Have you heard of the New Balance Fresh Foam X CT-Rally?
Quite a mouthful, huh?
That’s just the name of one pickleball shoe in a sea of what feels like hundreds, all with wacky names that are impossible to remember.
Most of us aren’t shoe reviewers, so how are you supposed to keep track of things when you need a new pair those few times a year?
Figuring out which specs are for you, making a shortlist, and picking the best one easily turns into a headache.
Before diving into the most popular and best pickleball shoes for beginners, let’s look at which shoes you can use from other sports and the tips I’ve discovered from testing loads of badminton shoes.
Table of Contents
Can you use shoes from other sports for pickleball?
The short answer is yes!
Whether you play pickleball indoors or outdoors, the courts have the same surface as courts from other sports.
Let’s compare shoes from different sports with pickleball shoes.
Can you use indoor shoes like badminton shoes, squash shoes, basketball shoes, or table tennis shoes for pickleball?
Yes, if you’re playing pickleball indoors the surface tends to be the same for table tennis, squash, basketball, and badminton.
That means you can use shoes from these sports as well, but as soon as you’re playing pickleball outdoors, the softer rubber underneath these shoes will get fried quicker since the court surface is different.
I’ve noticed several recreational pickleball players pointing out how they prefer basketball shoes for better ankle support than pickleball-specific or tennis shoes.
If you’re looking for a good fit, check out my on-court tests of the best badminton shoes.
Can you use tennis shoes for pickleball?
Yes, tennis shoes are a popular choice for outdoor pickleball as there are more options available. They tend to be distributed to more stores around the world than pickleball shoes since tennis has been popular for longer.
That makes it easier to find a shoe that fits your feet well, or get a good deal on sale.
Can you use (other) all around outdoor court shoes?
As a rule of thumb, yes. The Adidas Gamecourt 2 is a good example of a general court shoe for your outdoor pickleball games.
In Pickleball, there’s a lot of sideways movement so shoes with good grip and an outsole that isn’t too tall are useful. Having an extra wide bottom of the toe box can help avoid rolling your ankle (this feature doesn’t affect the sizing).
Can you use running shoes for pickleball?
I’ve used running shoes the first few times I played pickleball and it worked out just fine. But since running shoes are meant for moving forward, many pairs don’t offer good traction when turning steep corners.
That means they are unlikely to offer good support for the quick sideways moves we need in pickleball (like when we’re side-stepping at the kitchen line).
As soon as you’re ready to play regularly, I’d upgrade to another type of sports shoe if you’re starting out with running shoes.
To sum up, you don’t NEED pickleball-specific shoes if it’s not inconvenient for you to find a pair where you live.
Next, let’s look at the best pickleball shoes and how to choose the right ones for you.
But first, I wanna offer complete transparency.
This guide is based on my research as I’ve been looking for the best pickleball shoes to put on my own feet.
I haven’t tested each of these shoes on court like I have with badminton shoes but rather compiled what I’ve learned. I’ve done my best to filter out spammy and commercial comments about the shoes, but it can be hard to tell at times.
Let’s dive in!
Hey reader, a quick interruption...
I’m experimenting partnering with shops that sell gear. I’ll include links to buy the gear I review and if you do, they’ll pay me a small commission.
That doesn’t change your price and you’ll get more play-tested gear as a result, but I thought it was fair to let you know.
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Aske
5 popular shoes for pickleball: the overview
- All around – Adidas Ubersonic 4.1 / Ubersonic 5
- Comfort – Diadem Court Burst
- Stability – ASICS Gel Resolution 9 (both for indoor and outdoor pickleball)
- Lightweight – Babolat Jet Mach III (mentioned a lot for wide feet, lightweight)
How to choose your pickleball shoes
After testing top-tier badminton shoes for years, I’ve gotten a good grasp on what to consider when choosing shoes for racket sports. Some things just aren’t obvious while other things can feel important, but don’t make as much difference as it might seem.
Pickleball and badminton aren’t exactly the same sport, but they have enough similarities in terms of player movement on court that there are important takeaways we can summarize.
Since I’ve already covered a couple of points earlier in this guide, I’ll leave them here as a friendly reminder before diving into the rest.
- Pick an outsole suitable for the court you play in (indoor vs outdoor) since a good grip is one of the best things to avoid injuries
- Pick shoes that are good for moving sideways (i.e. a shoe from other similar sports like tennis or basketball if pickleball shoes aren’t available where you live)
- Avoid a tall outsole like those on running shoes as they make it too easy to roll your ankle
- Measure your feet in cm/inch while wearing socks to get the right size across all brands
Besides those, I’ve found that figuring out if your feet are narrow, wide, or somewhere in between makes a big difference (and more so than with your everyday shoes).
For the longest time, I had issues on the side of my big toe and it was only when I tried on a narrow shoe by chance, that I realized I have narrow feet.
After finding a more suitable pair, those issues disappeared.
It showed up as fatigue on the side of the big toe from banging against the side of the shoe due to the toe box being too wide for my feet (even in non-wide editions of the shoe).
I tried to fix it with sports tape and different kinds of socks, but it never went away properly until I found shoes in the right width for my feet (and the right fit feels especially incredible for sports once you find it!)
