Do you have special shoes for shooting pool?

[Frosty]

I have been wearing these Rockport walking shoes when I play for about the last 25 years. Wide foot box for toes, good arch support and comfortable for long sessions.

There have been those in this thread that have replied with their typical sarcasm, inferring it’s stupid to consider the shoes you wear when playing. A quick story, back in the 90’s a young gun in the room I played out of at the time had an opportunity arise where someone was going to sponsor him to play in the US Open. He always played in tennis shoes at the hall and bought a pair of black dress shoes to play in at the Open. He didn’t fare well, went 2 and out and played far below his normal game. I asked him what happened, he said he never gave the change in shoes much thought until he was there in his first round match in a pair of dress shoes with leather soles that were slippery on the carpet, it took him out of his game.

 

[RunEmOut08]

Hoka or ON are my go to for athletic shoes. I have a great pair of Vibergs if I want to wear a boot.

 

[Chopdoc]

My customs last. The store bought insoles a year, longer depending upon use.

Shoe or boot last.

Do you know what a last is? It's not an orthotic insert. It is what is used by a cobbler to make a shoe or boot.

What Is A Shoe Last？2 Minutes Explanation

A shoe last is the form on which a shoe is constructed and now let me told you what is the shoe last and why it is so important.

www.mescotshoes.com

I am having custom lasts made to have my Georgia boots rebuilt soon.

 

[dukblowz]

About 10 years ago Gail and I were tromping around Barcelona and the cava producing region of Spain and I developed a first class case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot... just mentioning it now makes me wince.

Anywhos, I limped into a shoe store in the beach town of Sitges and chose a pair of blue Geox Nebulas. Not only did they help me suffer through my malady, I liked them so much that I started wearing them to play pool, bought a few more in a couple of other colors, and its been my pool footwear since then. Even though they wear pretty good I have had to get a couple of replacement pairs but they are worth it.

Lou Figueroa

Thanks for the actual recommendation! It seems a silly thread but I've often sat there during a long tourney day wondering the same thing.. I've ordered some GEOX!

 

[FranCrimi]

With footwear and pool, in addition to comfort, height is key. Keep it consistent, whether you're at your home table or in a tournament, the shoe style can change but the height should be the same or your stance and possibly balance will feel off.

 

[lfigueroa]

Thanks for the actual recommendation! It seems a silly thread but I've often sat there during a long tourney day wondering the same thing.. I've ordered some GEOX!

Hope they work for you!

Lou Figueroa

 

[SmoothStroke]

Shoe or boot last.

Do you know what a last is? It's not an orthotic insert. It is what is used by a cobbler to make a shoe or boot.

What Is A Shoe Last？2 Minutes Explanation

A shoe last is the form on which a shoe is constructed and now let me told you what is the shoe last and why it is so important.

www.mescotshoes.com

I am having custom lasts made to have my Georgia boots rebuilt soon.

Learn something everyday.

 

[cueball2010]

I promise I am not kidding here, Crocs.

They are comfortable and lightweight shoes. You can spend hours on concrete with them and your feet don't hurt.

If you're self conscious get a black pair. I wear a mint green pair. It sound funny but I've got several compliments about them. Sorry ladies, I'm married... I don't care either way, they are comfy.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I also wear socks because if I don't my feet get sweaty.

I am starting to think Crocs might be the way to go. I got some "Dr. Scholl's Massage Gel" inserts yesterday for my running shoes, and while they were pretty comfortable my feet still got uncomfortable after 2 hrs of shooting. I almost think it does not have anything to do with the soles, and maybe it is just the simple fact that when my feet get hot - It triggers discomfort. As if my feet are claustrophobic.

Has anyone tried Kane Revive? It looks like they are 100% foam with a lot of ventilation.

 

[Johnson]

Never heard of Kane but they look like they just copied Native's which are popular. I would try different socks I only wear adidas which you can find at most TJMaxx/Marshalls, I got some Woolrich wool socks at Gabes that are insanely comfortable but thin out if you wash them. If you don't prefer socks any water type shoes for ventilated or look into minimalist running shoes like Merrell or VivoBarefoot which sell better than Hokas! The barefoot shoes won't be quite as durable as others and are more likely to stink!

 

[Highmiles]

For me, the Crocs are ideal. Light weight, cool, and good arch support. If I play against fashionistas, I switch to Hey Dudes. Almost as good, but they need an insole to add arch support.

 

[billiards_watch]

Flats.

Any shoes that are flat. Think Converse All Stars or Vans.

No shoes with high soles. One commonality I see amongst pool player is their backfoot's shoes are lopsided. This a characteristic. Front foot shoe is normal wear and tear but the backfoot is more premature.

 

[Bavafongoul]

The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is socks.

If you are playing in a tournament that is only going to last 4-6 hrs because it is a weekday event,
It likely doesn’t matter but if you are in a long weekend tournament or one that extends over a few
days, bring extra socks. I wear sweat socks with athletic footwear. Replace your socks after 7-8 hrs.
and it is amazing how refreshed your feet will seem, especially during hot weather. Same is true if
you’ve been wearing the same shirt all day long into the evening. A wardrobe refreshment does help.

 

[billiards_watch]

The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is socks.

