Will They Stick With It?
A Parent's Guide to Buying Non-Marking Shoes for a Beginner
Your child came home from a trial class glowing. The coach says they have a knack for badminton. The court says: no non-marking shoes, no entry. And now you are standing in a store, looking at a price tag and running three calculations in your head. What if they lose interest in a month? What if their feet grow before the soles even soften? And where, in a 2BHK flat that already has a bicycle in the balcony, does one more box go?
If this sounds familiar, you are not being stingy or overthinking it. These are the three real tensions of buying sports footwear for a beginner child, and this post takes each one seriously: what the data says, what real programs have done about it, and a practical way to decide.
- Quitting is common, and usually not about the shoes. Kids mostly leave sports because the fun goes out of it [1][2], so buy in a way that survives a change of mind.
- Outgrowing is predictable. Feet grow roughly a millimetre a month in the early school years [4], so you can plan around it instead of being surprised by it. See Worry 2 below.
- Storage is a habit problem more than a space problem. A one-pair, one-place rule solves most of it. See Worry 3.
- There is a middle path between buying the premium pair on day one and skipping the shoe altogether.
First, why non-marking at all?
Non-marking shoes have soles, usually soft or gum-like rubber, that do not leave black scuffs on indoor floors [7]. Many indoor facilities for badminton, squash, basketball and similar sports require them to protect the surface [7][8]. They also tend to be built for grip and side-to-side movement rather than straight-line running [8]. That is why a regular running shoe or school shoe is usually not an acceptable substitute, and why a tennis shoe only works if its sole is actually non-marking [8].
So this is a purchase with a real, non-negotiable reason behind it. The question is how to make it low-regret.
Worry 1: "What if they quit before the shoe is broken in?"
The fear is statistically reasonable. A national survey of sports parents by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University found that the average American child plays a sport for under three years and quits by around age 11 [1][2]. Another widely repeated figure says 70% of kids leave organised sports by 13, but I could only trace that through a secondary news article attributing it to the American Academy of Pediatrics [3], so treat it as indicative rather than firm. What matters more is why children quit. In the Aspen/Utah State survey, the top reason was simply that sport stopped being fun, with coaching and cost pressure also on the list [1][2].
Footwear was not the issue.
Two takeaways for a shoe-buying parent:
- Do not tie your child's enjoyment to the size of the purchase. A very expensive first pair can add pressure ("we bought you these, so you must continue"), which can speed up exactly the burnout you are trying to avoid.
- Plan the purchase so that quitting is cheap. Buy a sensible mid-priced pair, or borrow or rent first, and upgrade once the habit has held for a couple of months. Sampling is a feature, not a failure.
Cost is also a genuine factor in whether kids stay in sport. A Harris Poll survey for Good Sports found that 58% of parents of children currently playing said paying for equipment was a financial stress, and 14% had held back from signing their child up at all [9]. If gear cost makes you hesitate, you are in large company.
Worry 2: "They will outgrow it before it wears out"
This one is simply true, and that is useful, because it is predictable. Sources broadly agree on the pattern, though the exact numbers differ between brands and clinics:
- Between ages 3 and 6, feet grow about 1 mm per month on average; from 6 to 10 slightly less than that [4].
- Retailers describe it in sizes instead: children aged 5 to 10 typically outgrow shoes one to two times a year [5], with younger kids changing sizes faster [5][6].
- Some sources note growth spurts, including a common one around age 12 when changes can come every few months again [6].
What this means in practice. One children's footwear guide suggests a shoe should be roughly 12 to 17 mm longer than the foot, and that buying at the generous end gives about five months of wear in the early school years [4]. A podiatrist's guideline is simpler: about a thumb's width between the longest toe and the shoe's end [10].
Here is the tension, though. Sports shoes are not forgiving the way a school shoe can be.
Several podiatrists warn against buying shoes much too big, and against shoes that need a long break-in period at all [10][11]. For a non-marking court shoe, where grip and a secure heel matter, the smart move is to buy for the current foot with a normal thumb's-width allowance, and not to buy two sizes up hoping to "grow into it." The mindset shift: treat the shoe as a six-month tool, not a three-year asset. That changes the question from "is this a good investment?" to "is this good value for six months of use?" The next section puts numbers on it.
Do the math: cost per session
The prices and play frequency below are my assumptions to show the method. Swap in your own.
Suppose a decent kids' non-marking pair costs ₹2,400, your child trains twice a week, and the shoe fits for about five months (roughly 43 sessions).
- If the child keeps going: ₹2,400 ÷ 43 sessions ≈ ₹56 per session.
