Textured hard pads will eat your mouse feet faster.

Yes. PTFE (Teflon) feet are soft relative to hard plastic, and a textured surface acts like sandpaper — slowly grinding them down.

The physics is simple: smooth hard pads have uniform contact, so friction is low and wear is even. Textured pads (honeycomb, dot, crosshatch) create high-pressure points where the PTFE catches on the texture peaks. Over time, those points get polished or gouged, depending on the pattern. I’ve seen mouse feet turn from smooth to rough in a few months on a honeycomb pad.

Now, some people love the extra control that texture gives — it’s a valid preference for gaming. But if you’re not swapping mouse feet every few months or don’t want to deal with inconsistent glide as the feet wear unevenly, a smooth hard pad is the smarter choice.

Stick with smooth if you want your mouse feet to outlast your mouse.