How to Choose Your Next Pickleball Shoes (2024)

Whether you're looking for your first pair of pickleball shoes or needing a replacement, there are several factors to consider when choosing pickleball shoes. Pickleball requires making split second decisions and quick directional changes on the court. As a result, we advocate using an official pickleball court shoe over any other shoe type. Here's our guide on choosing a suitable pair of pickleball shoes. (Updated November 2023)

Why Pickleball Shoes?

Pickleball vs. Running Shoes

Which Type of Court do You Play on?

Outdoor vs. Indoor Courts

The most common court surface is an asphalt hard court. This court type is more demanding on a shoe's outsole durability. The outsole rubber compound of an outdoor shoe will be firmer for longevity purposes, while still providing predictable traction to safely decelerate in to and accelerate out of your shots. Total Pickleball has a vast selection of both indoor and outdoor court shoes that will complement everyone from aggressive split second movers to those who rely more on anticipation rather than raw foot speed.

What happens if I use an outdoor pickleball shoe on an indoor court?

Ideally, one should play in a court shoe that is court surface specific. However, if you are in a pinch, the softer rubber outsole of an indoor pickleball shoe will provide great traction on both surfaces, but will be less durable on the grittier hard courts. However, we do not advocate wearing outdoor court shoes on a wood laminate flooring because traction is less than ideal. If there is even a trace of water or sweat on this type of court, an outdoor shoe can feel like a skate and present risk for injury.

If you play most, or even some, of your pickleball on a wood laminate (gym floor) surface, it is in your best interest to wear an indoor court shoe. An indoor pickleball shoe will feature a softer outsole rubber compound, which provides both good traction on laminate flooring and also complements the midsole's level of cushioning. Additionally, some indoor shoes use more mesh in the upper, and as a result are often lighter than outdoor pickleball shoes.

What happens if I use an indoor pickleball shoe on an outdoor court?

We recommend pairing the court shoe to the court surface. However, using an indoor shoe on an outdoor court will deliver good traction, but may result in the outsole wearing quickly, and depending on tread pattern, may even feel a bit too sticky.

Step 1: Find a hard, flat surface and place a piece of paper on the floor.

Step 2: Wear socks that are similar to what you plan to wear when playing pickleball. Stand with one foot on the paper.

Step 3: Keeping your body weight over your foot, trace a thin line around the outside of your entire foot. When drawing the line, hold the pen perpendicular to the ground.

Step 4: Measure vertically down the length of your foot tracing. This is your foot length.

Step 5: Measure horizontally across the widest part of your foot tracing. This is your foot width.
Find your shoe size & width

Make sure you are looking in the proper column, either men's or women's, when determining your size. The standard width for women is B. The standard width for men is D.

*Note: This chart is here to give you a general idea on sizing and widths. Total Pickleball is not responsible for mismeasurements or ordering the wrong size. We recommend that you order the size that you normally wear in other shoes.

Your Game Style

What Kind of Pickleball Player Are You?

Are you a light-footed player who tracks down shots with the exuberance of a Golden Retriever? Are you also wearing down court shoes like a hot knife through butter? Is the potential for ankle rolling such that you need a shoe that delivers lots of lateral stability? Is the climate extremely hot (or cold) where you play?

Ideally, when shopping for a pickleball court shoe, it is those traits (and maybe a few more) that will determine what sort of court shoe is the best for you.

There are three primary traits of a court shoe: support, weight and comfort. Realistically, you can expect to benefit from two of the traits, but to a degree, it will come at the expense of the third. For instance, you can have a lightweight, comfortable court shoe if you concede some support. Another option is to go with a shoe that provides a high degree of support and comfort, but the shoe will have to weigh a little more. Lastly, you could make a shoe very supportive and lightweight, but some comfort would be sacrificed. And without a doubt, combining all three characteristics together in to one shoe is the aim for pickleball shoe manufacturers.

Support (stability): When it comes to support, we are talking about how well shoes are securing your feet in place. For stability, we're describing how rigid the shoes are and not allowing you to turn an ankle or fall. With all the lateral movements in pickleball, support and stability are primary concerns for many players. Also, supportive and stable shoes come in a variety of weights, depending on preference.

Lightweight (speed): Many factors can make shoes feel light and fast on the court. We've learned from testing over the years that the weight on the scale doesn't tell the entire story of how light or heavy shoes feel on the court. A light, fast feel could be due to fit, design or even traction levels. One caveat about light shoes is they are often not as durable. An easy way to make pickleball shoes lighter is to use less rubber on the outsole. This won't make as big a difference if you're playing on indoor courts, but frequent outdoor court players may notice that light shoes tend to wear out faster. That doesn't mean hard court players have to skip lightweight performance. Some players choose to rotate shoes, keeping lighter shoes for matches and more durable ones for practice days.

Comfort (upper and midsole): When it comes to pickleball footwear, and the fact that all of your weight is on your feet, it is important to wear court shoes that provide them with a high degree of comfort. If you are used to playing in running shoes or generic sneakers, the midsole of almost all official court shoes will feel, at first, a bit firmer underfoot. After a short break-in period the midsole typically softens up without sacrificing performance or comfort. Another aspect of comfort, which also ties into the overall support of a shoe, is the materials used to construct the upper. A more spartan upper, tongue and lacing system will be more breathable and comfortable, but may not be as supportive relative to a court shoe made with a more substantial upper.