- If you recover 30% through resale or a buy-back: net ₹1,680 ÷ 43 ≈ ₹39 per session.
- If the child quits after 6 sessions: ₹2,400 ÷ 6 = ₹400 per session. This is the scenario that actually worries parents.
The lesson: the real risk is not the cost per session when things go well, but the cost when the child quits early. The fix is to reduce the price at risk in the first weeks, through the options below, rather than to avoid buying.
Worry 3: Storage in a small apartment
Living in a flat means every outgrown item competes with something you use daily. There is some evidence that this is a wider habit: a Decathlon-commissioned study reported that over half of UK adults have unused sports equipment at home, and a quarter of them have no plans to resell it [12]. (That is UK data from a retailer with a stake in the topic, so read it as a pointer, not proof about Indian households.)
The following are practical suggestions from me, not findings from the studies above:
- One pair in, one pair out. The moment the new size arrives, the old pair leaves the house within the week, by resale, buy-back, donation or hand-off, and not by sitting on a shelf.
- Do not buy the next size in advance. It feels thrifty, but it is storage you pay for twice, in space and in the risk that growth or interest changes.
- Give the shoe a single home. A slim hook or a bag on the back of the door, or a locker at the academy if one is available, keeps it from spreading across the hallway.
- Keep the sports bag packed. A shoe that lives in the bag is also a shoe that never gets forgotten before practice.
Opinions are not totally uniform: some parenting discussions suggest used shoes can be acceptable if the soles show no uneven wear and the shoe has not moulded to another foot [14], but the cautious professional position is the safer default. If you do go second-hand, inspect the sole wear closely and clean thoroughly. Clothes are the better place to save.
Case studies: what real programs and surveys show
These are documented examples, not invented stories. The next section has illustrative family scenarios, clearly labelled as such.
Case study 1: Decathlon's circular model (India and the UK)
The problem it addresses: gear that is outgrown or abandoned while still usable. In India, Decathlon has described a circular model built on repair services in over 95 stores, resale of refurbished products ("Second Life") in more than 90 stores, and buy-back of used equipment in over 50 stores, with plans to expand and later go online [15]. In the UK, its BuyBack scheme lets customers trade in used items for vouchers worth up to 40% of the assessed value, after which the product is refurbished and resold [16]. The UK company also launched rentals of sports gear, starting from £10 a day [16][17].
What to take from it: a retail route for recovering value from outgrown gear now exists, at least for some products and stores. Caveat: the sources I found do not say whether children's non-marking shoes are covered by the Indian buy-back, and the 40% figure is a UK maximum. Ask your nearest store before you plan around it.
Case study 2: The cost-pressure data (Good Sports and Harris Poll)
In a survey of more than 700 parents, 58% of those with children currently playing said equipment costs are a financial stress, and 14% had not signed their child up for sport [9]. Even households earning above $75,000 reported having considered pulling a child out because of cost [9].
What to take from it: hesitating over a sports purchase is a mainstream experience. It is also a signal that low-cost entry routes are valuable, not embarrassing.
Case study 3: Why kids leave (Aspen Institute and Utah State University)
The parent survey found that children quit most sports by about 11 and that the lead reason is loss of fun, followed by coaching problems and financial pressure [1][2][18]. One related industry figure: only 38% of children aged 6 to 12 played team sports regularly in 2018, down from 45% in 2008 [18].
What to take from it: the best protection for your investment is protecting the fun. Choose a coach and a group your child enjoys, keep sessions light early on, and let the shoe be a small part of the story.
Context note: most of the survey data above comes from the United States. Indian families will differ in fees, facilities and sports, so use the numbers for direction, not as local statistics. Use cases: three illustrative scenarios. These are composite examples I wrote to show how the advice plays out. They are not real families.
Scenario A: Aarav, 7, first month of badminton. His parents are unsure he will continue. They borrow a pair of correctly sized non-marking shoes from the academy for two weeks, then buy a mid-priced pair once he asks to go every day. They plan to resell the pair at the next size change.
Scenario B: Meera, 10, school volleyball, a younger sibling coming up. Her parents love the idea of reusing the shoes for her brother. Because of the podiatrist guidance about moulded wear patterns, they do not hand the shoes down. Instead they use the resale value from Meera's pair to partly fund her brother's new pair when his turn comes.
Scenario C: Kabir, 12, a visible growth spurt. His shoes still look new but his toes press the end. His parents recall that growth can speed up again around 12 [6], measure his feet every couple of months and replace early, instead of waiting for the shoe to wear out.
A simple decision checklist
- Has your child attended at least 3 to 4 sessions and asked to go back? If not, borrow, rent or buy the budget option.