Another thing is to figure out if you lean more towards speed, comfort, stability (i.e. for ankle support), or something particular like nursing a knee issue.
This is harder said than done if the stores near you don’t have lots of variety available in your size. One approach is to consider your body weight.
If you’re a person on the nimble side, you might get fewer downsides with lightweight shoes as opposed to someone with a lot of weight for their joints to support.
In my experience, beginners tend to prefer comfort at first, but later move on to something with lower weight, a more snug fit, or more stability to prevent injuries if they know they’re slower and not as flexible in outer positions.
Lightweight shoes allow you to fly faster around the court in exchange for feeling more fatigued. This shoe category tends to require better footwork to avoid pain, such as not having heavy landings on lunges. It’s certainly not for everyone.
The biggest problem with finding the perfect pair of pickleball shoes is that there are so many different feet and shoes out there, but it’s so difficult to find the one that fits you perfectly all around, carries the characteristics you prefer, and is available near you.
Especially that last bit–your preferred shoe not being easily available–means that many of us have to spend a few iterations to find good shoes for us.
If you’re totally clueless about where to start, get a popular pair of shoes in the all around category based on the type of court you’re playing on (indoor vs outdoor) and go from there.
That’ll give you a sense of if you prefer something with a lower weight, something more stable, or more comfortable when you upgrade to your next shoe after that (i.e. if the all around shoe gives you fatigue underneath your feet, you might want a more cushioned shoe as your next one).
Now, let’s look at the comments I’ve gathered for each of the pickleball shoes on this list.
5 popular shoes for pickleball: the deep dive
Let’s begin with the all around option before moving on to comfort.
1. All around – Adidas Ubersonic 4.1 / Ubersonic 5
The Adidas Ubersonic 4.1 has long been a favorite among players as an all around court shoe that leans towards the lightweight side of things while balancing some comfort and stability.
It has been mentioned as a fast shoe for moving sideways, something we do a lot in pickleball, especially when waiting at the kitchen line.
It tends to be suggested for lighter players with narrow feet.
The Ubersonic 4.1 is from 2023 and is still a popular option, but recently Adidas launched their Ubersonic 5.
It doesn’t seem as popular as the 4.1 yet, and it leans more towards the lightweight category, which could be the reason why, as that means it doesn’t appeal to as many players as an all around shoe does (the trade-off with lightweight shoes tend to be that you’ll feel fatigued after playing if you aren’t a lighter player or at least have good footwork without heavy landings and late lunches).
Other things I’ve seen mentioned about the Ubersonic 5 are:
- It doesn’t seem to get crazy hot so the breathability is good
- It feels close to the ground (as opposed to midsole comfort underneath your feet), this will likely lead to foot fatigue especially if you’re not a light player with effective footwork
- Shock absorption can be an issue
- These seem best suitable for medium and narrow feet
- They are more stable than the Ubersonic 4/4.1 especially when moving sideways
The Ubersonic 4.1 seems like a better fit for more pickleball players, but I wanted to point out that there’s a newer version in case you’re curious. That also means you might be able to get the 4.1 on sale if that one is more appealing to you.
2. Comfort – Diadem Court Burst
The Diadem Court Burst is a pickleball-specific shoe and is mentioned among the most comfortable ones. It’s also one of the few pickleball-specific shoes on this list.
When you’re considering comfort shoes it’s worth keeping in mind that they’re unlikely to feel snug (for those who prefer that).
Instead, the ‘plush’, that gives that comfortable feeling we like, offers more forgiveness, meaning that you might be okay even if the width feels narrow for your feet (this shoe isn’t mentioned as being particularly narrow though).
The Court Bursts are also mentioned as having a nice insole and decent breathability without being amazing.
3. Stability – ASICS Gel Resolution 9
Badminton “influencer”, CK Yew, previously tested several top of the line top ASICS shoes (but not the Gel-series).
He found that they didn’t have as good grip for badminton on indoor courts compared to typical badminton shoes from badminton-specific brands.
I figure it’ll be the same with the Gel-series (but I hope not), which means it’ll be best used on outdoor courts.
On the other hand, I have heard from other badminton players that this series can be good for players with knee issues.
4. Lightweight: Babolat Jet Mach III
The Jet Mach 3 might be the pickleball shoe I’ve seen mentioned the most out there. It seems to be mentioned the most for wide feet and falls in the lightweight category (but it still comes in a non-wide edition).
At the time of writing this, the Jet Mach 3 from 2021 is still the most recent shoe in this series. Babolat hasn’t announced a Jet Mach 4 yet.
5. Budget – Adidas Gamecourt 2
Budget pickleball shoes (or any budget sports shoes for that matter) are a special hell to compare since there are just…
So.
Many.
Options.
Several friends have suggested the Adidas Gamecourt 2 as a decent starting point. It’s an all around outdoor court shoe, meaning that it isn’t specifically meant for pickleball or tennis.
I wanted to put it on the list since it appears to be widely available and at an affordable price–a good starting point for many new pickleball players.
Since it’s a well-known shoe, if you find that, say, you want something more comfortable or lightweight as your next shoe, many experts will know it and be ready to guide you in the right direction when you have a better sense of what you prefer.
