The really good thing about pickleball is that it does not require a lot of new equipment. Of course, you need a paddle and a ball. But except that you do not need to buy anything new to start with pickleball. You can use your tennis or badminton dress and shoes. Once you get into the game you can consider the purchase of pickleball shoes. And what is important to know before buying them? Check our guide with recommendations of features and suitable models for beginners and advanced players below.
| Fila Double Bounce Pickleball Shoes | K- Swiss Express Light Pickleball Shoes | Filla Volley Zone Pickleball Shoes |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| for beginners availble in men and women versions | for intermediate and advanced players availble in men and women versions | for intermediate and advanced players availble in men and women versions |
| Price Tier: $ | Price Tier: $$ | Price Tier: $$ |
| CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON | CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON | CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON |
or read our review of Skechers Pickleball shoes here.
Features
First of all, we need to know what are the important features of pickleball footwear. Pickleball is played on a smaller court than tennis (check the official pickleball court sizes here). Therefore you do not need to cover a big space, instead, you will need to make more quick starts and stops. Imagine playing tennis on the net, that is almost the same. You need to react very fast, your response time needs to be as low as possible.
Your pickleball footwear should be comfortable (like all the shoes you wear), lightweight to help you with fast movement, and durable to withstand a lot of small and quick moves on different surfaces.
Different surfaces requirements
Pickleball is played on many different surfaces. Hard Outdoor and Hard (Taraflex) Indoor are the most common, but you can play also on clay, grass or concrete. Every surface requires different outsole features. You will need a durable and strong outsole for hard courts, grooves with good traction for clay courts and a flatter anti-slippery outsole for grass. We wrote more about tennis shoes for every surface here and the same can be applied to pickleball footwear too.
The Best Pickleball Shoes for Beginners
When you start with pickleball I do recommend using your tennis shoes. There is no need to invest in new pickleball shoes at the beginning. Choose a pair of tennis shoes suitable for the pickleball court surface and go on. It is better to pick lighter shoes for better movement on the court.
When you realize that pickleball is your weekly dose of entertainment, then you should consider the purchase of specialized pickleball shoes. Again, I would recommend going for inexpensive models at the start. Fila Double Bounce is a good choice at affordable costs.
Fila Double Bounce Pickleball Shoes
Fila Double Bounce is the best entry pickleball shoe for women and men. The women’s version is available in two colour alternatives (pink/white and pure white). The rubber outsole is very durable and has a solid grip for added traction. The shoes are very comfortable and stable. Moreover, the price is really low and your entry investment will be negligible.
Check Fila Double Bounce for Women on Amazon here.
Men’s shoes offer two colour variations too. You can pick from white/navy blue (pictured above) or pure white (with red logo) version.
Check Fila Double Bounce for Women on Amazon here.
The Best Pickleball Shoes for Advanced Players
A lot of tennis shoe brands went into the pickleball business to exploit the opportunity it offers. Wilson, Head or Babolat are trying to adapt their tennis shoe models for pickleball. The inspiration is clear in many pickleball models and sometimes they even share the model name. The pickleball shoes focus on weight, good traction, and durability of outsoles. The price of models is higher than prices for beginners’ shoes but still lower than those of premium tennis shoe models.
Two brands stepped into the pickleball sooner than others and now dictate the market. Therefore our choice of the best pickleball shoes for intermediate and advanced players comes from K-Swiss and Fila.
K- Swiss Express Light Pickleball Shoes
The inspiration for the K-Swiss flag pickleball shoe model is clear. The popular tennis Express line was mirrored for pickleball purposes. The shoes are available in men’s and women’s versions. They offer enhanced durability of midsole and outsole, maximum cushioning and special heel grip lining (for minimizing heel slippage). Ortholite sock liner is equipped with technology to keep feet cool and suppress the effects of perspiration.
K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball Women’s shoes are available in three different colour alternatives: Magnet/Neon Pink (pictured above), Aquarus/Neon Citron, and Highrise/White.
Check K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball for Women’s availability on Amazon here.
K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball Men’s shoes are available in three different colour alternatives: Blue/Neon Citron (pictured above), Magnet/Maliblue, and Highrise/Navy.
Check K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball for Men’s availability on Amazon here.
Fila Volley Zone Pickleball Shoes
Fila moved very aggressively to the pickleball segment. A small but funny detail showing their commitment is the custom pickleball logo shown on all Fila pickleball shoes. Their flagship pickleball shoe model Fila Volley Zone was inspired by the premium tennis shoes Fila Axilus 2 Energized line. Fila Volley Zone shoes are lightweight, and flexible and offer a unique pivot-point system for better response.
Filla Volley Zone Pickleball Women’s shoes are available in two different colour alternatives: White/Pink (pictured above), and White/Metallic Silver.
Check Fila Volley Zone Pickleball for Women’s availability on Amazon here.
Filla Volley Zone Pickleball men’s shoes are available in three different colour alternatives: Navy Blue/Red/White (pictured above), and White/Navy Blue/Red, and White/Metallic Silver.
Check Fila Volley Zone Pickleball for Men’s availability on Amazon here.
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