- Is the venue strict about non-marking soles? If yes, do not compromise on this; confirm with the coach.
- Measured both feet, later in the day, and checked for a thumb's width of room? Fit the larger foot [10][11].
- Comfortable straight away, no break-in needed? If not, try another model [10].
- Do you know the exit plan? Resale, buy-back or donation, decided before you buy.
- Is there a single place for the shoe at home?
The bottom line
Parents are right to worry about the three things in this post: will they stay, will they outgrow it, and where does it go. But none of them is a reason to hold back a shoe your child needs for safe, legal play on an indoor court. Each has a workable answer: buy mid-range rather than premium for a beginner, measure and plan for a roughly six-month life, and arrange an exit route for the old pair before the new one arrives.The pair of shoes is small. The habit of movement, and the fun that sustains it, is what you are really buying.
References
[1] Aspen Institute / Utah State University parent survey, as reported by InsideHook: "Why Is Participation in Sports Down Among American Children?" https://www.insidehook.com/sports/participation-in-sports-is-down-among-american-children
[2] Axios, "The youth sports exodus" (2019), reporting the same survey and SFIA participation data. https://www.axios.com/2019/08/06/youth-sports-childrens-health-inequality
[3] CT Mirror, "The dropout crisis in youth sports" (February 2026), citing an American Academy of Pediatrics figure and Project Play cost data. https://ctmirror.org/2026/02/11/the-dropout-crisis-in-youth-sports/
[4] Little Treads (Australia), "How Fast do Children's Feet Grow?", citing Bobux. https://www.littletreads.com.au/how-fast-do-childrens-feet-grow
[5] Kids Foot Locker, Shoe Size FAQs. https://www.kidsfootlocker.com/fit/faqs.html
[6] Annapops, "How fast does a child's foot grow?" https://annapops.be/en/blogs/tips-advice/hoe-snel-groeit-een-kindervoet-hoe-weet-ik-wanneer-een-schoen-te-klein-is-hoe-vaak-een-schoen-vervangen
[7] Metro Shoes, "Non marking shoes vs marking shoes." https://www.metroshoes.com/blogs/non-marking-shoes-vs-marking-shoes
[8] Badminton Bites, "Why Do I Need Non-Marking Shoes to Play Badminton?" https://badmintonbites.com/why-do-i-need-non-marking-shoes-to-play-badminton/ and "Can tennis shoes be used to play badminton?" https://badmintonbites.com/can-tennis-shoes-be-used-to-play-badminton/
[9] Athletic Business, "Report: How Cost Forces Parents to Pull Their Children Out of Youth Sports" (Good Sports and Harris Poll, 2024). https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/article/15710590/report-howcost-forces-parents-to-pull-their-children-out-of-youth-sports
[10] Berg Podiatry, "5 back to school shoe shopping tips for your kids." https://www.bergdpm.com/blog/5-back-to-school-shoe-shopping-tips-for-your-kids.cfm
[11] Tanglewood Foot Specialists, "Houston podiatrist discusses choosing the right back to school shoes." https://www.tanglewoodfootspecialists.com/library/tips-to-buy-back-to-school-shoes-in-houston.cfm
[12] 365 Retail, on Decathlon UK BuyBack and its commissioned research. https://365retail.co.uk/?p=14778
[13] American Podiatric Medical Association, Footprints newsletter (Fall 2017). https://my.officite.com/0037011/storage/app/media/footprints-falledition.pdf
[14] AOL, parenting article on one-pair shoe approaches and used shoes (reporting a Reddit discussion, so lower authority). https://www.aol.com/articles/mom-says-she-only-buys-201526013.html
[15] PunekarNews, "Decathlon India Leads the Way: First in Sports Retail to Embed Circularity into Core Business." https://www.punekarnews.in/?p=208563
[16] Retail Gazette, "Decathlon expands BuyBack service to include all sports equipment" (2024). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/04/decathlon-expands-buyback/
[17] The Retail Bulletin, "Decathlon expands Buy Back scheme" (April 2024). https://theretailbulletin.com/general-merchandise/decathlon-expands-buy-back-scheme-25-04-2024
[18] Axios (2019), as above, for SFIA participation figures (38% in 2018 vs 45% in 2008).
Notes on the sources
- Foot-growth figures come mostly from footwear retailers and clinics, so they differ slightly between sources. Treat them as typical ranges, not medical norms. For a growth concern, see a paediatrician or podiatrist.
- Several sources are US or UK based. Indian prices, play frequency and store policies will differ.
- The cost-per-session figures are an illustration with assumed numbers, and the family scenarios are fictional composites.
