Tennis, Padel, or Badminton Shoes: Which Ones Should You Keep for Pickleball?

Welcome to “Tennis, Padel, or Badminton Shoes: Which Ones Should You Keep for Pickleball?” I invite you to follow it the way you'd follow my lecture, part by part. You'll learn whether your current racquet-sport shoes will do or whether a dedicated pair is worth buying. I'll announce each part before I cover it: what you need to sort out, the criteria to weigh, and the points side by side.

What You Need to Sort Out

Here's your starting point, so read it carefully: the AAPSM links wearing worn-out shoes to problems such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and heel spurs.

Here's your starting point, so read it carefully: poorly fitted equipment, whether paddle or shoes, causes compensatory muscle strain. Mass General Brigham therefore recommends well-suited shoes and a well-suited paddle. Take this point as your reading guide.

Here's the key idea: a running shoe is built for linear movement. According to a podiatrist quoted by the Globe and Mail, it's a poor fit for pickleball's side-to-side movement. Connect this point with the parts to come.

The Criteria to Weigh

Here's the framework I suggest you apply.

• Surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery advise a court shoe with a flat, stable base. The curved sole of a running shoe, which propels you forward, is unsuitable.
• On a gym's hardwood or laminate floor, a podiatrist recommends a firmer outsole. Outdoors, a sole that absorbs shock better is a better fit.
• For pickleball, a podiatrist recommends a shoe with a toe guard, a firm heel counter, an upper and forefoot reinforced on the sides, and possibly a supportive ankle collar.

The Points Side by Side

Go through the following points, which I'm flagging as essential.

• One coach we spoke with advises trying shoes on before buying them: if any spot on your foot bothers you at the fitting, it won't sort itself out later.
• A podiatrist cited by the AAPSM describes the shoe as an inexpensive preventive investment: replacing it before it's too worn is part of preventing injuries.

What to Watch Closely, Plainly Put

Danger zone, and a trap: a sports shoe wears out its midsole first (EVA or polyurethane). Once the midsole loses its rebound, the shoe no longer cushions properly, even if the outsole looks intact.

Can You Play Pickleball in Tennis Shoes?

On the rules side: in January 2026, the FFT announced that it had obtained delegation from the Ministry of Sports for pickleball.

A provision to note: starting September 1, 2026, a single “Club FFT” license replaces the discipline-specific licenses (padel, pickleball, beach tennis). It costs €33 for adults and €23 for ages 7 to 18, with access to all disciplines.

The framework to know: the 2025 USA Pickleball rulebook (section 2.G.3) requires that shoe soles not mark or damage the playing surface.

What About Padel and Badminton Shoes?

On to the benchmark figures: in August 2025, the FFT counted more than 20,000 identified pickleball players, about 750 FFT clubs offering the sport, and more than 2,800 ranked players.

The measured benchmark: according to the 2025 USA Pickleball rulebook, the court is a rectangle 20 feet by 44 feet (6.10 m by 13.41 m).

To Wrap Up

So we've covered what you need to sort out, the criteria to weigh, the points side by side, and what to watch closely, in the order I announced. Reread the parts that felt dense, pencil in hand.

See also

• How to Choose Pickleball Shoes: The Complete Guide — Criteria for choosing a pickleball shoe. Game by game, you get the guiding principles, the articles to explore and how to get started.
• Sharing the Court With Tennis: Matching Your Shoes to Hard Courts — Here's how you can play on a tennis court marked for pickleball without damaging your shoes or your joints, explained part by part.
• FFT License and Pickleball Competitions: How to Find Your Way — You'll learn what the FFT license represents, which competitions exist, and what the ministerial delegation actually changes.
• The Most Common Mistakes When Buying Pickleball Shoes — You'll learn to spot the classic traps: wrong size, running shoes, picking by looks alone. Part by part, the basics to understand.

Sources

• AAPSM : remplacer ses chaussures de sport —
• Pickleball injuries (version française) — Common injuries (ankle, Achilles tendon, elbow, wrist), the importance of a well-fitted shoe suited to the surface, and prevention tips. Source checked as of 2026-10-18.
• The Globe and Mail : conseils d'experts pour choisir ses chaussures de pickleball —
• Hospital for Special Surgery : conseils de prévention des blessures au pickleball —
• Assemblée générale de la FFT, les décisions (janvier 2026) —
• Règles USA Pickleball 2025, section 2 : terrain et équipement — Rule 2.G.3: shoes must have soles that don't mark or damage the playing surface; the tournament director has authority over attire. Source checked as of 2026-10-18.
• L'accompagnement de la FFT dans l'essor du pickleball —

The information on this site is general and does not replace the advice of a doctor, physical therapist, or podiatrist, especially if you have pain, an old injury, or an unusual foot.

The site doesn't sell any shoes and doesn't publish paid rankings: the models mentioned are listed for information only.

What we verified.

This article draws on 7 sources: 6 official or institutional sources and 1 specialized or general press article.

Facts checked against their sources on October 18, 2026.

The method we follow: Our Method.