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In this guide we’ll take a look at the best drumming shoes for comfort and style.
I’ve compared design, comfort, playability and cost to give you my top recommendations.
Contents
What Are The Best Drumming Shoes?
The Best Drumming Shoes Reviewed
Puma Men’s Turin Sneaker
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Puma Men’s Turin Sneaker Review
The best drumming shoes will correctly translate your musical ideas seamlessly from your brain to your feet. They will also be comfortable and offer a good level of grip over the pedals.
The Puma Men’s Turin Sneaker is the perfect drumming shoe. These drummer shoes are lightweight, comfortable and stylish. They feature a smooth rubber sole that feels great to play the kick drum pedal and operate the hi hat stand with.
These Puma Turin drumming shoes are favoured by drummers around the world because of their supreme comfort and quality. Whether you play jazz, pop or metal music, these drum shoes will let you execute your musical ideas across to your pedals with ease.
The overall quality of construction of the Puma Turin sneaker is excellent, with a high level of cushioning inside and a soft and durable synthetic leather exterior. I particularly like the smooth rubber outsole which is perfect for delivering precise footwork behind the drum set.
Pros
- Great value for money
- High quality and durable construction
- Smooth and strong outsole for precise footwork
Cons
- Puma sizes tend to come out slightly small
Converse Chuck Taylor Sneaker
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Converse Chuck Taylor Sneaker Review
The Converse Men’s Chuck Taylor is a timeless classic sneaker. It’s one of the most versatile and fashionable shoes ever invented. Great news is that they are also some of the best shoes for drumming.
These classic Converses are another pair of popular drumming shoes. With their lightweight, breathable construction and strong outsole; they feel great to wear whilst playing the drums.
Having strong and grippy outsoles on your drum shoes is important for maintaining a solid feel over the pedals, and these shoes deliver exactly that.
Converses are the choice of pro drummers including Tre Cool (Green Day) and Thomas Lang for their build quality, comfort and style.
No matter what style of music you’re playing you can’t go wrong with these classic Converses – they really are good shoes for drumming.
Pros
- Classic timeless style
- Favoured by pros
- Huge range of colours
Cons
- Bulky and heavy outsole offers less sensitivity
- Love it or hate it style
Puma Select Men’s Classic Sneaker
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Puma Select Men’s Classic Sneaker Review
Up next for review is the Puma Select Men’s Classic Sneaker – another pair of comfortable and high quality drum shoes. The build quality of these shoes is remarkable, and they are great to wear for all different weather conditions.
The suede outer construction feels great and these drum shoes also feature a strong rubber sole. These Puma Classic sneakers are fashionable, stylish, comfortable and offer a good level of support.
These drum shoes are on the heavier side, and they’ll deliver heavier kick drum impacts. The thick outersole provides a strong grip and smooth playing feel.
Stylish, practical and awesome to wear whilst playing drums – these are a solid choice!
Pros
- Comfortable and stylish
- Excellent build quality
- Strong outersole
Cons
- Not vegan friendly
- Thick sole offers less sensitivity
Nike Women’s Low Top Sneakers
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Nike Women’s Low Top Sneakers Review
These Nike Women’s Low Top Sneakers are the women’s best shoes for drumming out there right now. These fashionable kicks are are constructed from high quality materials and they are super comfortable to wear for drumming.
The light midsole is made of foam that offers exceptional cushioning whilst the rubber outsole fetures a herringbone pattern for maximum traction and grip.
These drum shoes also offer fantastic arch support and they offer a really comfortable fit. With Nike I always find they are true to size and they most often come out the right size.
If you’re looking for the best women’s shoes to wear whilst playing the drums then look no further – these are the real deal!
Pros
- Super comfortable
- Great arch support
- Durable and long lasting synthetic leather
Cons
- Very little!
Adidas Original Superstar Sneaker
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Adidas Original Superstar Sneaker Review
The Adidas Original Superstar Sneakers also feature a classic design. These drum shoes are a little on the pricey side; you’re paying for the Adidas brand.
This is another pair of classic drum shoes that features a high quality leather construction. The large rubber soles deliver a strong grip over the pedals.
Plenty of drummers swear by these classic Adidas Original Superstars as their go-to choice to wear whilst drumming. It’s easy to see why – they are really comfortable, practical and stylish.
If you are looking for the best drummer shoes to wear whilst playing the drums, these are an all round solid choice. Just a little expensive!
Pros
- Classic Adidas design
- Durable and long lasting
- Joey Jordison’s choice!
Cons
- Expensive
- Not to everyone’s taste
Drumming Shoes Buyer’s Guide
Wearing the right pair of shoes is important for most drummers. After all, you want to feel comfortable to play at your best, and the right pair of drumming shoes will offer a good level of grip and support whilst you play.
I’m going to say right off the bat that you do not need drumming shoes to play well! Plenty of pro drummers play barefoot, after all I believe that’s how you can achieve the greatest control over the pedals.
Personally, I enjoy playing drums barefoot and with proper drumming shoes. But the important thing is that if I do wear shoes, they have to be the right kind to play drums with.
What To Look For In Drumming Shoes
The most important things for me when looking to buy a pair of good drumming shoes are:
- Build quality
- Pedal grip
- Comfort
- Durability
- Weight
You can expect any of the top brands including Nike, Puma, Adidas to deliver high quality products. They are loved by everyone around the world and they feature a durable construction designed to be worn for every day use.
But what’s more important is the design and style of the shoe. Running shoes, skate shoes, fashion shoes and basketball shoes all feature completely different designs. I’ve found that the best drumming shoes feature flat rubber outersoles.
These shoes offer a high level of pedal grip, and will simulate a natural pedal feel as if you aren’t wearing any shoes at all. So for that reason is why I have featured shoes that utilize a flat rubber outersole. And that’s why these types of shoes are universally preferred by drummers.
All of the drumming shoes within this guide are ideal for wearing for playing the drums and wearing out and about. The goal is to wear shoes whilst drumming that can translate your musical ideas with ease through to the pedals. These kicks do just that, and in style!