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Men’s Pickleball Shoes

Men's Pickleball Shoes
Men’s Pickleball Shoes

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.



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.


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Ladies Pickleball Shoes

YONEX ECLIPSION LADIES ALL COURT SHOE GRAY

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.

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Asics Court Shoes

Racquet Network carries Calgary’s largest selection of ™ court shoes for men, women and juniors. In fact, we have the largest selection of court shoes of all kinds. Come in for a fitting with our experts and leave with the perfect fit for your feet. We are open 7 days a week. Monday to Friday 11:00am to 8:00pm. Saturday and Sunday 11:00am to 5:00pm.


Shoe Selector For a full list of shoes in this category, please check out our ONLINE SHOE SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, width and price.

Asics Court Shoes


Shoe Selector For a full list of shoes in this category, please check out our ONLINE SHOE SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, width and price.
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Pickleball Myth #1 – Paddles Have a Sweet Spot

WILSON TOUR BLX PICKLEBALL PADDLE
The Wilson Tour BLX pickleball paddle is one of our top selling models.
We used to keep track of the number of times that customers came into our store asking for a specific pickleball paddle because they heard it has “a bigger sweet spot.” However, it happened so often that we stopped counting long ago.

In fact, pickleball paddles do not have a sweet spot. The term “sweet spot” applies to stringed racquets. It is the part of the string bed that stretches to the maximum depth and then propels the ball forward using the stored energy in the strings. Since pickleball paddles are solid, they cannot have a sweet spot.

The closest one can come to a sweet spot on a pickleball paddle is the center of mass. The center of mass is a point representing the mean position of the matter in a body or system.

On a pickleball paddle the centre of massed is a fixed and mathematically definable point. It cannot be made larger or smaller. Therefore it is not possible for one paddle to have a larger sweet spot than any other.

In order to harness the maximum amount of mass and energy available on any shot, the striker must hit the ball with the paddle’s center of mass. The further away from the center that contact is made, the more energy will be lost.

Hitting the ball with the paddle’s center of mass becomes more important as paddles become lighter. Since lighter paddles have less mass, off center hits are weaker. The more off center they are, the weaker the shot becomes.

With heavy paddles, off center hits are less of an issue. If a paddle is heavy enough, even shots that come from near the outer edge of the paddle will still harness a significant amount of energy, which is exactly why we recommend heavier paddles for beginners.

Players who want to maximize the transfer of energy into the ball through a paddle’s center of mass will have to practice hitting the ball in the mathematical center of the paddle. Those who can only do this inconsistently (beginners) should opt for heavier pickleball paddles.

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Female Intermediate Badminton Racquets

Victor Hypernano X990
Racquets designed for elite players are generally not suitable for intermediate players.
Badminton racquets designed for elite badminton players are generally not suitable for intermediate players. While many players simply want to buy the most expensive racquets designed for the very best athletes in the world, this is rarely a wise decision.

Adult intermediates generally lack the timing and the upper body strength of elite athletes. As a result, they will need some help from their racquets on shots such as the cross-court backhand clear. Compared to elite players, therefore, palyers in this group will need more flexible and more forgiving racquets.

Below is a sample of badminton racquets that our experts have determined to be generally suitable for female adult intermediates. For more information, please come into the store and consult with one of our experts. We are open 7 days a week and we carry Calgary’s largest selection of badminton racquets for men, women, teens and children.


Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.

Badminton Racquets for Female Adult Intermediates

A selection of badminton racquets that may be suitable for intermediate female badminton players.


Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.