If you are playing in a tournament that is only going to last 4-6 hrs because it is a weekday event,
It likely doesn’t matter but if you are in a long weekend tournament or one that extends over a few
days, bring extra socks. I wear sweat socks with athletic footwear. Replace your socks after 7-8 hrs.
and it is amazing how refreshed your feet will seem, especially during hot weather. Same is true if
you’ve been wearing the same shirt all day long into the evening. A wardrobe refreshment does help.

Never thought of this. That's actually a good idea and goes beyond pool.

If you're going to be away from the house for a long period of time then its best to have a change of socks and shirt.

 

[7stud]

I was already about to write that it seems most of AzBers don’t seem to play much under a dress code. Many times I practice with my tournament dress code compatible shoes to get used to them, especially with a new pair. The same goes with refereeing, new shoes need to be broken in before the actual tournament.

I have been using these: https://www.barebarics.com/barefoot-sneakers-barebarics-zing-all-black-leather/

An alternative is Thursday Boots leather sneakers--they have nice grippy soles. I found they didn't fit my foot very well until I took out the removable insoles and slipped in some Superfeet insoles. I also have some Sketchers dress shoes where I removed the insoles and replaced them with Superfeet insoles.

Like Lou, I suffered from plantar fasciitis at one point. For over a year, I had to wear special boot braces on both feet while sleeping. I could never get a good nights sleep because the braces got so uncomfortable after a few hours. What a miserable experience. Stretch those calf muscles! Now, I always wear shoes with orthotics in them, so I only buy shoes with removable insoles.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

I wear as many natural fibers as possible. I want my shoes to have leather without padding. I mostly wear wool socks because wool isn't just a great insulator, it wicks water and has anti-microbial properties.

One of the previous posts talks about his shoes feeling like walking in soft sand. Walking in soft sand is extraordinarily tiring, I have never understood why people would want that. I wear hard soled shoes because they waste less energy.

The simple fact is that most people stomp when they walk and I believe this is most of the problem with their feet. Funny thing, generally tall men walk much softer than shorter people. Years ago I was talking to a buddy of mine about this (6'5", 250lb). I mentioned that I could hear his 110lb wife walking around in their house, but I couldn't hear him. I'm 6'3" and we believe that it is because of the huge growth spurts tall guys go through, our teen clumsiness from not knowing where our body ends makes ingrains a consciousness that others might not have.

 

[billiards_watch]

Next time you play pool go and look at everyone's shoes. Pool players have these wears. Especially their backfoot. The fatter you are the more wear you're going to have.

We have to plant our foot in odd directions when reaching for a shot or just not noticing how we stand.

Big reason why I recommend flats. It's like playing barefooted which is the best way to play.

 

[Cornerman]

I am in search of the perfect shoes for playing pool. At first I was speculating that cross trainers or basketball shoes would be best to keep your stance secure from lateral movement, but I actually think this is a non-issue. Now I think the perfect pool shoe would be one that is super breathable so your feet don't get hot and sweaty during 16 hours of tournament play. I also think they should be super squishy, bouncy, and light to prevent fatigue.

So, I think what I am describing is a running shoe. I have running shoes, but I don't know if I need new running shoes. I mean has anyone ever noticed how the first couple of days or couple of weeks your new shoes feel the most bouncy? Then the shoe inside kind of molds its shape to your foot. This also feels comfortable, but as it conforms in to this different type of comfort, shoes lose the bounce, or maybe I just get use to it and don't notice the response that gives me the feel of walking on clouds. The spring in the step seems to fade away.

Another Idea is to forget searching for a perfect shoe and just get insole inserts, and just replace them frequently. But then that would add weight and lead to fatigue? I'm so confused.

If you have pool shoes that you are in love with please share the brand, model, and why you like them for playing pool. Or if you use inserts, which ones, and how often you need to replace them?

I used to only play in sneakers (tennis shoes, trainers, whatever). I could never play in boots, dress shoes or flip flops.

About 12 years ago, I was working on a project for a major shoe brand. They let us use their shoe designer softwear, so I designed a shoe with what I thought would be what I wanted for pool and billiard shoe. It looked like a dress shoe, but built more like sneakers, and it head toe reinforcement for that stretched out shot. Of course, this was so long ago, and the rendering is buried somewhere in the files.

Also several years ago, Mika was sponsored by a company trying to sell a billiard-specific shoe. Not sure it went anywhere. I suppose not since I can't recall hearing about them in a long time.

 

[decent dennis]

The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is socks.

If you are playing in a tournament that is only going to last 4-6 hrs because it is a weekday event,
It likely doesn’t matter but if you are in a long weekend tournament or one that extends over a few
days, bring extra socks. I wear sweat socks with athletic footwear. Replace your socks after 7-8 hrs.
and it is amazing how refreshed your feet will seem, especially during hot weather. Same is true if
you’ve been wearing the same shirt all day long into the evening. A wardrobe refreshment does help.

Or you could do what Old Has Been - Tom Ferry, claimed to do.
Put your tired feet in a toilet (clean) and flush.
He claimed it made them feel refreshed and ready to push on.

 

[billiards_watch]

Or you could do what Old Has Been - Tom Ferry, claimed to do.
Put your tired feet in a toilet (clean) and flush.
He claimed it made them feel refreshed and ready to push on.

Just stick your foot in the sink. I haven't done it outside my house but will try next time I'm playing pool.

 

[Island Drive]

To the OP. Different surfaces will help you make your choices.