Feature | Grand Slam Rulebook 2026, C.1.a.i and Appendix B |
|---|---|
| Pimples or studs | Vertical; top diameter 2 to 3 mm; height at most 2 mm; hardness 55 to 60 Shore A; 15 to 28 per square inch |
| Seen from above | No pimple visible when the shoe sits flat |
| Toe sidewall | Smooth, with limited contouring in the medial forefoot and toe: up to 1.5 cm up the sidewall, at most five steps of 1 mm |
| Forefoot to heel | At most a 2 mm step |
| Outsole base | No maker identification |
Wimbledon: the white rule (C.1.b)
Players must be dressed almost entirely in white, including for the warm-up. A search-result extract of Wimbledon's own clothing page adds that soles and laces must be completely white; that page could not be read, so the detail is unconfirmed.
Roland-Garros: clay (C.1.a.ii)
Players must wear shoes generally accepted for clay, and the Referee may prohibit a sole that does not conform. Grass-court shoes may not be worn in a match.
Pickleball: non-marking soles (2026 USA Pickleball Rulebook)
In tournament play, shoes must have soles that do not mark or damage the playing surface (Rule 18.B.2). The same section allows apparel close to the ball's colour to be ruled inappropriate (18.B.3). No other shoe rule was recorded.
Padel: no shoe rule found
The sections of the FIP Rules of Padel (applying from 1 January 2026) read for this site, covering the court, ball and racket, set no footwear specification. No governing-body source on padel shoe soles was found. Makers describe padel-specific sole patterns, but their claims were not collected, so none is reported here.
Squash: Squash Canada's guidance
No World Squash rule on shoes was recorded. Squash Canada's equipment page says players should wear clean shoes with non-marking soles, not street shoes, and that squash and indoor court shoes typically have soft rubber soles, often a blend of synthetic and gum rubber. That is guidance from a national body, not a world rule.
Badminton: no shoe rule found
No shoe rule was recorded from the BWF Laws of Badminton read for this site (version 2.1 of 29 May 2023), and no governing-body or standards-body source on badminton shoes was found.
What this page leaves out
Shoe fitting, sizing and choosing between models are outside this site's scope. Makers' claims about court-specific outsoles for clay, grass, hard courts, indoor halls or padel were not collected, so no outsole type is described as suited to a surface here. The surfaces themselves are on court surfaces and pace.
Sources
- Grand Slam Rulebook 2026 (copy hosted by the ITF)
- Wimbledon, clothing and equipment A to Z (search-result extract)
- USA Pickleball, 2026 Official Rulebook (copy hosted by Pickleball Canada)
- FIP, Rules of Padel (review of application 1 January 2026)
- Squash Canada, court specifications and equipment
- BWF, Statutes Section 4.1, Laws of Badminton, in force 29 May 2023, version 2.1 (hosted copy)