You can wear any type of sneaker or athletic shoe to play paintball.  However the most savvy players use footwear specifically designed to boost their performance on the field.  Speedball players tend to prefer paintball cleats for the best traction, while woodsball enthusiasts often wear military combat boots more suited for rough terrain.  Choose your paintball footwear to best suit the type of game you play…

Choose your paintball footwear to not only match the type of game you enjoy (speedball or woodsball) but more importantly the type of turf or terrain you’ll be playing on.  Speedball games are often played on Astroturf or a flat manicured grass field, much like a football field.  Paintball cleats are athletic shoes with screw-in cleats designed specifically for this type of field and tailored to the most common moves players make during this game.

Woodsball is played on a natural terrain, so the environment varies on where the game is located; this could be in the forest, open field or outcroppings of rocks.  Scenario paintball players often use combat boots as their preferred footwear.  Military style combat boots are ideal as they offer plenty of protection; they are high top to protect your ankles and calves and made with durable materials, such as leather and thick canvas. 

In woodsball, pay special attention to what’s on your feet; playing paintball in the wrong type of shoe's can cause injuries and damage to your ankles.   Rolling your ankle is never fun and it will definitely take away from your playing time.  To prevent ankle injuries, consider wearing boots while playing woodsball or at least a shoe with some type of ankle support. 

The woods can have rocks, sticks and steep ground so it’s important to take precaution before attempting to run around in a varied environment.  It’s very easy to step on a rock or uneven ground and krill your ankle when wearing tennis shoes; this can have serious consequences, not to mention end your day of play.  Wearing boots provide excellent ankle support and also helps if the ground is soft or muddy. 

Scenario games will often last a long time; paintballing for eight hours straight in tennis shoes will make you feel like your feet have been flattened by a car.  Rocky terrain and steep ground will also weaken and wear on your ankles very quickly.  Having extra ankle support will allow you play much longer without having to think about pain and fatigue in your feet.   

Whether you play woodsball or speedball, boost your performance by wearing the best suited footwear for the terrain you play on.  Buy your paintball footwear from ChoicePaintballGuns.com!  We carry several models of shoes and boots for both tournament style speedball and tactical scenario woodsball games.  We only sell paintball cleats and boots that are lightweight, sturdy and offer the most protection for the safest play.