In a world of 16,000+ DPI, near instantaneous wireless connections and sinuous paracords, mouse feet never seem to be given very much thought. Surprising, considering they affect the movement of the mouse far more than the weight or the cable – and the vast world of aftermarket, “high-performance” mouse feet remains mostly unexplored.
As a result, the aspiring mouse enthusiast doesn’t have much to go on when it comes to selecting their first set of speedy skates, and no, mouse feet are not all equal. This guide covers all the basics and most of the biggest brands in aftermarket mouse feet and hopefully will get you on your way to your first high-performance glide.
Terms used:
Like any other aspect of technology, aftermarket mouse feet have a heap of confusing terms:
- Teflon/PTFE: PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), known by its trade name of DuPont Teflon, is what most mouse feet are made of. It has the third lowest coefficient of friction of any substance.
- Virgin-grade: Virgin-grade PTFE is 100% pure, without any additional chemicals or plastics. This type of PTFE is always white since dye degrades the glide of the material.
- Machine-grade: A lower grade of PTFE, with added substances such as other plastics or chemicals. Machine-grade PTFE is what the stock black skates found on most mice are made of. The glide is considered inferior in terms of smoothness and speed to virgin-grade.
- 3M: What the adhesive at the back of the mouse feet is generally called – named after the company who makes them.
- Rounded Edges: Rounded edges on mouse feet prevents scratching against the mouse pad and results in a smoother glide. Regarded as a premium feature.
- Break-in Time: Sometimes mouse feet don’t perform as expected out of the box – instead, they need to be used until the Teflon “polishes up” to have the best performance.
Popular Types of Aftermarket Mouse Feet
These are the most popular brands making aftermarket mouse feet – a quick browse on eBay or Amazon will show a heap of other brands and products, but generally, most people will buy from certain trusted brands, which usually maintain a good yardstick of quality. Unless you are strapped for cash, our recommendation is to stick with these tried-and-true companies.
Hyperglide:
Glide Type: Speed
Material: Virgin-grade PTFE
Curved Edges: Yes
Break-in Time: Yes
Hyperglides have somewhat of a “premium reputation” – they were the first company to get into the aftermarket feet business, and are still the most popular option today. Their use of 100% pure PTFE and rounded edges gives smooth, fast gliding characteristics, especially on cloth pads.
Compared to other brands, Hyperglide has a very limited range, with a handful of options for Razer, Microsoft, Zowie, Finalmouse, Steelseries, and Logitech – check whether your model is supported before deciding on Hyperglides. Hyperglides are also somewhat thicker than the stock feet (~ 0.9mm), which has been known to cause issues on low LOD mice such as the G Pro 3366 (be prepared for some DPI/LOD change).
Corepad:
Glide Type: Speed
Material: Virgin-grade PTFE
Curved Edges: Yes
Break-in Time: Yes
Corepad, once inferior to Hyperglide, has upped their quality dramatically in recent years. With the introduction of curved edges in their newer feet, combined with their vastly wider range, we believe that they are now at least equal, if not superior outright, to Hyperglides. The gliding characteristics feel similar, and in a blind test with fresh, unused feet, it was almost impossible to feel any difference.
Corepad has support for nearly every mouse on the market released by well-known companies and are also slightly thinner than Hyperglides by about 0.1mm. This reduces any incompatibility issues with sensors and LOD.
Hotline Games:
Glide Type: Control/Speed
Material: Machine-grade PTFE, Silver-treated PTFE, Treated PTFE (unknown substance)
Curved Edges: No
Break-in Time: Yes/Depends
Unlike Corepad or Hyperglide, Hotline Games offers three different types of mouse feet for each different model, which can be confusing. Their lower end Performance line uses Machine-grade PTFE and gives a glide similar to stock feet. The Competition line uses F4 Silver Treated PTFE, which is meant to increase the speed of machine-grade PTFE (less expensive, but inferior to virgin-grade). The last type is the Master feet, which are a beige colour and offer a slower, smoother glide for control.
None of the Hotline Games feet use 100% pure PTFE, and as a result, the smoothness and speed of the glide are impacted. However, the plus side is that Hotline Games feet are cheaper, have support for more mice, and are favourites for people who prefer slower glides.
Tiger Gaming:
Glide Type: Control/Speed
Material: Machine-grade PTFE, Carbon-treated PTFE, UPE
Curved Edges: Yes (Arc Feet)/No
Break-in Time: Yes
Tiger Gaming feet are somewhat newer to the market than the other types of PTFE-based mouse feet. They have a variety of dyed and undyed PTFE feet as well as UPE mouse feet, which you can choose between depending on what feel you want your mouse to have. The black-dyed PTFE feet are similar to stock feet, the blue, carbon and UPE feet are slower with different feedback levels while gliding, and the undyed-PTFE offers the smoothest, fastest glide.
Tiger Gaming recently released their Arc feet line, which adds rounded edges. If you are getting Tiger feet, the Arc line is definitely our recommendation, as you get a smoother, less scratchy glide for only slightly more. Tiger Arcs, especially the white PTFE variant, feel very similar to Hyperglides with only a small difference in speed.
LEXIP CERAMIC:
Glide Type: Speed
Material: Ceramic
Curved Edges: Yes
Break-in Time: No
Lexip Ceramic Feet are unique amongst mouse feet in that they are made of ceramic instead of PTFE. This gives them a very quick glide on cloth pads (they tend to damage hard pads), and also don’t need to be replaced like Teflon feet since they do not wear. Lexip feet only come in one size, which is a small, rounded foot that will fit inside the feet sockets of most mice.
Lexip feet are incredibly thick due to their ceramic composition and will have a significant impact on LOD. Some popular mice such as the Finalmouse Ultralight, G Pro 3366 and the G303 will refuse to track properly outright – definitely make sure your mouse has a higher LOD or adjustment capabilities in software. Lexip feet are also very expensive at around $20 USD for a set – we recommend going with standard PTFE feet unless you really want to go with the wacky and weird.
Applying Mouse Feet
Most aftermarket feet will come with a spare set in the box, so it’s okay to screw it up the first time. Applying new feet is a simple process – the only trick in it is applying the feet without bending them and removing the old adhesive.
- Remove the old feet by using a small, thin tool such as a small flathead screwdriver, and be sure to remove the 3M adhesive underneath instead of just peeling off the PTFE layer.
- Clean off adhesive residue. We recommend zippo (lighter) fluid or methylated spirits – dab the liquid onto a cotton swab and wipe the mouse feet sockets until it is completely clean. Any glue residue could result in bumps.
- Peel off new mouse feet, making sure not to bend the feet in the process. Some brands have a thin, almost invisible transparent layer on top for protection, which will negatively affect the glide. Make sure to check for this and peel it off.
- Align the feet properly, and apply them, again without creasing or folding it.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we’ve cleared up the confusion a bit about all the sorts of aftermarket mouse feet – though once you’ve tried them, you definitely won’t go back to stock. As far as mouse mods or upgrades go, the feet are probably some of the most worthwhile, and you’ll definitely feel the difference far more than the loss of a few grams or even a bendy new paracord. I myself have tried more than my reasonable number of sets…