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Pickleball Shoes

Most people start out playing pickleball in regular running shoes. Of course you aren’t going to go to the expense of buying court or pickleball specific shoes before you know if you like the sport and are going to continue playing. Court shoes will help prevent injuries from rolled ankles and other sudden lateral movements. Proper footwear not only protect your feet, but help reduce injuries to your entire body. Don’t wear street running shoes on the court. They may be dirty and bring unwanted sand onto the court creating a slippery surface.

I started playing pickleball with court shoes that I regularly wore at volleyball. I continue to play with this model of shoe, regularly replacing them. I have discovered a couple tweaks for my comfort that I will discuss in a future post but for now I will use my court shoes until I see a need to change brands.

Tip: If the shoe you find works best for you comes in white I suggest that color as it will match any color pickleball outfit. Label or identify your shoes if yours is a common model.

Tip: Make sure you pull up the heel, drive your heels back into the shoe and pull up the tongue before tying. I keep the box part of the laces the same and only tighten/loosen the top of the shoe – alternating sides as a tighten to get a good secure shoe.

I will get into specific shoes and their virtues for not only your feet, but your entire body below. However, I thought I would hit on some of the considerations that you may want to keep in mind when selecting pickleball shoes.

Shoe considerations I would look at include:

1. Is the shoe recommended for indoor or outdoor surfaces. I have found my shoes to be good for both. Outdoor shoes are tougher if you are only getting one pair. Indoor shoes are usually less expensive.
2. Budget – always a consideration – how much are you playing may affect this. If you find a shoe you like – keep an eye out for sales. I always keep an extra pair readily available that I have bought on sale.
3. Arch Support – flat or wide feet may require more (although insoles can help). I have larger feet – so find a man’s shoe more comfortable.
4. Cushioning – good sole or does the shoe need the addition of an insole. I use a gel insole in my shoes.
5. Wide box or narrow foot – you don’t want your toes squished but you also don’t want too much room for the foot to slide from side to side. For me a bigger box is more comfortable but I do have a wider foot.
6. Non-slip tread. Slipping treads will lead to injuries to your knees and ankles. This is a definite plus for court shoes.
7. Weight – A light weight shoe will help with quicker movement and less drag on your feet.

The popularity of the sport has resulted in a plethora of Pickleball Shoes available on Amazon. I have checked out a few that have good reviews.

For women with wider and bigger feet, women’s shoes may have too narrow of a box, as is my case. Then again men’s shoes may be too big. The great thing about purchasing your shoes at amazon is that if you have prime shipping and returns are free. This allows you to order and return if they don’t feel comfortable when you get them. Click here to see a selection of men’s pickleball shoes available. Names include K-Swiss, Franklin, Wilson.

I will just talk about the shoes that I use. I do know a lot of people that play pickleball with this shoe.

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