Pickleball shoes: what to wear on court in Australia

Shoes are the piece of gear beginners most often get wrong, because the running shoes by the front door seem fine. Here is what to look for.

What shoes should I wear for pickleball?

Court shoes. Pickleball Australia's Seniors FAQ lists "court shoes with good grip" as what to wear, and its safety advice includes proper footwear alongside warming up and pacing yourself. That advice applies to every age.

In practice that means one of three kinds of shoe:

Can I wear running shoes for pickleball?

You can turn up in them for a first come-and-try session, but they are not what the national body recommends. Running shoes are designed for forward motion. Pickleball involves lots of short sideways steps, stops and changes of direction, especially at the kitchen line. Court shoes are made for that movement. Pickleball Australia also tells older players to never run backwards, which is easier to stick to when your shoes let you move sideways confidently.

Are dedicated pickleball shoes worth it?

For most social players, a good multi-court or tennis shoe does the job, and Pickleball Australia frames pickleball-specific shoes as an option once you continue with the sport rather than a starting requirement. When I checked Australian retailers in November 2026:

• Decathlon Australia sold multi-court shoes explicitly marketed for tennis, padel and pickleball.
• Tennis Gear listed a dedicated Asics pickleball shoe.
• On Rebel Sport I did not find shoes sold as dedicated pickleball shoes on the pages I checked, though it sells tennis and court shoes generally.

The range changes quickly, so search the retailer for "pickleball shoes" and "court shoes".

Indoor vs outdoor court shoes

The venues in my city guides range from outdoor acrylic hard courts and shared tennis or netball courts to indoor sports centres, school gyms and halls. Indoor venues can have their own footwear rules, so check before your first indoor session. If you play both, keeping one pair just for indoors keeps the soles clean. See my guide to court surfaces.

What else should I wear?

• Clothing: anything comfortable you can move in. The rulebook asks players to avoid clothing that closely matches the ball colour.
• Sun protection outdoors: Pickleball Australia's list includes sunglasses and a hat for outdoor play.
• Eye protection: Pickleball Australia recommends eye protection as you progress, which can be as simple as glasses frames with the lenses removed.
• Braces or supports: Pickleball Australia lists supportive braces as optional if you have current or past injuries.

Checklist for buying pickleball shoes

1. Labelled as tennis, court, multi-court or pickleball shoes, not running shoes.
2. Flat sole with good grip.
3. Firm support around the sides of the foot.
4. Suits the venue's footwear rules if you will play indoors.
5. Comfortable from the first wear. Try them on with the socks you play in.