Cold weather, lack of outdoor space, or location – these are all reasons why you might be looking to play Ultimate Frisbee indoors. But there are a lot of options when looking for an indoor shoe. You can find out what the best Ultimate Frisbee shoe for playing indoor Ultimate Frisbee is for you.
If you are in a hurry, check out the links below. These links will get you to Amazon right away, where you can check out prices, and reviews, and make your purchase right away.
Best Women’s Shoe
Nike Air Zoom Vapor X
Best Men’s Shoe
Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 3
The Best Ultimate Frisbee Shoe
If you live in a climate that has a cold winter (like I do), then you’re probably familiar with indoor Ultimate. Obviously, cleats won’t cut it on a gym floor. So what shoes are best for indoor Ultimate?
In my opinion, tennis shoes are the best for indoor Ultimate Frisbee. I’m not talking about the generic “tennis shoe” term. What I’m talking about is the shoe specifically made for playing tennis, indoor.
Indoor Ultimate has a very similar movement to how a tennis player moves on the court. Specifically, the quick, agile motion a tennis player has is almost identical to what Ultimate players would experience in indoor Ultimate.
A lot of people wear running shoes indoors – that will work too. But the change of direction that a tennis shoe supports is going to hold up for much longer and give you much better results than a running shoe will.
With this in mind, below you’ll find the best (tennis) shoes for Women, Men, and Youth.
Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Shoes
Nike Air Zoom Vapor X
The Nike Air Zoom Vapor X is an incredibly durable, yet lightweight shoe. It’s got extra rubber support on the soles, leading to a longer-lasting shoe lifetime. They also offer great traction, which is a must have for indoor Ultimate Frisbee.
However, the price is high on this shoe. Also, it’s been reported that the laces are short, so be ready to have an extra pair if needed. But if you want the best Ultimate Frisbee shoes, look no further!
ASICS Women’s Gel-Dedicated 6 Tennis Shoes
The ASICS Gel-Dedicated tennis shoes are a great option, at a much cheaper price point, than the Nike Air Zoom’s above. The ASICS provide great arch support, but are flexible to fit most feet shapes. They are comfortable and offer great traction for indoor surfaces.
There has been some reported issues with coloration of the shoes – both out of the box, and an issue of bleeding colors if you wash your shoes! If you are looking for a great indoor shoe at a cheaper price, this is the shoe for you.
Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Shoes
Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 3
The Adidas Adizer Ubersonic 3 shoe is an absolutely great shoe for indoor Ultimate Frisbee. It has incredible traction on indoor surfaces, and the support is very durable. It is relatively lightweight, and can deliver high performance.
A few people reported that the sole is less durable than other shoes in the same price range. This may be an important factor to consider if you are looking for shoes to last several years. But, if high performance is what you want, this is the shoe for you.
New Balance Men’s 696 V4 Hard Court Tennis Shoe
The New Balance 696 tennis shoes are a more affordable option for playing indoor Ultimate Frisbee. They have great traction and support, and are relatively durable.
Quite a few buyers reported that the shoe runs half a size small. A few buyers reported that they needed to order the wide size, because the shoes were too narrow as well. If you are looking to purchase these shoes, keep the sizing in mind!
Youth Ultimate Frisbee Shoes
ASICS Kid’s Gel-Game 7 GS Tennis Shoes
The ASICS Kid’s Gel-Game 7 are great, though pricey, options for youth Ultimate Frisbee shoes. Similar to the example above, they offer great traction and support, inside a flexible shoe.
Again, be careful with washing the shoes. Apparently, the color can bleed when washed! If you are looking for a high quality youth shoe, this is a great pick!
New Balance Kid’s Fresh Foam Arishi V2 Bungee Running Shoe
The New Balance shoes are a cheaper, yet still quality option for youth indoor Ultimate Frisbee shoes. One of the great things about this shoe, are the customization of colors! If your kids are anything like mine, they are particular about what they wear. These shoes have a lot of different color options that can be chosen!
A few buyers did report that the durability of these shoes was a bit disappointing. This is something to consider when purchasing these shoes. If you’re just looking for shoes to last one season though, this is a good pick!
Alternative Ultimate Frisbee Shoes
Tennis shoes are the best shoes for Indoor Ultimate, but there are many reasons you may want other types of shoes.
Maybe you want to cross-train with other sports.
Maybe you are more comfortable in basketball shoes, or volleyball shoes.
Perhaps you run quite a bit more than others while playing indoor ultimate, and want running shoes.
