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This page explains what the Laws of Cricket, governing bodies and standards bodies publish. It is not a substitute for coaching from a qualified coach, and it does not replace medical advice.
The Laws: clothing is whatever is not protection
The 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026, has no Law on clothing colour, shoes, boots or spikes; a text search of the 2026 Laws found no footwear rule at all. Its only definition is Appendix A.12.2: anything worn that is not external protective equipment counts as clothing, including spectacles and jewellery, even if some items worn out of sight are there for protection. So any rule on clothing colour or shoes in a match comes from the body running it, not from the Laws.
Shoes: the ICC's appearance rule
The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations, effective from January 2024 for bilateral international cricket, list boots and shoes as cricket equipment:
| Format | Shoe and boot rule (ICC, January 2024) |
|---|---|
| Tests | At least 70% white, counting the tongue and laces; any colour on the remaining 30% |
| ODIs and T20 internationals | The same 70% white rule, or the same colour as the team's playing kit |
| All formats | Only one maker identified on each item |
Spiked and rubber-soled cricket shoes, and any rule on spikes on artificial pitches, were not researched for this site, so this guide says nothing about which sole suits which surface. A club, league or ground may have its own rule; that body's current document governs. Fit is personal, and we suggest trying shoes in person.
Whites: Test-match clothing
In Tests, the ICC's January 2024 regulations require shirts, sweaters and trousers to be plain white or cream. Coloured piping is limited to one colour, at most 0.5 cm wide, on seams, collar edges and cuffs, and sweaters may carry stripes in team colours at the waist, V-neck and cuffs. Caps and sunhats must be the same colour for the whole team, or a white sunhat may be worn. Batting and keeping pads must be plain white, more than half of a batting glove's protective area must be white, and arm guards plain white.
In all formats, a number below the national logo may show the player's order of selection, caps won or a landmark, and initials of at most 2 cm may appear. Thigh pads and similar guards may be any colour but must be worn under playing clothing and not be visible.
Coloured clothing: ODIs and T20 internationals
For ODIs and T20 internationals, the same regulations let each board choose its colours, but shirts, sweaters and trousers must not be white, cream or any light colour that could make a white ball hard to see, with the ICC's Senior Cricket Operations Manager's decision final. Boards register their colours with the ICC beforehand. Names and numbers on shirts must correctly identify the player, with a legible number on the back. Pads must be plain coloured, not white, and the same across the team.
Hats, sunglasses and the heat
The ICC's January 2024 regulations put no colour restriction on sunglasses except that the strap must be a single colour. Cricket Australia's Extreme Heat Guidelines (undated) say match officials are the sole judges of whether weather is suitable for play and that no restrictions should be placed on players getting fluids during play; they also say children are at greater risk from heat than adults. A suspected heat illness needs medical care. More is on heat and air quality.
Club and league cricket
Most of the rules above are the ICC's, for international matches. The ECB publishes clothing and equipment regulations for its domestic cricket and for The Hundred, but they were seen in search results only and not opened, and club and league kit rules were not researched. Whether whites, coloured clothing or a particular shoe is required in a given match is for that competition's own rules. The ICC also notes that its regulations give way to event-specific rules at ICC events where they conflict.
Our picks by category
Cricket shoes
Footwear for playing and training. The Laws set no footwear rule. In international cricket the ICC's January 2024 regulations require shoes to be at least 70% white, including tongue and laces, with the option in ODIs and T20 internationals of matching the team's kit colour. Spiked and rubber-soled types were not researched, so the right sole for a surface is a question for the competition, the ground and the maker. Fit is best checked in person.
Best for: Players in club, school and league matches
Cricket whites
Shirts and trousers for whites cricket. In Tests the ICC requires plain white or cream with limited coloured piping, and in ODIs and T20 internationals the opposite: team colours, never white, cream or a light colour. Club and league rules were not researched; the competition decides what is worn.
Best for: Players in matches played in whites
Sun hats and caps
A cap or wide-brimmed hat for fielding. The ICC's January 2024 regulations require Test caps and sunhats to match across the team, with a white sunhat allowed. A hat is clothing under the Laws, not protective equipment; under Appendix A.2.2 a fielder other than the wicket-keeper may wear only a protective helmet as external protective equipment.
Best for: Fielders and anyone on the field in the sun