Racquet Network carries a large selection of ladies 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 female pickleball players are playing in shoes that are too short and/or too narrow. This can lead to foot pain, blackened toe nails, arthritis and other health issues.
Come in and see us. Our experts will size you correctly and make sure that your shoes are contributing to a positive playing experience, not detracting from it.
Why Shoes Matter
The most common serious injury in pickleball is the sprained wrist, which is often caused when players trip while moving back and to the side. While falling, players instinctively stick out their hands to break their fall and end up spraining or breaking their wrist.
Serious wrist injuries can be devastating to older female players. Many of them never recover full use of their wrists. Therefore Racquet Network strongly recommends that pickleball players equip themselves with the correct shoes in order to help minimize the chances of accidental injury.
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 intends to play. 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.
Come in and See Us
Whether you play indoor or outdoor, lots or little, at the advanced level or the beginner level, Racquet Network staff are trained to help. All you need to do is come in and see us. We will help you pick the best shoes at the best value for your game.