No matter the reason, here are the best alternative indoor shoes for Ultimate Frisbee.
Women’s Running Shoe
Mizuno Wave Rider 24
If you aren’t looking for a tennis shoe, my second choice would be a Mizuno running shoe. I’ve had great experiences with this brand. The shoes have durable soles, are lightweight, and great for playing indoor Ultimate. The one issue that I’ve experienced, is that the shoe material, not the sole, breaks down a bit faster, because the running shoes aren’t made for fast changes in direction. However, if you are looking for a very high quality shoe that can be used for running, and the occasional indoor Ultimate, this is what I would choose.
Men’s Running Shoe
Mizuno Wave Rider 24 Waveknit
If you aren’t looking for a tennis shoe, my second choice would be a Mizuno running shoe. I’ve had great experiences with this brand. The shoes have durable soles, are lightweight, and great for playing indoor Ultimate. The one issue that I’ve experienced, is that the shoe material, not the sole, breaks down a bit faster, because the running shoes aren’t made for fast changes in direction. However, if you are looking for a very high quality shoe that can be used for running, and the occasional indoor Ultimate, this is what I would choose.
Women’s Basketball Shoe
Nike Precision Iii Nubuck
The Nike Precision is a solid basketball shoe at a good price. It is durable, has good ankle support, and is still flexible enough for longer sprints. Some reviews mentioned that they would prefer better traction. This may only apply to you if you are playing Ultimate on a basketball court, or similar surface.
Men’s Basketball Shoe
Nike Lebron Witness III PRM
The Lebron Witness III shoes are an absolutely solid basketball shoe choice, that will cross over well to indoor Ultimate Frisbee. They have good traction and durability, and great ankle support. A few reviews mentioned that the shoes were small for their size, and even inflexible to start. Ordering up a size is a good idea if this is the shoe you want.
Women’s Volleyball Shoe
Adidas Ligra 6
The great thing about volleyball shoes, is they are very comfortable, and great for jumping. The Adidas Ligra 6 is a great and affordable option for indoor Ultimate Frisbee, especially if you don’t want a tennis shoe. They offer great traction, but may take some time to break in.
Men’s Volleyball Shoe
ASICS Upcourt 3
The ASICS Upcort 3 are a great budget option volleyball shoe for indoor Ultimate Frisbee. It’s comfortable, and has good traction. A few reviewers mentioned that it was good quality for the price. However, it doesn’t look like it has the same durability as other shoes at higher price ranges. Still, this is a good budget option if you need one!
How to Save Money
Over the years I’ve played Ultimate Frisbee, I (and some of my teammates) have come up with a lot of ways on how to save money, year to year, on shoes. Here are a few tips I suggest when buying Ultimate Frisbee shoes cheap.
- Make sure your shoes are durable. A $70 shoe that lasts two years saves more money than a $40 shoe that only lasts one year.
- Take the time to make sure your shoe feels good! I know I own at least 1 pair of shoes that just sits in my garage because they ended up causing blisters. Avoid wasting money like I did!
- After you find a pair of durable shoes, you can buy a second (or third) pair right away. This saves you time in the coming years, of having to find a good pair of shoes again.
- Alternatively, find a pair of durable shoes. Then, about 8 months later, search eBay, Amazon, or any other site that sells shoes from previous years. Search for the pair you own. Since it’s 8 months later and an outdated model, you will often find it at 50% off or more!
- If you still want a high-quality, durable shoe, but don’t want to spend $70 or more right away, try searching eBay for high-quality shoes that are a few years old. Buy a pair or two for $40. Try them out, and if they don’t work, return them. You will probably find an older model, that’s still very high quality, at a severely discounted rate!
- If you have smaller feet, I suggest checking out shoes for youth. They are still high quality and durable, but often cheaper!
Ultimate Frisbee Cleats
If you’re buying shoes for indoor Ultimate Frisbee, you may be looking for Ultimate Frisbee cleats as well. Below are the best Women’s and Men’s cleats for Ultimate Frisbee.
The Best Women’s Cleat
Adidas Women’s Predator 18.1
The Best Men’s Cleat
Nike Men’s Vapor Untouchable Pro 3
If you want more choices, or you want to read more about which Ultimate Frisbee cleats you should choose, you can check out my Ultimate Frisbee Cleat Buyers Guide here!
Other Ultimate Frisbee Gear
If you are anything like me (and some of my teammates), you probably want a little more Ultimate gear. If so, check out the Ultimate gear below!