While these shoes may look good, they don’t provide enough support and stability for a player when he or she moves around the court.
In this quick guide, we explain whether you can use running shoes for pickleball and what type of athletic footwear is best for a pickleball game.
Can You Wear Running Shoes For Pickleball?
While you can wear running shoes or trainers if you don’t have any other footwear available, these shoes don’t provide enough support for your feet to move around a pickleball court.
You should wear specifically designed tennis or rocket sports shoes that are made for lateral movements.
Running shoes are flexible and too lightweight. They don’t have enough support around the sides to ensure your feet are solid on the ground.
In comparison, a tennis or court shoe isn’t too flexible and it offers much more lateral support which means that your ankles and feet can move freely sideways.
What Footwear To Avoid For Pickleball
Although many standard running shoes appear to be suitable for a variety of sports, they are not designed for the movements on a pickleball court.
In fact, there are a number of different sports shoes that you should avoid, including trail running shoes, general running shoes, barefoot shoes and hiking boots.
Open shoes and lounge shoes of any kind are also not supportive enough when you need to react quickly on a pickleball court.
The main reason why it is important to avoid these shoes is that they don’t have any side support that could protect your toes, ankles and feet from injury.
What To Look For In A Good Pickleball Shoe
When you are looking for a good pickleball footwear, then you can buy tennis shoes or court shoes. Make sure that they feel comfortable and they provide enough support for your ankles.
Check that your new pickleball shoes are conducive to quick lateral movements and they feel stable around the sides.
You should also check that the shoes have enough grip on your playing surface. Depending on whether you play indoors or outdoors, you need to choose the right shoe.
For example, a rubber sole is ideal for indoor pickleball courts because it prevents slipping.
The Best Pickleball Shoes
There are generally two types of shoes that are considered ideal for pickleball: tennis shoes and court shoes.
However, you can also use netball shoes or any other footwear that gives you enough structure, stability and grip to quickly move around in the game.
Court Shoes
Court shoes are specifically designed for sports that are played on an indoor court, including tennis and pickleball.
There are a number of things that make court shoes perfect for a pickleball game. They have plenty of stability around the sides.
Court shoes have a rubber sole and their bending point is around the toe box instead of the middle (as in regular running shoes).
In addition, these shoes aren’t as heavy and bulky as tennis shoes. This means that they are ideal for players who prefer lighter footwear.
Court shoes are sometimes also called all-purpose indoor gymnasium shoes that you can use for any indoor court sport, such as squash, racquetball, badminton and volleyball.
If you already play a racquet sport, then chances are that you already have court shoes. Just check the soles of your shoes. If they are rubber, then they are likely designed for indoor court use.
Another great plus of court shoes is that they are less expensive than most tennis shoes.
Tennis Shoes
If you are already an avid tennis player and you just started playing pickleball, then you probably already have a good pair of tennis shoes.
These shoes are best for outdoor pickleball courts because of the flat sole design. This being said, they don’t have any rubber which means tennis shoes aren’t suitable for indoor pickleball games.
We wouldn’t recommend using these shoes indoors because this could damage the sole of the shoes and the court surface. Plus, you may also injure yourself with the wrong footwear.
However, tennis shoes offer plenty of stability on the sides and they also bend around the toe box, similar to court shoes.
One of the biggest disadvantages of tennis footwear is that these shoes are bulky and heavier than court shoes.
Another minor drawback of tennis shoes is that they don’t have the same athletic looks as court shoes or trainers.
Saying this, if you don’t mind the weight or the appearance of these shoes, then they are perfectly fine to use on an outdoor pickleball court.
Are Pickleball Shoes The Same As Tennis Shoes?
Tennis shoes and pickleball shoes are very similar as they both allow quick sideways movements around the court.
In fact, there are also some other sports footwear that you can use for a match on a pickleball court, such as netball shoes.
However, sports shoe brands have started to design and label their products as specific pickleball shoes
This being said, just keep in mind that you should avoid running shoes and any type of shoes that are designed for rolling the foot.
When Should You Replace Pickleball Shoes?
Depending on how often you play and what type of pickleball court you play on, a good pair of pickleball shoes can last for up to 60 hours.
If you play frequently, then this could be between 3 and 4 months. In fact, professional pickleball players change their shoes every couple of months because they spend a lot of time on the court.
Final Thoughts
Playing pickleball in normal running shoes can increase the risk of injury. That’s why it is important that you get a good pair of court or tennis shoes.
These types of shoes provide plenty of support for rapid lateral movements around the court and they also stop you from slipping.
Pickleball has been played for decades, and it is a great way to let off some steam, engage in friendly competition, and improve your fitness levels.
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