Non-marking shoes are shoes that are designed to not leave any marks on traditional tiled or wooden floors, and to prevent scuffing the floor. They are made from special rubber-type material that provides a smooth ride and maximum friction. Non-marking shoes are especially used during indoor sports such as badminton, volleyball, tennis, basketball, and handball. They have flat, not-so-hard soles with no cleats and minimal texture so as not to leave a mark on the court. Most non-marking soles are non-black or white, but can be black if the texture is appropriate.

To determine if a shoe is non-marking, there are mainly two ways:

• Flip the shoe and make a dent on the sole using your thumb. If the dent recovers quickly, then the shoe is most likely to be a non-marking shoe and the sole is soft and won’t cause any marks.
• Take a plain white paper and keep it on the floor. Take the shoe and drag the sole of the shoe against the floor with force but do not tear the paper. Now look for a scuff mark on the paper. If there are no marks on the paper, then the shoe is a non-marking shoe.

It is important to wear non-marking shoes during indoor sports to avoid leaving marks on the court surface, which can damage the surfacing and spoil the experience. Regular shoes are bound to leave marks on the court while playing as a lot of movement and pressure is involved on the court. Therefore, non-marking shoes are mandatory if you are checking into a venue that has synthetic turfs or wooden courts.