You generally wear specialized curling shoes , not regular sneakers, once you get beyond “try-it” level.

Quick Scoop

For curling, there are two main options:

  1. Beginner / rental nights
    • Clean, flat-soled athletic shoes (like indoor court or tennis shoes) are usually fine if:
      • The soles are rubber, not hard plastic.
      • They’re very clean so they don’t shed dirt or pebbles on the ice.
 * Clubs often give you:
   * A slip-on **slider** for your sliding foot.
   * A slip-on **gripper** for the other foot.
  1. Proper curling shoes (what most curlers eventually buy)
    • Purpose-made curling shoes with:
      • One slider shoe : a Teflon or steel sliding sole so you can glide smoothly in delivery.
   * One **gripper shoe** : a high-traction rubber sole so you can walk and sweep safely on the ice.

 * Common features:
   * Insulation to keep feet warm in cold rinks.

   * Reinforced or coated toe for the dragging foot so it doesn’t wear out.

   * Good lateral support so you stay stable in the slide.

What most regular curlers use

Once people decide to curl regularly, they usually:

  • Buy dedicated curling shoes from brands like Goldline, BalancePlus, Asham, etc., which sell “left-hand” or “right-hand” specific shoes depending on which foot you slide with.
  • Choose slider speed/thickness (slow, medium, or very fast) based on comfort and skill level.
  • Sometimes upgrade to steel sliders or replaceable slider disks for performance and durability.

In short: for a first time, clean indoor sneakers with club sliders are okay. But the “real” answer to what kind of shoes you wear for curling is: one sliding shoe with a Teflon/steel slider and one gripper shoe designed specifically for curling.

TL;DR:

  • First few games: clean, flat-soled indoor sneakers + club slip-on slider/gripper.
  • Ongoing play: dedicated curling shoes with a built-in slider on one foot and a grippy rubber sole on the other, plus warmth, toe protection, and stability features.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.