Author: Racquet Network

• Ladies Pickleball Shoes
• Men’s Pickleball Shoes

The good news is that beginning October 10, 2017, that selection will be even larger because that is the day our new store opens at the west end of Woodbine Square shopping centre.

Our new store, located at 310 2525 Woodview Dr SW, will be twice as big as our current store. Most importantly for shoe customers though is that our storage capacity for shoes will be eight times larger than our old store in Oakridge.

“We are very excited about the new store,” admits Racquet Network’s owner and founder. “We have been trying to expand for five years. Now it is finally happening. We have signed a five year lease in Woodbine Square with an option of taking five more when it ends. This will allow us to expand our inventory, add new models and bring in some fresh new brands.”

Racquet Network has been serving Canadian pickleball players longer than any sporting goods store in Canada. Owner Brent Johner started the very first pickleball programs in Calgary at the West Hillhurst Community Centre and the Cedarbrae Community Centre. Johner was also the driving force behind the construction of 14 pickleball courts in the community of Oakridge.

“We were deep into pickleball before most people even heard of it,” says Johner. Expanding our store means that we will be able to serve the pickleball community better than ever before.”

Racquet Network currently stocks more than 50 models of pickleball shoes in-store while offering another 100 or so models online. Top selling brands include Yonex ™, Victor ™, Babolat ™, Asics ™, Wilson ™ and Salming. Expanding to the new store means that Adida ™s and Mizuno will be added immediately with additional brands being added down the road.

• Ladies Pickleball Shoes
• Men’s Pickleball Shoes

Most pickleball shoe stores offer two types of court shoes: indoor and outdoor. This is because, until recently, all indoor courts were made of hardwood and all outdoor courts were made of acrylic. Unfortunately, that is no longer true. So these two categories are no longer very useful.

Today, indoor courts may be made of hardwood or any of a dozen different synthetic materials. Some are even covered in outdoor acrylic, which means that they are actually outdoor courts even though they are under a roof and surrounded by walls. Some facilities go even further and cover their floors with mats. So you can see why the terms indoor and outdoor no longer have much meaning.

Complicating matters further is the fact that virtually all of the shoe manufacturers now use a blend of organic and synthetic rubbers in their outer soles. Ten years ago, the soles of indoor shoes were made entirely of organic gum rubber while outdoor shoes were made of high abrasion synthetic rubber. So it was easy to tell them apart.

These days, however, every manufacturer uses a blend of synthetic and organic rubbers on their “indoor shoes”. Some even blend small amounts of organic rubber into the soles of their “outdoor shoes”. So it is not as easy to tell “indoor shoes” from “outdoor shoes” as it used to be.

A more useful way to categorize shoes today is to put them on a gradient with soft soled shoes on one end and hard soled shoes on the opposite end. Soft soled shoes can be used on hardwood floors and badminton mats while hard soled shoes can be used on most synthetic floors and on acrylic covered tennis courts.

Racquet Network stopped using the terms indoor and outdoor a few years ago. Instead, we now focus on figuring out which surface our customers will be playing on before we help them pick out shoes. Here in Calgary where we are familiar with virtually every facility, it is a rather simple proposition. If the customer can tell us where they will be playing pickleball, we will be able to tell them which shoe is most suitable.

Customers from out of town are advised to take a picture of the floors in their facility before coming in to see us. The further away from Calgary you live, the more likely our staff will need that photo in order to give you the best possible advice regarding shoe selection.

Racquet Network carries a large selection of men’s pickleball shoes in all sizes in our southwest Calgary store. We offer both indoor and outdoor shoes at all price points.

In our experience more than half of all male pickleball players are playing in the wrong shoes. Even when they are wearing the right shoes — court shoes — most of their shoes are too short or too narrow, which can lead to foot pain, blackened toe nails, arthritis and other health issues.

Come in and see us. Our experts will size your feet correctly and make sure that your shoes are contributing to your on court performance, not detracting from it.

• Indoor Pickleball Shoes for Ladies
• Outdoor Pickleball Shoes for Ladies
• Indoor Pickleball Shoes for Men
• Outdoor Pickleball Shoes for Men

Why Shoes Matter

In order to excel at pickleball, players must be able to stop and change direction quickly. For example, a player who goes out wide to make shot must be able to push off while making that shot in order to get back to the center quickly. In running shoes, which are designed for forward movement will work against the player in this situation. Court shoes, which are designed for this movement, will work with the player and assist in his recovery back to the center.

Why Court Shoes are Different

Running shoes are built for movement in one direction — forward. They are also designed for constant forward motion, not for sudden stops or sudden changes of direction. Court shoes are designed for movement in all four directions — forward, backward, left and right. They are also designed to keep players balanced during sudden stops and sudden changes of direction. In other words, court shoes are designed for pickleball, while running shoes are not.

Players who try to play pickleball in running shoes are more likely to trip, roll their ankles or bust through the sides of their shoes than those who wear court shoes. This is because running shoes are designed to be lightweight and forward moving while court shoes are designed to support athletic movements in all directions.

How to Choose Pickleball Shoes

Racquet Network retail staff are trained to ask customers a series of questions in order to help them narrow down our large selection to the best possible options for pickleball. First, they will ask what sport the customer will be using them for. Then they will ask some questions about pain, injuries and orthotics. Finally, they will ask questions about where and how the shoes will be used.

Once they have this information, they will fit the customer to ensure proper length and width. This fitting process helps narrow down our large selection even further. At the end of the process, our goal is to ensure that the customer is leaving our store with the best fit in the best shoes for their chosen sport.

How Long Do Pickleball Shoes Last?

Racquet Network has spent a considerable amount of time tracking pickleball players at all levels to determine how far they move while playing pickleball. On average, most players move about three kilometres during an hour of pickleball. Beginners will move a bit less. Experts will more a bit more. And since most players play about two hours per session, we can safely say that most players move about six kilometres every time they play pickleball.

Why does this matter? It matters because the average life of an athletic shoes is about 500 km. By this point in the shoe’s life, the padding inside the shoe is pounded flat, the walls of the shoes have lost their structural integrity and the overall comfort level is severely depreciated. As a result, players experience post-match soreness on the soles of their feet radiating up their legs and possibly into their knees. This is the player’s body telling them that it is time to replace their shoes.

In order to anticipate when this will begin happen, we will need to do some math. If you are an average player who plays pickleball three times a week, you will surpass 500 km in about 27 weeks, which is about six months. So, in other words, you will be buying new shoes every six months or so. Of course, 500 km is just an average. Cheap shoes may start to give out at 300 km while high performance shoes can last 800 km, because like everything else in life, you tend to get what you pay for.

• Indoor Pickleball Shoes for Ladies
• Outdoor Pickleball Shoes for Ladies
• Indoor Pickleball Shoes for Men
• Outdoor Pickleball Shoes for Men