We may be runners, but we love anything that keeps us active and helps us cross train.
Pickleball is a fast and fun game that builds cardio and can help strengthen muscles used for lateral movements that we may not use during a typical run. But your standard running shoes just don’t cut it when you’re playing tennis or pickleball.
Like the best running shoes, owning a good pair of court shoes is important for playing well and preventing common injuries, like plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. Pickleball shoes and tennis shoes are made specifically with support, stability and grip to keep you balanced and agile so you can change directions quickly.
Choosing the right court shoes for you is about finding the perfect blend of comfort, performance and durability to help you play your best.
From the baseline to the kitchen, our top shoes for pickleball will have you setting up volleys, dinks and drives like a pro.
[This article is part of the Fleet Feet Buyer's Guide for The Best Running Shoes 2024. Find all the best running shoes from the top brands for all situations.]
Court shoes are made for playing sports like tennis or pickleball. They are specifically designed with lateral stability, support and grip to help you keep your balance and change directions quickly on tennis courts or gym floors.
Yes, court shoes made for tennis can also be used for outdoor pickleball. However, pickleball-specific shoes may have an outsole designed for better grip on indoor gym floors and may not be durable enough to be used on asphalt or pavement commonly found on outdoor tennis courts.
No. While it may seem like you can get away with wearing your running shoes for your next match, there are a few key differences between running shoes and court shoes for tennis and pickleball.
Court shoes are designed to give you lateral stability and grip on outdoor courts or gym floors. Compared to running shoes, court shoes for pickleball or tennis typically have a firmer, more responsive midsole, a lower overall stack height, a stickier and more durable outsole, and an upper designed to support your foot during lateral movements.
Running shoes are generally designed for softer landings and repetitive forward motion, and often do not have the lateral stability, support or grip required for quick, confident movements on the court.
To curate this list of the best court shoes for pickleball, Tom Rivett, in collaboration with our Fleet Feet gear testers and contributors, considered details like real-world performance, materials, comfort, style, and price, and also looked at best-seller lists and customer reviews.
Through our personalized Fleet Feet fit id® Outfitting process with 3D foot scanning technology that measures foot length, width, arch height and more, we used data from over 5 million foot scans (and counting) to give us unique insights into how today’s best men’s and women’s pickleball shoes from the top brands fit and perform on a wide variety of feet.
The gear on this best pickleball shoes guide has been updated to show only the newest products.
We picked the best shoes to wear for pickleball based on more than four decades of experience outfitting athletes of all abilities, ages and sizes. If you buy gear from us and you don’t like the way it looks, fits or performs, bring it back within 60 days for a full refund.
Plus, we offer free shipping & returns on all orders over $99 on fleetfeet.com, and we’ll match a lower price from a qualifying retailer. That’s our Happy Fit Guarantee.