What should a handball shoe do on an indoor court?

Every pair on this page is an indoor court shoe from adidas or ASICS. Handball asks for quick cuts, pivots, jumps and sudden stops, so these shoes share three things: a rubber outsole that grips smooth indoor floors, a cushioned midsole for landings, and an upper that holds the foot during side-to-side moves.

Several listings also say the outsole is non-marking. The adidas Court Stabil and Novaflight 2 both carry one, which matters on clean sports hall floors.

Which model fits the way you play?

• Ligra 8: a synthetic leather and mesh upper with Adituff toe reinforcement. adidas describes the Ligra 8 Indoor as built for volleyball or handball.
• Stabil 16: a BOOST midsole and a chassis construction that locks the foot in for sharp cuts and pivots.
• Novaflight 2: a soft upper, padded tongue and collar, and an EVA midsole for quick lateral cuts and jumps.
• Speedcourt: a breathable mesh and synthetic upper with an EVA midsole, made for fast multi-sport indoor play.
• ASICS Gel-Tactic 13 and Gel-Rocket 12: stability models. The Gel-Tactic 13 has a large STABLETRUSS side wall, and the Gel-Rocket 12 uses a TRUSSTIC piece in the midsole.
• ASICS Blade FF 2 and Beyond FF MT: light FLYTEFOAM cushioning. The Blade FF 2 has a 15 mm heel drop, the Beyond FF MT a 5 mm drop.

Spezial or Spezialist?

Many people who search for handball shoes find the Handball Spezial, a casual sneaker. The adidas Spezialist here belongs to the same family, but it is a court shoe, with Adiprene+ cushioning, a stitched suede T-toe and a grippy rubber outsole.

If you play club handball a few times a week, start with the Ligra 8: it is the most common model here and it also suits volleyball. Pick the Stabil 16 or an ASICS stability model if you want more support for hard cuts. You can also browse indoor sports gear or the volleyball collection.