Handball is a highly active sport that can be played on both indoor and outdoor courts.  It’s the kind of sport that can give you a great workout for both your body and mind. There are many people who love this sport and use the shoes and other equipment which are necessary to play the game at a very high level. Arguably, for playing the game, shoes are the most important piece of equipment for handball players. There are dedicated handball shoes and there are other shoes that are made for other sports that can also be used for handball. The choice that you make will depend on the features you desire along with the type of surface you are playing on. Here are the features that you should keep in mind when shopping for these shoes:

Shoe Sizes:

Most sports shoes are available in standard sizes, from sizes 39-49 (Euro) or 6-16 (US). Most players can find their specific shoe size, but the difference will most likely come in width. If your foot is wider than usual, or if you suffer from low arches, a wider shoe may be required. For men, the standard width is D and for women, the standard width is B. For the most part, sports shoes will not list their width unless they are different from the standard. For men, widths run from B to 4E, and for women from 2A to 2E. For men who may want a narrower shoe, they may choose to buy a women’s model and women can buy a men’s model for a wider-width shoe. Most handball shoemakers don’t make different-width shoes but there are other indoor courts shoes such as for Badminton or Volleyball that do. Yonex, Victor, and ASICS are all shoemakers that sell models of shoes that are ideal for Handball in larger widths. Specific models include the Yonex Eclipson Z or ASICS Gel Rocket 10. As a general rule, athletic shoes that have wider toe boxes provide a greater amount of width.

Court Surface:

Handball can be played on both indoor and outdoor courts. For outdoor courts, shoes with regular rubber soles that enhance fast movements are best. For indoor handball courts, shoes with gum rubber soles are best to provide the grip necessary on this more slightly slippery surface. For both courts, handball-specific shoes are best. For outdoor courts, along with handball shoes, tennis shoes can also be worn. For indoor courts, volleyball, badminton, or racquetball shoes can also be worn.

The weight of the Shoe:

The shoe must be lightweight.  If not, the fast footwork needed to play handball well will be difficult to achieve. The average weight of court shoes seems to be in the 290 gr (10.6 oz) range. Lighter shoes help to make the necessary running and jumping movements during the game even more effortless than usual.

Breathable Materials:

Materials and construction that allow your foot to breathe are very important. Many sports shoes are made of leather and mesh. The amount of mesh in the upper often makes a big difference in how cool your foot will stay during intense matches. The idea of good footwear is to have it blend in the background and not call attention to its presence. Cool feet will allow your athletic shoe to be a silent partner during your handball matches.

Now that we have discussed the features that should be sought after when considering shoes for handball, let’s take a look at the leading manufacturers of these court shoes and their featured models.

adidas Handball Shoes:

adidas makes shoes that are specifically designed for handball. They have the kind of control and durability one looks for. Benefits of their
shoes include having a brand name cachet. Their shoe designs are created by world-class shoe designers. The brand name has certain comfort and control features included such as PRIMEKNIT for directional control and comfort and BOOST for stability.

The adidas Stabil Next Gen Handball Shoes is one of their top pics. They offer a mesh upper for maximum breathability to keep your foot dry during intense play and are partially made from ocean plastics to help recycle ocean waste. 

Hummel Handball Shoes:

Hummel sportswear is a Danish company that has been around since the early 1920’s One of their claims to fame was the design and creation of the first football cleat. They make both fashion and sports footwear. This is obvious by the design of their handball shoes. Stylish designs and sport-enhanced features make their eye-catching designs desirable among players who want the best in an exciting-looking package.

Their top pick when this article was originally written was the Omnicourt Z8 Trophy and the Aerocharge Engineered STZ. The newest flagship model is the Dagaz Icon 2.0. These shoes feature a 2 layer mesh upper which still provides the maximum amount of ventilation while providing a unique updated design. Additional features are an external heel stabilizer, and forefoot sidewall support. Additional features are an  outsole with multidirectional traction for increased grip 

Kempa Handball Shoes:

Kempa is a German sports company that makes products specifically for handball. Similar to the Adidas shoes, Kempa’s handball shoes will give you the specific technologies and construction your foot needs to perform its best while playing this sport.

When this article was first written, Their top pick is the Attack One, which is available for both men and women. Now, their Top model is the Kempa Attack Two version 2.0 The new version of the shoes is still constructed with plenty of mesh for breathability, an intense and fun multi-color design for individuality on the court, and torsion support for a solid and stable feeling.

Salming Racquetball Shoes:

Salming sports prides itself on finding new ways to play sports and providing the equipment to do so. Their concentration is on squash and racquetball but their shoes can also be used on a handball court.

At the time that this article was originally written, Their top shoe pick is the Salming Viper 2.0. Their latest model is the Salming Hawk 2. The Salming Hawk features new comfort and performance technologies that provide increased grip, foot and heel stabilization, and control.

Mizuno Volleyball Shoes:

Mizuno is known for making shoes for many different sports. Because of this, they are able to leverage foot comfort technology across all of their products. Their top shoe pick for handball is the Mizuno Wave Momentum 2.

This shoe is available in both men’s and women’s models and also mid-height for maximum ankle protection. The wave technology helps to move shock away from the foot to be dissipated through the shoe body. This shoe is actually a volleyball shoe, but can still be used for handball because of its gum rubber sole.

ASICS Tennis and Volleyball Shoes:

ASICS is mainly known for its running and tennis shoes, but they also make indoor court shoes that would also be ideal for handball. The ASICS GEL-Rocket 10 comes in several different awesome colors with ASICS patented GEL technology for comfort and a gum rubber sole.